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samādhiṁ

samādhi

accusative singular masculine

1. mental concentration; collectedness of mind
2. meditative absorption
3. one-pointedness of focus

Built from

• saṁ — prefix · together
  Brings things into one; works like Latin con-. Creates the image of faculties unified.
• ā — prefix · toward, up to
  Reverses motion verbs; here combined with dhā to mean 'gathering toward'.
• dhā — root · place, hold
  Concrete root meaning to put down or establish. Cognate with Sanskrit dhā and English do.
• ṁ — ending · accusative singular
  Direct object marker; the word is being received or cultivated as the patient of meditation.

Analysis. saṁ (together) + ā (toward, up to) + √dhā (to place, to hold) = 'placing together, bringing into one'. The spatial sense of gathering and unifying becomes the psychological state of mental unification.

Etymology. The root √dhā (place, hold) is cognate with Sanskrit dhā and English do, dough (things placed, formed). The prefix saṁ (together, like Latin con-) works with ā (toward the speaker) to express the reversal and gathering of mental faculties into a single point of focus.

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

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