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gopakamoggallānena

gopakamoggallāna

masc instr sg of gopakamoggallāna (noun)

1. name of a Brahman; lit. Moggallāna the guardian

Built from

• go — root · cow, cattle
  The sense may have shifted to 'herd-guardian' or the element may be part of gopaka as a whole. Common Pali root for bovine animals.
• paka — stem · protector, guardian
  From √gup 'to guard, protect'; -ka is a diminutive or agent suffix forming gopakamoggallāna as 'cow-guardian' or simply 'guardian'.
• moggallāna — stem · Moggallāna (proper name)
  A personal name, possibly ancient; its internal structure is opaque. Appears as a common name element in Pali texts.

Analysis. gopaka (guard, protector, from √gup 'to protect') + moggallāna (personal name, possibly from mogga 'to pluck, tear' or an independent formation). A descriptive epithet + personal name compound identifying the individual by role.

Etymology. gopaka from √gup (cognate with English 'gap' in the sense 'to tend, guard'; cf. Latin cavus 'hollow' and the notion of guarding an opening). Moggallāna is a proper name, possibly related to mogga (to pluck, pull), suggesting an ancient designation, though its etymology is uncertain.

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

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