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issatthena

issattha

nt instr sg of issattha (noun); masc instr sg of issattha (noun)

1. archery; lit. arrow throwing
2. archer

Built from

• issa — root · arrow
  From √is 'to send, impel'; the arrow as the thing sent forth. Related to Sanskrit iṣu, same meaning.
• attha — root · throw, aim
  Related to √att- 'to throw, direct toward'; the act of aiming or striking. Cognate with Latin attingere 'to touch, aim at'.
• -ena — ending · instrumental singular
  Marks the instrumental case, expressing means or agent: 'by archery' or 'as an archer'.

Analysis. issa- (arrow) + attha (throwing, aim); lit. 'arrow-aim' or 'arrow-throw', a bahuvrihi or tatpuruṣa compound denoting the practice or agent of archery.

Etymology. issa- from √is (to send, impel, hurl); attha from √att- (to throw, aim at), cognate with Latin attingere (to touch, aim at). The compound fuses two root images: the missile (arrow as 'sent thing') and the intentional act of directing it toward a mark.

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

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