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dhammadinnaṁ

neuter nominative/accusative singular of a nominal compound (dhammadinnam), functioning as an abstract noun; 'given according to the norm' or 'gift in accordance with Dhamma'

1. gift given in accordance with Dhamma (the Buddha's teaching)
2. offering made with righteous intent
3. morally warranted donation

Built from

• dhamma — stem · norm, Dhamma
  The word underlying all Buddhist ethics: what is established, the teaching. No simple morphemes break it down further in Pali morphological terms; treat as root.
• dinnaṁ — stem · given
  Past participle of deti (√dā 'give'). Neuter form agrees with dhamma and marks the nominative or accusative case in a compound nominal predicate or object.

Analysis. Compound: dhamma 'the norm, law, Dhamma (the Buddha's teaching)' + dinnaṁ 'given' (past participle of deti). The phrase encodes the Buddhist concept of dāna (generosity) performed with right understanding and intention—giving aligned with ethical teaching.

Etymology. dhamma from Indo-European *dhem- 'to set, place' (related to Sanskrit dharma, English doom originally 'that which is set'); dinnaṁ from √dā 'give' (cognate with English do, Latin dare, Greek didōmi). The compound emphasizes giving as a deliberate act rooted in understanding.

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

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