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tenupasaṅkameyyuṁ

upasaṅkamati

3rd person plural optative (conditional) of upasaṅkamati; tenupasaṅkameyyuṁ is a contraction of te + upasaṅkameyyuṁ (te = they, nom. pl. masc.).

1. might approach
2. could draw near
3. would go up to

Built from

• upa — prefix · near, up close to
  Spatial: moving up to someone or something with intention to meet or address.
• saṅ — prefix · together, with
  Spatial: things brought into one place; here intensifies the sense of joint approach.
• kam — root · go, move
  Cognate with English 'come'; suggests purposeful motion.
• eyyuṁ — ending · 3rd person plural optative
  Marks conditional mood ('might, could, would'); plural form for multiple agents.

Analysis. te (they) + upa (up close to, near) + saṅ (together, with) + kamati (goes); literally 'they might go together up close to'—a formal approach or respectful drawing near in a doctrinal or social context.

Etymology. upa- (approach, from proximity root) + saṁ- (togetherness, from PIE *sem- cf. English 'same') + √kam (move, go, cognate with English 'come'). The optative mood signals propriety or possibility.

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

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