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ambalaṭṭhikāyaṁ

ambalaṭṭhikā

locative singular feminine of ambalaṭṭhikā (noun: a female cloth-keeper or washerwoman)

1. in/at the washerman's place
2. among cloth-workers

Built from

• ambala — root · cloth, washing
  Related to wrapping and textile work. A woman who washes or tends cloth.
• ṭṭhikā — ending · female agent noun
  The feminine diminutive suffix -ikā (-ṭṭhikā in Pali) marks a female person engaged in the action; here, a washerwoman or cloth-keeper.
• ṁ — ending · locative singular
  Locative case ending, indicating location or position: 'in/at the place of the washerwoman.'

Analysis. ambala (cloth, washing) + laṭṭhikā (female agent noun suffix -ikā). The compound denotes a woman employed in washing or bleaching cloth, or the place where such work occurs.

Etymology. ambala derives from Sanskrit ambal- (cloth), itself related to the root for wrapping or folding; laṭṭhikā is a feminized agent noun (cf. Sanskrit -ikā). The word appears chiefly in narrative contexts describing occupational groups.

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

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