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dukhā

dukha

masc nom pl of dukha (adj); fem nom sg of dukha (adj); fem nom pl of dukha (adj); nt nom pl of dukha (adj); …

1. uncomfortable; painful; unpleasant
2. discomfort; pain; displeasure

Built from

• du — prefix · bad, hard
  Prefix expressing difficulty or wrongness. Related to Greek dys- and Sanskrit dus-.
• kha — root · cavity, opening
  Root meaning 'space' or 'aperture'; combined with du-, the sense shifts to obstruction and discomfort — the difficulty of constricted movement.

Etymology. du- (prefix, 'bad, hard, difficult') + kha (root meaning 'cavity, opening, aperture'). The compound literally suggests a 'bad opening' or 'difficulty in movement', expressing the sense of discomfort and obstruction. Cognate: Greek dys- (dysfunction, dystopia); related to Sanskrit duḥkha.

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

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