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gaṅgāsamena

gaṅgāsama

masc instr sg of gaṅgāsama (adj); nt instr sg of gaṅgāsama (adj)

1. like the Ganges river

Built from

• gaṅgā — root · Ganges river
  A proper noun borrowed from Sanskrit; the etymology traces to the root 'to stride', evoking the river's powerful and continuous flow across the land.
• sama — stem · like, equal to
  From PIE *sem- 'same'; expresses likeness or equivalence. Used in compounds and as an adjective to indicate resemblance.
• ena — ending · instrumental singular
  Marks the instrumental case (masc or nt sg), expressing manner, means, or attendant circumstance in the clause.

Analysis. gaṅgā (Ganges river) + sama (like, equal); a compound denoting comparison to the river's magnitude and flow. The instrumental ending marks the manner or attendant circumstance.

Etymology. gaṅgā is the Pali name for the Ganges, from Sanskrit gaṅgā, ultimately from an Indo-European root *gʰenǵʰ- 'to stride' (the river that strides across the landscape); sama derives from PIE *sem- 'one, same' (English same, Latin similis, Greek homos-), expressing resemblance or equality.

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

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