masc nom sg of kabaḷīkāra (adj)
Analysis. kabaḷa (morsel) + ī (suffix forming adjectives) + kāra (making, doing); literally 'making into morsels', hence suitable for consumption as food.
Etymology. kabaḷa is the noun for a morsel or lump of food (from √kab- meaning to hold or grasp in the hand); kāra derives from √kṛ (to make, do), cognate with Latin creare and English craft. The compound portrays the nature of food as what is shaped into pieces for eating.
Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.
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