kandarako

kandaraka

masc nom sg of kandaraka (noun)

name of a wandering ascetic; lit. from the gorge

Built from

kandara — root · gorge, ravine
A hollow or chasm; the basis sense is excavation or a place dug out. Cognate with Sanskrit khanḍ- 'to break, dig' (also appearing in khanḍ-āra).
ka — ending · diminutive, agent
Productive suffix forming personal nouns and diminutives; here marks an inhabitant or one associated with the preceding noun. Common in nomen proprium and descriptive epithets.

Analysis. kandara (gorge, ravine) + ka (diminutive or agent suffix); literally 'one from the gorge' or 'gorge-dweller'

Etymology. kandara (gorge) is of uncertain origin, possibly from a root meaning 'to dig' or 'hollow out'; -ka is a common agent and diminutive suffix in Pali (cf. nāvika 'sailor' from nāvā 'ship', aṭṭhika 'bony' from aṭṭhi 'bone'). The sense shifted from geographical origin to a stock character in wandering ascetic narratives.

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

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