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dukkhanirodhe

dukkhanirodha

masc acc pl of dukkhanirodha (noun); masc loc sg of dukkhanirodha (noun)

1. end of suffering; cessation of distress

Built from

• dukkha — stem · suffering, pain
  du- (bad, gone wrong) + kha (space); literally 'bad opening' or discomfort. Cognate with Greek dys- (dysfunction, dystopia).
• ni — prefix · down, into, cessation
  Carries the sense of pressing down, turning inward. Cognate with English nether and German nieder.
• rodh — root · obstruct, block, stop
  From √rudh 'to obstruct or press against'; the inward pressing action creates the sense of cessation.
• a — ending · masculine singular
  Nominative singular masculine suffix forming the abstract noun nirodha from the root.

Analysis. dukkhanirodha is a tatpuruṣa compound: dukkha (suffering, pain) + nirodha (cessation, stopping). In the canon, especially the Four Noble Truths, dukkhanirodha denotes the third noble truth—the cessation of suffering as the goal of the Buddhist path.

Etymology. dukkha derives from du- (bad, gone wrong; cognate with Greek dys- as in dystopia) + kha (space, opening), literally 'bad space' or 'discomfort'. nirodha comes from ni- (down, into; cognate with English nether) + √rudh (to obstruct, block), meaning 'pressing down, stopping, cessation'. The prefix ni- carries the concrete image of pressing inward or down until obstruction ceases.

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

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