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paṭibhānaṁ

paṭibhāna

accusative singular neuter of paṭibhāna (noun)

1. ready wit, quick response
2. presence of mind
3. eloquence, fluency

Built from

• paṭi — prefix · back, against
  The sense of immediate counter-response: clarity flashing back in reply.
• bhāna — root · shining, speaking
  √bhā (to shine, appear, speak) appears in Pali and Sanskrit; cognate with English 'bright'. Here the sense of brightness becomes eloquent readiness.

Analysis. paṭi- (back, in return) + bhāna (speaking, shining); the notion of response that comes back immediately, or of brightness/clarity in reply.

Etymology. paṭi- (against, back) + √bhā (to shine, speak); cognate with English 'bright' and Latin 'fābula' (speech). The prefix paṭi- preserves its sense of counter-motion: wit that flashes back in answer.

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

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