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atthe

attha

masc acc pl of attha (noun); masc loc sg of attha (noun); masc acc pl of attha (adj); nt acc pl of attha (adj); …

1. meaning; sense; significance
2. benefit; profit; good; welfare
3. purpose; use; function; goal
4. matter; affair; legal case; lawsuit
5. for the purpose; for the sake; for the benefit (of)
6. matter; affair
7. need; want (for)
8. needing; wanting; seeking
9. …

Etymology. From Indo-European *ar-tho-, related to Sanskrit artha "purpose, meaning, thing" and English article (originally "joint, segment" — the thing that articulates or has distinct sense). The root sense is "fit together, join"; what joins or articulates has meaning.

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

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