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paññattaṁ

paññatti

accusative singular feminine of paññatti (noun)

1. designation, concept
2. conventional reality (as distinct from ultimate reality)
3. designation or name given by convention

Built from

• pa — prefix · forth, distinctly
  The forward-stepping prefix that makes knowledge emerge and stand out clearly.
• ñā — root · know
  Cognate with Latin gnōscere and English 'know'; the root of pañña (wisdom) and paññapeti (causes to know).
• tti — ending · nominalized state
  Abstract noun suffix -tti (like English -ness) forms the abstract noun from the verb; accusative case marks this as the object of a verb or preposition.

Analysis. pa + ñ + atti, from paññapeti (causes to know), literally 'that which is made known or designated'; the root is √ñā (know), strengthened in causative form. Paññatti refers to concepts and linguistic conventions as opposed to paramatthasacca (ultimate truth).

Etymology. From pa- (forth, out) + √ñā (know, cognate with Latin gnōscere, English know), via the causative paññapeti. The prefix pa- gives the sense of 'forth' or 'distinctly'; the root √ñā means 'to know.' The word embodies the Buddhist analytical distinction between conventional designations (paññatti) and ultimate realities (paramattha).

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

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