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mānetabbaṁ

mānetabba

neuter singular nominative/accusative of mānetabba (gerundive), or potentially masculine singular nominative as a predicative adjective; surface form mānetabbaṁ shows sandhi (anusvāra for nasal assimilation before labial)

1. should be honored
2. ought to be respected
3. worthy of respect

Built from

• mān — root · honor, respect
  To think much of or esteem someone; to regard with deference. Concrete sense: elevating in thought.
• e — ending · causative/gerundive formant
  Links the root to the obligative suffix, marking the word as expressing an action that should be or is fit to be performed.
• tabba — ending · to be done, worthy of
  Gerundive suffix expressing fitness, propriety, or obligation; common in Pali doctrinal language for duties and virtues. Here creates the sense 'fit to be honored'.

Analysis. mān- (root of māṇeti, to honor) + -etabba (gerundive suffix indicating obligation or fitness). The gerundive expresses what is fit or proper to be done.

Etymology. From √mān (to honor, think much of), possibly related to Sanskrit mānate (esteems). The -etabba suffix derives from -e- (causative or gerundive formant) + -tabba (obligation marker, functionally like Latin -bilis). The compound sense conveys 'fit to be honored'.

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

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