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saphalā

saphala

masc nom pl of saphala (adj); fem nom sg of saphala (adj); fem nom pl of saphala (adj); nt nom pl of saphala (adj); …

1. fruitful; productive; efficacious; lit. with fruit

Built from

• sa — prefix · with, together
  Prefix marking association or accompaniment. Related to sam-/saṁ- but appears here in its simple form before a consonant.
• phala — root · fruit
  From PIE *bʰel- (to swell, grow), cognate with English 'ball', Latin 'follis'. Concrete image of ripened fruit as the visible outcome of growth.
• a — ending · masculine/neuter singular stem
  Thematic vowel marking the stem class; -ā in fem nom sg signals the feminine form saphalā.

Analysis. sa- (with) + phala (fruit): literally 'with fruit', hence bearing results or consequences; used doctrinally of practice that yields spiritual fruit.

Etymology. sa- 'with' (related to sam-, saṁ-); phala 'fruit' from PIE *bʰel- (to swell, grow), cognate with English 'ball', Latin 'follis' (inflated bag). The image is concrete: a tree laden with fruit — metaphorically, action or effort that matures into visible result.

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

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