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sammākammantaṁ

sammākammanta

accusative singular masculine of sammākammanta, adjective; or nominalized as 'right action' in the Noble Eightfold Path

1. right action
2. ethical conduct
3. wholesome deed

Built from

• sam — prefix · together, rightly
  From sam- (completely, well-directed), the prefix that unifies and aligns. Enters compound as samm- before ā.
• ā — prefix · toward, up to
  Reverses or completes the sense of the verb stem; here reinforces directedness. Latin ad-.
• kammanta — stem · action, conduct
  Nominalized form of √kam 'to do, act'. This stem carries the meaning of bodily and verbal deed.

Analysis. sam + mā + kammanta: 'together-rightly-action'. samm- (sam + ā) means 'rightly, well-directed'; kammanta is 'action, conduct'. In the Eightfold Path (sammādiṭṭhi, sammāsaṅkappa, sammākammanta...), this denotes action aligned with virtue and non-harm.

Etymology. sam- (together, completely) + √mā (measure, fit) + kammanta (deed, from kam 'do'). The prefix sam- prefixed to māga 'path' similarly conveys right direction. Cognates: Latin con- (together), English same.

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

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