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arahato
araha
masc abl sg of araha (adj); masc abl sg of araha (noun); masc abl pl of araha (noun); masc dat sg of arahant (noun); …
- araha (adj): worthy (of); entitled (to); deserving (of)
- araha (masc): value; price; worth
- arahant (masc): awakened being; fourth stage of the path; lit. worthy one
Built from
- ara — root · spoke, support
The physical spoke of a chariot wheel; metaphorically, the foundation or support of existence. This concrete image underlies the abstract meaning 'worthy' — one who supports or sustains.
- han — root · strike, kill
To hit, destroy, overcome. Cognate with Sanskrit han-, Greek thein 'to slay', Latin fenestra (opening made by a strike). Here: to strike down the defilements (kilesa).
- a — ending · agent noun
Nominal suffix forming agent nouns from verbal roots; here makes arahan into a noun meaning 'one who strikes'.
- nt — ending · masculine nominative stem marker
Part of the masculine-o class declension. The full nominative stem is arahant-, giving the oblique base for ablative singular -ato.
- o — ending · ablative singular
Marks the ablative singular case ('from, by, than'), used here to show source, agent, or comparison.
Etymology. From ara- (spoke of a wheel, hence figuratively 'support') + √han (to strike, kill), literally 'one who has struck down (the defilements)'; the phonetic evolution ara-han- → araha- → arahant- shows productive agentive suffixing in Pali nominal paradigms. The root √han cognates with Sanskrit han-, Greek thein (slay), Latin fenestra (a strike/opening). The compound imagery persists in the Canon: the arahant is one who has destroyed the spokes of the wheel of saṁsāra.