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dvipadā

dvipada

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

1. two footed; with two feet
2. biped; two-footed being; (comm) man, bird etc.
3. two words; two lines of verse

Built from

• dvi — root · two
  From Indo-European *dwi-, the same root as English 'two', Latin 'bis', Greek 'dis'. The numeral marking duality.
• pada — root · foot; step
  From Indo-European *ped-, the same root as Latin 'pēs', English 'foot', German 'Fuss'. Concretely a foot; extended to footstep, way, place, position, and in prosody a metrical foot or unit.

Analysis. dvi 'two' + pada 'foot, step', hence a being or thing with two feet; also used in prosody for a two-line metrical unit.

Etymology. dvi from Indo-European *dwi- (English 'two', Latin 'bis', Greek 'dis'); pada cognate with Latin 'pēs' (foot), English 'foot', German 'Fuss', all from Indo-European *ped-.

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

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