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puññabhāgiyo

puññabhāgiya

masc nom sg of puññabhāgiya (adj)

1. meritorious; related to merit; connected with good deeds; lit. sharing in merit

Built from

• puñña — root · merit, virtue
  Neuter noun from √pū (to purify, increase). Denotes wholesome action and its accumulated spiritual value in the path.
• bhāg — root · share, portion
  From √bhaj (to divide, share); cognate with Sanskrit bhāga and English 'beget' (both from IE *bheg- 'to portion out'). Here used to mean 'partaking in' or 'connected with'.
• -iya — ending · adjectival suffix
  Forms adjectives meaning 'sharing in', 'partaking of', or 'characterized by'. Makes the compound agree as a modifier describing those worthy of or connected with merit.

Analysis. puñña (merit, wholesome deed) + bhāgiya (sharing in, partaking of); literally 'sharing in merit', i.e. connected with or conducive to merit.

Etymology. puñña is an old neuter noun from √pū (to purify, abound); bhāgiya derives from bhāga (share, portion) + -iya (adjectival suffix forming 'sharing in' or 'partaking of'). The compound fuses two concepts: the accumulation of wholesome action and the recipient's share in its fruit.

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

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