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sīlena

sīla

nt instr sg of sīla (noun); masc instr sg of sīla (adj); nt instr sg of sīla (adj)

1. ethical conduct; ethics; virtue; moral integrity
2. behaviour; habit
3. with a kind of conduct; with a certain behaviour; having a habit
4. custom; rite; ritual
5. precept; rule; training rule

Etymology. Root √śī (sit, dwell) in Sanskrit; the connection is semantic: sīla originally meant "habit" or "custom" (what one sits with, one's characteristic way), then generalized to "conduct" and "virtue". The word family includes Sanskrit śīla and appears to derive from an older sense of settling into a way of life. No clear cognates in European languages.

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

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