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bhikkhunī

fem nom sg of bhikkhunī (noun); fem nom pl of bhikkhunī (noun); fem acc pl of bhikkhunī (noun); fem voc sg of bhikkhunī (noun); …

1. nun; fully ordained nun

Built from

• bhikkh- — root · receive alms; one who partakes
  From √bhaj 'to share, partake'. The concrete image is of one who receives a share (of alms). Related to Sanskrit bhaj- and distantly to the Indo-European root *bhreg- 'to break, distribute'.
• -u — stem · masculine stem-former
  Forms the masculine nominative singular bhikkhu from the root.
• -nī — ending · feminine marker
  The productive feminine suffix that derives feminine counterparts from masculine nouns. Marks bhikkhunī as the female equivalent of bhikkhu.

Etymology. bhikkhunī is the feminine form of bhikkhu (a fully ordained monk), derived from √bhaj 'to share, partake' (hence 'one who receives alms'), with the feminine suffix -nī. The root bhaj appears in Sanskrit bhaj- (to share, distribute) and is related to English 'bog' (a place where one sinks in, receiving water) and Latin fagus (beech tree, where one gathers acorns). The semantic path is from 'sharing' to 'receiving a share' to 'receiving alms' — the core meaning of the monastic life.

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

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