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pessāti

pessa

masculine noun; nominative singular pessāti (or -ī)

1. servant; messenger; runner; lit. to be sent
2. name of a layman; lit. to be sent

Built from

• pa — prefix · forth, forward
  Intensifying and directional prefix meaning motion out ahead. Here it gives the sense of "sent forth" or "dispatched.".
• ssa — root · send
  Related to √sañj (to send, dispatch). The root carries the concrete image of dispatching someone on an errand or task.
• ti — ending · nominative marker
  This is the nominative singular ending (or in some contexts instrumental/locative) that completes the noun form pessāti or pessā.

Analysis. pessa + iti (nominative marker, or instrumental/locative form). The root pessa- is derived from √sañj (to send) with the prefix pa-, literally "sent forth".

Etymology. pa- (forward, forth) + √sañj (to send). Related to Sanskrit preṣya- (servant, one sent), from the same root. The concrete sense is "one who is sent forth on a task," from which develops "servant" and "messenger". Cognate with Latin praemittere (to send before).

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

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