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purisadammasārathi

masc nom sg of purisadammasārathi (noun); masc voc sg of purisadammasārathi (noun)

1. trainer of tameable persons

Built from

• purisa — root · man, person
  From PIE *per- 'to lead, go forth'. A purisa is one marked out or established; compare Latin prīmus 'first'.
• damma — stem · tame, trainable
  From √dam 'to tame, subdue'. Cognate with Sanskrit damati and Latin domare 'to tame'. The root captures the sense of bringing under control.
• sārathi — stem · charioteer, trainer, guide
  From √sṛ 'to go, flow, move'. The sārathi guides the chariot; metaphorically, one who guides and trains others along the path.
• purisadamma — stem · persons amenable to training
  Compound of purisa and damma: persons whose nature allows them to be trained and disciplined.
• ø — ending · nominative singular masculine
  Zero ending for the nominative case in masculine consonant-stem nouns in Pali.

Analysis. purisadamma + sārathi: purisadamma (persons amenable to training) + sārathi (charioteer, guide, trainer). The image is of a skilled driver controlling horses; applied to one who trains and guides people of perfectible temperament.

Etymology. From purisa (man, person; from PIE *per- 'to lead forward') + damma (tame, trainable; from √dam 'to tame', related to Sanskrit damati and Latin domare 'to tame') + sārathi (driver, guide; from √sṛ 'to go, flow'). The metaphor transfers the charioteer's art to moral and spiritual discipline.

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

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