pānakathaṁ

pānakathā

accusative singular feminine (or nominative/accusative singular neuter if read as pānakatthaṁ); surface form shows sandhi contraction or scribal variation

drink-talk, talk about drinks
talk over drinks
drinking conversation

Built from

pāna — root · drink
From √pā. The base concept is taking liquid into the mouth; Sanskrit pāna, cognate with Latin bibere and Greek pinein.
kathā — stem · talk, speech
Feminine noun from √kath (speak). Often used in compound to mean conversation, discussion, or narrative talk.

Analysis. pāna (drink, beverage; from √pā "drink") + kathā (talk, speech, discourse). The compound denotes conversation accompanied by or centered on drinking, or idle gossip exchanged over refreshment.

Etymology. pāna derives from √pā (drink), cognate with Latin bibere and Greek pinein (both "drink"). kathā is from √kath (speak), related to Latin cant- (sing, speak) and English chant. Together they form a dvandva or tatpuruṣa compound common in Pali narrative prose.

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

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