masculine nominative singular + iti (quotative particle)
Analysis. nāgassa (genitive singular, 'of the nāga') + iti (quotative 'thus, so'), forming a quotative phrase; the surface form nāgassāti shows sandhi contraction of -ssa + iti > -ssāti.
Etymology. nāga is of uncertain origin within Pali; it may relate to Sanskrit nāga (snake, elephant, supernatural being) and possibly to a root meaning 'to bind' or 'to move', but the connection is not transparent. The word appears early in Indo-Aryan texts with a broad semantic range covering serpents, elephants, and supernatural creatures, suggesting a pre-Aryan substrate origin. No secure cognates in European languages.
Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.
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