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mettacittataṁ

mettacittata

accusative singular neuter abstract noun; nom. mettacittata

1. benevolence of mind
2. friendliness of heart

Built from

• metta — root · loving-kindness
  A supreme emotional state (brahmavihaara) cultivated in Buddhist practice, literally 'friendship' or 'good will toward all beings'.
• citta — root · mind, consciousness
  From √cit 'to perceive'; the faculty of awareness and intention that can be trained toward wholesome states.
• -ta — ending · abstract noun
  Nominalizing suffix forming the abstract quality or state; the -ṁ is the accusative singular ending.
• -ṁ — ending · accusative singular
  Object case here, often used as the direct object in constructions expressing 'develop X-ness' or 'cultivate the state of X'.

Analysis. metta (loving-kindness) + citta (mind) + -ta (abstract noun suffix); 'the state or quality of having a mind of loving-kindness'

Etymology. metta (Skt. maitrī) from Indo-European *mei- 'to change, exchange' (hence 'friendly exchange'); citta 'mind' from √cit 'to perceive, gather'; -ta forms abstract nouns. The word encodes a cardinal Buddhist mental quality cultivated through meditation.

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

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