accusative singular neuter, or nominative/accusative plural neuter of capara (adjective)
Analysis. Compound or derived form: capa- (unstable, variable) + -ra (suffix forming adjectives). The word conveys instability and lack of firm ground.
Etymology. Related to Sanskrit capala (moving, unsteady, fickle). The root sense is of quivering or trembling motion, akin to the image of something that cannot hold fast. Cognate with Latin cavillari (to jeer, mock—from the sense of instability in speech) is uncertain; the connection to English 'cape' (a cloak that flaps) is merely formal.
Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.
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