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labhāmi

labhati

pr 1st sg of labhati (verb); imp 1st sg of labhati (verb)

1. gets; receives; obtains (something for)
2. is possible; is permissible; is allowable
3. gets through (to somebody); makes (somebody) understand; lit. gets

Built from

• labh — root · take, seize
  The root image is grasping with the hand. Cognates: Greek λαμβάνω lambánō, Latin labor (lit. 'totter', from losing grip), English have.
• ā — ending · 1st singular present indicative or imperative
  The ending -āmi marks first person singular present indicative (labhāmi 'I get'); in Pali, the imperative and present indicative share this ending for the 1st person.

Etymology. From Indo-European *labh- 'to take, seize'; cognates include Latin labor 'to totter, stumble' (the sense shifts from grasping to losing one's footing), Greek λαμβάνω lambánō 'take', and English have (originally 'to grasp'). The root carries the concrete image of the hand grasping and holding.

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

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