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apekkhavā

apekkhavant

masc nom sg of apekkhavant (adj); masc nom pl of apekkhavant (adj); masc voc sg of apekkhavant (adj)

  1. interested (in); concerned (about); involved (in); lit. having looking out quality
  2. longing; full of desire; craving (for); lit. having looking out quality

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Analysis. ape- (looking out toward) + -kkhavant (having the quality of looking), a compound verbal adjective formed from the prefix ape- (variant of apa-, away, off) + the root √ikkh (to look, see), with the suffix -vant (having) that forms possessive adjectives. The prefix ape- here expresses looking out away from oneself toward an object, hence the sense of expectation, concern, or desire directed outward.

Etymology. The root √ikkh (to look, see, expect) is cognate with Sanskrit √īkṣ (to see, look), from the Indo-European root *h₃ek- (to see), which also underlies English eye and Latin oculus. The prefix ape- derives from apa- (away, off), cognate with Greek apo- and Latin ab-, and originally expressed motion or direction away; when combined with a verb of looking, it conveys looking out toward a distant or absent object, hence the sense of expectancy or desire.

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

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