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vāpi

vāpī

fem voc sg of vāpī (noun)

1. va (letter): (gram) letter v; 37th letter of the alphabet; dento-labial semi-vowel
2. vā (ind): or; either or
3. vā (ind): (gram) or; in some cases; not always; alternatively; optionally
4. vā (ind): exact; very; precise
5. vāti (pr): blows (among); wafts (to); diffuses (among)
6. vāpi (sandhi): or even
7. vāpi (sandhi): most certainly; definitely even
8. vāpī (fem): reservoir; dam; artificial lake; pond
9. …

Analysis. Sandhi form: vā (or) + api (even, also) → vāpi "or even"; also an independent noun vāpī "reservoir, dam".

Etymology. The noun vāpī is of uncertain origin, possibly non-Aryan; it appears in Sanskrit as vāpī with the same meaning (reservoir, pond). The sandhi form vāpi combines vā (disjunctive particle, from PIE *au̯e- "away, separate") + api (also, even; related to Sanskrit api, cognate with Greek apo- "away from", Latin ab "from").

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

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