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akusalā

akusala

masc nom pl of akusala (adj); fem nom sg of akusala (adj); fem nom pl of akusala (adj); nt nom pl of akusala (adj); …

1. (of a person or animal) unskilful; incompetent; inexperienced
2. unbeneficial actions; unskilful deeds; the unwholesome
3. unhealthy; unwholesome; unskilful; unbeneficial; kammically unprofitable

Built from

• a- — prefix · not, without
  Plain negation without any concrete spatial sense. Negates the sense of kusala to mean "unskilled" or "unwholesome".
• kusala — root · skilled, wholesome
  The root kusala means "fitting, apt, capable" and carries a positive moral and practical sense. In Buddhist doctrine, kusala-kamma (wholesome actions) lead to good rebirth; akusala-kamma (unwholesome actions) lead to suffering.

Etymology. a- (not, without) + kusala (skilful, wholesome). Kusala is related to Sanskrit kuśala and likely descends from an Indo-European root meaning "to be able" or "to fit" (cognate with English "choose", Greek κῦσις "motion, impulse"). The negation a- gives the contrary: what is not fitting or skilful, hence unwholesome and kammically unprofitable.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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