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rajopatho

rajopatha

masc nom sg of rajopatha (noun)

1. dusty path; dirty place; lit. dirt path

Built from

• rajo — root · dust, dirt
  From the image of particles scraped or worn away; related to the sense of friction and erosion. Cognate with Latin rādere 'to scrape'.
• patha — root · path, way
  From √path 'to go, walk', the concrete sense of a track or passage. Cognate with Latin patēre 'to be open, extend'.

Analysis. A compound of rajo (dust, dirt) + patha (path); literally 'dust-path', a path covered with dust or a place characterized by dirt.

Etymology. Rajo derives from the Indo-European root *h₂reh₂- (to scratch, scrape), seen in Latin rādere (to scrape, scratch) and English 'rathe' (early, i.e. scraped away). Patha comes from √path (to go, walk), cognate with Latin patēre (to be open, spread) and English 'path'. The compound denotes a literal or figurative path marked by dust and defilement, often used in the canon to symbolize the lower, sensory realms.

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

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