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paṇāmetvā

absolutive (past participle) of paṇāmeti

1. having dismissed; having dispelled; lit. having caused to bend forward
2. (of hands) having stretched out (in reverential salutation); lit. having caused to bend forward
3. (of a door or window) having opened; lit. having caused to bend forward

Built from

• pa — prefix · forth, forward
  Intensifying prefix directing action forward or out ahead; here it emphasizes the forward bend of respect or the forward dismissal of something unwanted.
• ṇam — root · bend, bow
  Indo-European root visible in English numb and Latin nummus. Concrete image: the physical flexing of the body in reverence or submission.
• e — ending · causative marker
  The e-grade (or -e-) signals a causative verb: 'to cause to bend', hence 'to bow (something)', or metaphorically 'to dismiss'.
• tvā — ending · absolutive (past participle)
  Marks a completed action logically prior to the main verb; here 'having bent (bowed, dismissed)', indicating a preliminary or accompaniment act.

Analysis. paṇāmeti is a causative formation from paṇāma (bending, bowing); the absolutive paṇāmetvā breaks down as paṇām- (stem) + -e- (causative marker) + -tvā (absolutive ending). The root imagery is physical bending that becomes metaphorical dismissal or reverence.

Etymology. From pa- (forth, forward) + √nam (to bend, bow). √nam is cognate with English numb (originally 'seized, torpid'), Latin nummus, and Sanskrit namati 'bends'. The prefix pa- intensifies or directs the action forward; combined with the bending sense, paṇāma means bowing in respect, and causatively, causing something to bend away (hence dismiss or dispel). In the canon, the term often describes respectful physical gesture (hands joined in salutation) or mental relinquishment.

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

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