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araññagato

araññagata

masc nom sg of araññagata (adj)

1. gone to the forest; gone to the woods
2. in the forest; in the woods

Built from

• arañña — root · forest, wilderness
  Of uncertain etymology, possibly from a Dravidian source. Used throughout the Pali Canon to denote the forest as a refuge for meditation.
• gata — ending · gone, gone to
  Past participle of gacchati (go), from PIE *gʰem-. Functions adjectivally here to mark one who has moved to or is situated in the forest. Cognate with Latin venio (come) and English come.

Analysis. arañña (forest) + gata (gone, gone to; past participle of gacchati). A common epithet for forest-dwelling monks and ascetics in the Canon.

Etymology. arañña is of uncertain origin, possibly from Dravidian; gata is the past participle of gacchati (go), from PIE *gʰem- (come, go), cognate with Latin venio and English come. The compound describes one who has betaken himself to the forest as a dwelling-place.

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

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