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byā

indeclinable particle

1. indeed; truly; certainly; exactly

Built from

• b(h)e- — root · be, become, exist
  The copular root, common to Indo-European languages (Latin ferre, Greek phe-, English be). Here it grounds the particle's assertive force.
• -yā — ending · emphatic suffix
  A suffix that intensifies or marks emphasis in affirmations. Transforms the verbal root into an adverbial marker of certainty.

Etymology. From *bhe-yā, combining the copular root *bher- (be, become) with the emphatic suffix -yā; cognate with Greek phe- (in phēmi "say, assert"), Latin for "were" (past tense of esse), and English be. The form emphasizes assertion or confirmation through its verbal ancestry.

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

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