‹ Back to the text
sukhāyāti
sukha
3rd person singular present indicative of sukhāyati
- sukha (adj): easy (on); comfortable (for); pleasant (for); good (for); contented
- sukha (nt): ease; comfort; happiness; pleasure; contentment
- sukha (adj): (of water) tepid
- sukhāya (nt): comfortable (for); lit. for the comfort
- sukhāyati (pr): is comfortable with; is ok with; is happy with
- sukha (adj): (of weather) fine; mild; pleasant
- sukha (adj): happy
Built from
- su — prefix · well, good
The Indo-European word eu- (Greek eulogy); here it combines with √sakh- or a root meaning 'to go smoothly' to make 'easy to travel, easy to bear'.
- kh — root · move smoothly, go
Uncertain; may relate to Sanskrit sakh- or a root akin to 'wear, endure'. The concrete sense is physical ease in motion.
- a — ending · neuter singular nominative
Marks sukha as a neuter noun when used substantivally for 'ease, comfort'.
- āya — ending · dative-locative abstract
Derives an abstract noun or dative form meaning 'for comfort, with a view to ease'; often used in nominalized or gerundive constructions.
- ti — ending · 3rd singular present indicative
The general present-tense marker; here it marks sukhāya as a finite verb, turning the noun-like stem into a present-tense predicate.
Analysis. sukhāya (abstract noun stem from sukha 'ease, comfort') + iti (quoted or enclitic particle meaning 'thus'), functioning as a denominative verb 'to treat/regard as comfort'
Etymology. sukha 'pleasant, easy' is cognate with Sanskrit sukha; the root probably connects to Indo-European *sweǵʰ- (make easy, accomplish), visible in English 'sway' and Latin 'suavis' (sweet), though the precise path is uncertain. The prefix su- (well, good) is the Greek eu- of 'eulogy'; sukha originally meant 'good to ride, easy to move'—the physical ease of smooth motion became emotional ease.