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uttarāsaṅgaṁ

uttarāsaṅga

accusative singular masculine of uttarāsaṅga (noun)

1. upper robe
2. monastic cloak

Built from

• ud — prefix · up, out
  Spatial prefix marking elevation or outward motion; English cognate out.
• tara — root · cross, pass over
  Root denoting movement across or through; here used as a nominal stem.
• āsaṅga — stem · clinging, attachment; garment
  Noun stem: ā (toward) + √saṅg (cling). The garment that adheres to or clings to the body.
• ṁ — ending · accusative
  Accusative singular ending marking the object of a transitive verb or preposition.

Analysis. ut + tara + āsaṅga: ud (up, out) + √tar (cross, pass over) + ā (toward) + √saṅg (cling, attach). The upper garment worn over or across the body, so called because it is put on by passing it over the shoulder.

Etymology. Compound of ud- (up, upward) and tara (crossing, passing). The prefix ud- conveys the sense of raising or wearing something higher; tara relates to the action of draping it across. No direct Indo-European cognates, but the morphology reflects Pali's spatial imagery of position and movement.

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

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