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micchāājīvā

micchāājīva

masc nom pl of micchāājīva (adj); fem nom sg of micchāājīva (adj); fem nom pl of micchāājīva (adj); nt nom pl of micchāājīva (adj); …

1. with wrong livelihood; having a wrong mode of living
2. wrong livelihood; wrong mode of living

Built from

• micchā — root · wrong, false
  From √mic 'to mix, confuse' with -cha adjectival ending; the idea of 'mixing' or 'muddling' yields 'confusion' and thus 'wrongness'. Related to Sanskrit miśra 'mixed'.
• ājīva — stem · livelihood, mode of living
  ā- (toward, up to) + jīva (life, living). jīva relates to Latin vivus 'alive' and English living; the prefix ā- intensifies or directs toward means of subsistence. The compound denotes right or wrong occupations as defined by the Eightfold Path.

Analysis. micchā (wrong, false) + ājīva (livelihood, mode of living); a compound denoting the fifth component of the Eightfold Path (micchāājīva is the counterpart to sammāājīva 'right livelihood').

Etymology. micchā < √mic (to mix, confuse) + -cha diminutive/adjectival suffix, hence 'mixed up, confused, wrong'; ājīva < ā- (toward, up to) + jīva (life, living), literally 'what sustains life'. In early IE languages, 'living' and 'quick-moving' share roots (cf. Latin vivus, English quick < OE cwicu); the prefix ā- shows direction or intensification toward one's means of existence.

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

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