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anatthasaṁhitena

anatthasammita

instrumental singular of anatthasammita (adjective), or instrumental singular neuter of anatthasammita used adverbially; agreeing with an implicit noun or modifying a verbal action

1. with futility
2. in a way connected to harm
3. purposelessly
4. vainly

Built from

• an- — prefix · not, without
  Plain negation; no positive sense. Cognate with English un- and Greek a(n)-.
• attha — root · purpose, benefit, prosperity
  From Sanskrit artha; the concrete sense is 'fitting' or 'joining', extended to 'aim' or 'goal'.
• saṁ- — prefix · together, with
  Things bound or placed into one; the prefix intensifies the connection. Works like Latin con- and English same.
• hita — stem · placed, bound, joined
  Past participle of √dhā (to put, place); here used as a verbal adjective expressing state or condition.
• -ena — ending · instrumental singular
  Marks the adverbial or instrumental case, expressing the manner or means by which an action is performed.

Analysis. an- (prefix, not, without) + attha (noun, purpose, benefit, prosperity) + saṁ- (prefix, together, with) + hita (past participle of √dhā, placed, put, bound); literally 'bound-together-with-no-benefit' or 'connected-with-harm': the compound expresses instrumental or adverbial futility.

Etymology. attha derives from Sanskrit artha (purpose, meaning, wealth), itself from Indo-European *ar- (to fit, join); the instrumental-case ending -ena and the prefix combination saṁ- + hita intensify the sense of purposeless binding or connection.

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

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