‹ Back to the text

hīnaṁ

hīna

accusative singular neuter of hīna (adjective); or nominative/accusative singular neuter in compounds

1. low, base, inferior
2. mean, despicable
3. depressed, dejected

Built from

• hīna — root · left behind, low
  From √hī meaning to abandon or fall short; the concrete image of being left in a low place behind others shapes the meaning of inferiority and depression. The word appears frequently in Pali Buddhist discourse to denote spiritual lowness or lack (e.g., 'hīna-dhamma' lower teachings) and mental depression.

Analysis. Simple word; not a compound or contraction.

Etymology. From √hī (to leave behind, abandon). The sense 'low' derives from being left behind or fallen away from a higher state. Related to Sanskrit hīna and cognate with Greek cheiron 'worse' (comparative of kakos 'bad').

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

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version