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sammāājīvo

sammāājīva

masc nom sg of sammāājīva (noun); masc nom sg of sammāājīva (adj)

1. correct livelihood; right mode of earning a living
2. with correct livelihood; having right mode of earning a living

Built from

• sam — prefix · together, rightly
  The sam- prefix (or saṁ-) compounds elements into wholeness and correctness. It functions here to emphasize the 'right' or 'complete' aspect of livelihood aligned with the Dhamma.
• mā — root · measure, manner
  Related to sama 'even, same'; the adverbial sammā derives from this root, meaning 'in the right measure or manner'.
• ā — prefix · toward, up to
  The ā- prefix reverses or directs motion, here shaping jīva into ājīva 'livelihood taken up toward oneself', the means by which one sustains life.
• jīv — root · live, be alive
  Cognate with Latin vivus 'alive', English 'live', Sanskrit jīvati. The root points to the vital act of sustaining oneself.
• a — ending · nom sg masc
  The -a ending marks the nominative singular masculine; sammāājīva is the direct object of appamāda 'diligence' or the predicate in ethical discourse.

Analysis. sammā + ājīva: sammā 'rightly, correctly' (adv from sama 'even, same') + ājīva 'livelihood, mode of life' (ā + √jīv 'to live'). Sammāājīva is the eighth component of the Noble Eightfold Path (ariyaasthangiko maggo), following sammāvācā and leading to sammaakammanta.

Etymology. sammaajiva is a Buddhist technical compound. sammā derives from sama 'level, even' (cognate with English 'same', Latin 'similis'), intensified by the sam- prefix to mean 'rightly, exactly'. jīva comes from √jīv 'to live' (cognate with Latin 'vivus', English 'alive', Sanskrit jīvati). The compound reflects the Dhamma's concern with ethical means of subsistence, excluding trades in weapons, poisons, meat, and intoxicants.

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

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