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bahudhāpi

bahudhā

indeclinable + api

1. in many ways; in many forms

Built from

• bahu — root · much, many
  Describes abundance or multiplicity; cognate with Latin multus and related to Indo-European *bʰeuǵʰ-.
• dhā — ending · in the manner of
  Instrumental suffix derived from √dhā (to place, put), forming an adverbial sense of 'in the way of' or 'by means of'. This construction turns 'many' into 'in many ways'.
• api — prefix · even, though, furthermore
  An emphatic or concessive particle that reinforces or adds reserve to the preceding adverb; cognate with Sanskrit api. Here it lends a sense of 'even so' or 'nevertheless' to the adverbial phrase.

Analysis. bahudhā (in many ways) + api (even, though) — an emphatic or concessive particle phrase meaning 'in many ways nevertheless' or 'even in manifold fashion'.

Etymology. bahudhā from bahu (much, many) + dhā (the instrumental suffix -dhā, 'in the manner of'), giving 'in a many manner'. Bahu is cognate with Latin multus via the Indo-European root *bʰeuǵʰ- (abundance, wealth); dhā as an instrumental-forming suffix derives from √dhā (to place, put), the same root underlying samādhi. Api is a particle of emphasis or concession ('even', 'though'), cognate with Sanskrit api.

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

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