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upakkileso

upakkilesa

masc nom sg of upakkilesa (noun)

1. impurity; imperfection; flaw; blemish; corruption

Built from

• upa — prefix · near, alongside
  Approach and proximity; a minor or secondary instance follows. Cognates: Greek hypo-, Latin sub-, English up.
• kilesa — root · defilement, corruption
  From √kilis 'to soil, befoul'. The mental corruptions (greed, hatred, delusion) that cloud wisdom and obstructive practice.

Analysis. upa + kilesa: 'near-defilement', a secondary or lesser defilement; in the Abhidhamma, the subtle corruptions (greed, anger, delusion in minor forms) that cloud the mind even in wholesome states.

Etymology. upa (up close to, alongside) + kilesa (defilement, from √kilis 'to soil'). The prefix upa suggests something accessory or attendant to the main defilement—impurities that accompany or attend upon the primary mental corruptions. Cognate with Sanskrit upakleśa.

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

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