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pacchābhattaṁ

pacchābhatta

accusative singular neuter, from pacchābhatta (n.)

1. after-meal
2. time after eating
3. post-prandial period

Built from

• paccha — stem · after
  Adverbial form from √pach, referring to something that has passed or ripened; denotes the temporal sense of 'afterward'.
• bhatta — stem · meal, food
  From √bhaj (share, distribute); denotes food or the eating occasion.
• aṁ — ending · accusative singular
  Marks the object or destination in the accusative case, neuter gender.

Analysis. paccha (after) + bhatta (meal, food). A compound describing the period following a meal, particularly in the monastic context where eating after noon is prohibited.

Etymology. paccha is the adverbial past participle of pachati (to cook, to ripen), hence 'cooked/ripe' → 'after'. bhatta from √bhaj (to share, distribute, eat), hence 'food, meal'. The compound became a standard term for the afternoon hours when monks refrain from eating.

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

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