uddhaccaṁ

uddhacca

noun (accusative singular masculine); lit. 'agitation' or 'restlessness'

agitation, restlessness
mental distraction
one of the hindrances (nīvaraṇa) to meditation

Built from

ud — prefix · up, out
Upward and outward motion; cognate with English 'out' and German 'aus'. Here it intensifies the sense of upward agitation.
dhacca — stem · shaking, trembling
Related to √dhac-/dhañc- 'shake'; the root imagery is physical trembling or violent motion, applied metaphorically to mental disturbance.

Analysis. ud + dhacca; ud- (up, out) + dhacca (shaking, trembling) — literally 'an upsurging, upward shaking'; the upward motion of disturbance within the mind.

Etymology. ud- (prefix, 'up, out') + √dhac-/dhañc- (shake, tremble); cognate with English out, German aus. The root suggests violent movement; uddhacca is the outward and upward agitation of the mind, restlessness that rises up.

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

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