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pajaṁ

pajā

accusative singular feminine of pajā (noun)

1. offspring, progeny
2. people, subjects
3. lineage, race

Built from

• pa — prefix · forth, forward
  Concrete image of stepping out ahead; here emphasizes what is born forth.
• jā — root · be born, give birth
  From Indo-European *gen- (Sanskrit janayati, Latin gignere, English kin). The verb sense of producing offspring.
• m — ending · accusative singular
  Marks the feminine noun pajā in the accusative case, object of a transitive verb or preposition.

Analysis. pa + √jā: pa- (forward, forth) + √jā (to be born, give birth) = that which is born forth, offspring. In compounds and inflected forms, the concrete image of birth-giving extends to descendants and populations.

Etymology. √jā "be born, give birth" (Sanskrit janayati, Latin gignere "beget", English kin). The prefix pa- (forth) emphasizes the sense of coming forth or being produced. Cognate with English "kin" and Latin "genus".

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

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