‹ Back to the text

patiṭṭhāpetvā

absolutive (patiṭṭhāpetvā) of causative patiṭṭhāpeti

1. having put down; having placed; having planted; lit. having caused to stand back
2. (in debate) having made someone state their position; lit. having caused to stand back
3. having established (something in); lit. having caused to stand back
4. having set up; having installed; lit. having caused to stand back

Built from

• paṭi — prefix · back, against
  Directional prefix meaning counter, in return, or firmly fixed. Works to intensify the sense of standing.
• ṭhā — root · stand
  PIE *steh₂-; cognate with English stand, Latin stāre, Greek histanai. The concrete image of uprightness and stability underlies all figurative uses.
• pe — stem · causative marker
  Transforms intransitive ṭhāti (stands) into patiṭṭhāpeti (causes to stand).
• tvā — ending · absolutive
  Uninflected gerundial form marking completed action prior to the main verb; standard in narrative sequence.

Analysis. paṭi (back, against) + ṭhāpeti (causative of √ṭhā, to stand): 'caused to stand back/firm', hence to establish or install something in a position of stability or commitment.

Etymology. Causative of paṭiṭṭhati (√ṭhā 'stand' with paṭi- prefix). The root √ṭhā descends from PIE *steh₂- 'to stand', cognate with English stand, Latin stāre, Greek stasis. The prefix paṭi- (back, against, counter-) originally depicted physical resistance or pushing back; in compounds it developed the sense of 'firmly' or 'by way of returning/responding'. Thus patiṭṭhāpeti literally 'causes to stand back/firm', applied to establishing positions in debate, planting in meditation, or installing practices.

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

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