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tenupasaṅkamiṁ

upasaṅkamati

1st person singular aorist active; surface form tenupasaṅkamiṁ is a contraction: tenupasaṅkami (1sg aor.) + (enclitic) m

1. approached
2. drew near to
3. went up to

Built from

• upa — prefix · near, alongside
  Spatial prefix meaning approach and proximity; cognate with Greek hypo-, Latin sub-, English up. Here it marks drawing near in space.
• saṅ — prefix · together, with
  Reduces to saṁ before labials; intensifies the action of the root. Cognate with English same, Latin con-.
• kam — root · go, walk
  From IE *gʷem- 'to step, go'. The verb appears in gacchati 'goes' (with different ablaut grade).
• i — ending · 1st singular aorist
  The basic aorist active ending for first person singular; marks past tense narrative action.
• m — ending · enclitic particle
  An enclitic emphasizing or binding the verb to the following clause; common in verse.

Analysis. upa- (near, up close) + saṅ- (together, with) + √kam (go) — 'went up close alongside', i.e. approached. The prefix upa- marks the nearness of approach; saṅ- intensifies the motion. The form shows contraction and enclisis common in narrative verse.

Etymology. √kam 'go' (cognates: English come, Latin venire are unrelated; kam is from IE *gʷem- 'step, go'). The prefix upa- (near, up close to) + saṁ (together) create the sense of drawing near and coming alongside someone.

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

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