kiñcāpi

sandhi formation (kiṃ + ca + api)

however much; even if; even though; although

Built from

kiṃ — root · what, which
Pali interrogative-indefinite pronoun, from PIE *kwo-. Used in indefinite sense ('whatever') when combined with particles like ca and api.
ca — prefix · and, also
Enclitic conjunction from PIE *ke. Here it shifts kiṃ from interrogative to indefinite sense, making 'what-ever'.
api — ending · even, even if
Particle of concession and emphasis; combined with the ca-marked indefinite, it strengthens the sense to 'even whatever', hence 'although' or 'however much'.

Analysis. kiṃ (interrogative/indefinite pronoun, neuter nominative singular, 'what') + ca (conjunction, 'and') + api (particle of concession, 'even'); the sequence acts as an indefinite conditional: 'whatever... even if', used to express concession or hypothetical allowance.

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

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