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paṭisallānā

paṭisallāna

nt nom pl of paṭisallāna (noun); nt instr sg of paṭisallāna (noun); nt abl sg of paṭisallāna (noun); nt voc sg of paṭisallāna (noun); …

1. privacy; seclusion; solitude; lit. sticking back together
2. alone; secluded; in solitude; lit. sticking back together
3. settling down; lit. sticking back together

Built from

• paṭi — prefix · back, against
  Spatial prefix meaning back or in return; here it reverses motion, turning outward flow inward.
• sallāna — stem · drawing together, contraction
  From √sal- (to stick, cohere); -āna is a gerundive/action noun suffix. The root evokes cohesion and gathering.

Analysis. paṭi- (back, against, in return) + sallāna (drawing together, contraction). The compound images retreat inward: turning back from the world and drawing oneself together into focused solitude—a key monastic practice.

Etymology. paṭi- from PIE *pret- (back, against; Greek proti/pros); sallāna from √sal- (to stick, cohere), related to Latin saliō (leap forward) and English sally. The prefix paṭi- reverses outward motion, so paṭi-sallāna literally 'sticking back', images withdrawal into oneself.

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

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