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suvatthi

fem nom sg of suvatthi (noun); fem voc sg of suvatthi (noun)

1. safety; well-being (for)
2. hail!

Built from

• su- — prefix · well, good
  From Indo-European *su- (Greek eu- in eulogy, Latin su- in suavis 'sweet'). Originally spatial: 'straight, smooth', hence 'easy, good'.
• vatthi — stem · fortune, state, condition
  Feminine form of vatthu, from *vartman- (course, path, fortune). Cognate with Sanskrit vartti (turn, course) and English ward (direction, guardianship).

Analysis. su- + vatthi; suvatthi is a compound noun meaning 'good fortune' or 'welfare', formed from the prefix su- (well, good) and vatthi, the feminine form of vatthu (state, condition, fortune). The vocative use reflects the word's function as a salutation wishing well-being.

Etymology. su- is from the same Indo-European root as Greek εὖ (eu-, 'well') in εὐλογία (eulogy); vatthi derives from *vartman- (path, course, condition), cognate with Sanskrit varttra- (turning, course) and English 'ward' (direction, care). The compound thus literally means 'good-fortune' or 'good-state'.

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

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