ekāyano

ekāyana

masc nom sg of ekāyana (adj)

direct; one-way; (or) going once

Built from

eka- — prefix · one
The number one, expressing singularity and uniqueness; no branching or alternatives. Common in Pali compounds for 'single, sole'.
yā — root · go
Root meaning motion and travel; appears in yāti 'goes', yāna 'vehicle, goer'. Cognate with English 'way' and Latin via 'road'.
-na — ending · suffix forming abstract noun
Nominalizing suffix that forms nouns of action or destination (as in āsana 'sitting place' from √ās 'sit'); here creating āyana 'going, path, way to go'.

Analysis. eka- (one) + āyana (going, path); literally 'one going' or 'single path', used in the Canon for the direct way to liberation (e.g., Dhammapada 21: 'This is the only way' — ekāyano maggo).

Etymology. eka- 'one' (from PIE *oiko- 'single'; cognate with English 'one', Latin ūnus, Greek oîkos 'house, single dwelling'); āyana from √yā 'go' (cognate with English 'way', Latin via). The compound treats 'going' as a noun of destination or path, imaging a single, unmultiplied course toward the goal.

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

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