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kassapo

kassapa

masc nom sg of kassapa (noun)

1. name of the 1st previous Buddha; lit. descendant of Kassapa
2. name of a deity; lit. descendant of Kassapa
3. family name; lit. descendant of Kassapa
4. name of a Vedic sage; lit. descendant of Kassapa
5. name of an arahant monk; lit. descendant of Kassapa

Built from

• kassa — root · to move, be active
  The Vedic sage Kásí or cognate root denoting activity; the sense evolved to become a proper name in genealogical traditions.
• -pa — ending · descendant, son
  Nominal suffix marking descent or lineage; functions as a patronymic marker forming family names from an ancestor's name.

Analysis. Compound: kassa- (name of a Vedic sage; possibly from kásí 'to move, be active') + -pa (descendant, son; from √pā 'protect' or nominal suffix). Lit. 'descendant of Kassa', a patrilineal family name that became applied to individuals including the Buddha Kassapa and the arahant disciple.

Etymology. The element kassapa appears in Vedic literature as the name of an ancient sage (Kaśyapa in Sanskrit), connected with a root denoting activity or motion. The suffix -pa functions as a patronymic marker meaning 'son' or 'descendant' (cf. Sanskrit -pa in nominal formations). The name carried prestige in Brahminical genealogy and was adopted as a family name among early Buddhist monastic lineages.

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

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