‹ Back to the text

paripañhati

pr 3rd sg of paripañhati (verb)

1. questions; enquires

Built from

• pari — prefix · around, completely
  The prefix pari- conveys circling around something or examining it in full. Here it intensifies pañhati to mean not merely to ask but to inquire thoroughly.
• pañh — root · ask, question
  From Sanskrit √prach- (pṛcchati, "asks"). The same root appears in Old English fricgan and other Germanic forms descending from Indo-European *prek-.
• ati — ending · 3rd person singular present
  The present tense ending marking third person singular indicative active voice in Pali.

Analysis. pari- (around, completely) + pañhati (asks). The prefix pari- gives the sense of thorough or complete questioning, turning a simple inquiry into a comprehensive examination or investigation.

Etymology. The root √prach- (Sanskrit pṛcchati, "asks") is reflected in Pali pañhati. Sanskrit cognates include pṛcchati and the noun pṛccha ("question"). The prefix pari- (around, complete) adds the sense of investigating thoroughly, as if questioning from all sides. No direct European cognates, but the Indo-European root *prek- ("to ask") appears in Old English fricgan ("to ask") and Germanic forms.

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

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version