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ghānaviññeyyā

ghānaviññeyya

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

1. smellable; known by the nose; lit. to be known by the nose

Built from

• ghāna — root · nose, smell
  From √ghrā (to smell), expressing the sense organ and its sensory function. Related to Latin fragrāre and English fragrance.
• vi — prefix · apart, clearly
  The prefix vi- marks clarity and distinction, here intensifying the sense of 'knowability' as something clearly perceived or distinguished.
• ññ — root · know
  From √ñā (to know), cognate with Latin gnōscere, Greek γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō), and English know, all from Indo-European *gn̥-.
• eyya — ending · to-be, capable of being
  Future passive participle suffix forming adjectives of capability or fitness; here expressing 'able to be known by the nose'.

Analysis. ghāna (nose, the sense of smell) + viññeyya (to-be-known, capable of being understood). A possessive compound: 'that which is to be known by the nose', i.e. objects of olfactory perception.

Etymology. ghāna derives from √ghrā (to smell), cognate with Latin fragrāre and English fragrance, both from the same Indo-European root *gʰreh₂- meaning to please the senses. viññeyya is the future passive participle of √ñā (to know), related to Latin gnōscere and English know through the Indo-European *gn̥-.

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

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