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dukanipāto

dukanipāta

masc nom sg of dukanipāta (noun)

1. Book 2 of the Itivuttaka; Book of Twos
2. Chapter 2 of the Theragāthā (TH121-169)
3. Chapter 2 of the Therīgāthā (THI19-28)
4. Chapter 2 of the Jātaka

Built from

• duka — stem · two, dual
  The dual number of dva, two; from Indo-European *dwo-, cognate with English two, Greek duo, Latin duo.
• nipāta — stem · descent, section, book
  Compound of ni- (down into) and root pat (fall); the concrete image of chapters or sections as successive descents or falls of material into organized divisions.

Analysis. duka (two) + nipāta (descent, section, book); a compound denoting the second book or division of a canonical text, from the metaphor of textual matter 'descending' or 'falling' into numbered sections.

Etymology. duka is the dual form of dva (two), from Indo-European *dwo-; nipāta is derived from ni- (down, into) + √pat (to fall), cognate with Latin patere (to lie open, fall). The image is of doctrine or text arranged as successive 'descents' into numbered compartments.

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

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