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catassopi

catasso

cardinal numeral

1. catasso (card): four (4)
2. catu (card): four (4)

Built from

• cata — root · four
  PIE *kʷetwor-. The initial cata- is the oblique stem form used before particles and in compounds; in the nominative it becomes catū. Cognates throughout the Indo-European family: English four, Latin quattuor, Greek téssares (< *kʷétware-), Sanskrit catvāraḥ.
• sso — ending · oblique stem marker
  The -sso suffix marks the oblique (non-nominative) stem of this numeral, used before particles and in certain syntactic positions.
• api — root · also, even, too
  Particle from PIE *h₂epi 'near, beside', cognate with Sanskrit api. Adds emphatic, generalizing, or concessive force: 'also the four', 'even four', or 'four and likewise'.

Analysis. catasso + api; the cardinal 'four' with the particle api meaning 'also, even, too' — emphatic or generalizing force.

Etymology. catasso from PIE *kʷetwor- 'four'; cognates include English four, Latin quattuor, Greek téssares, Sanskrit catvāraḥ. The form catasso shows the oblique stem used before particles. api is the same particle as in Skt. api, from PIE *h₂epi 'near, beside'.

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

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