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vacīdaṇḍaṁ

vacīdaṇḍa

masculine accusative singular (or nominative/accusative plural neuter)

1. harsh speech
2. verbal abuse
3. scolding

Built from

• vacī — stem · speech
  Noun in the genitive/adjectival position. From √vac 'speak', with cognates in voice, vox, and Sanskrit vāc.
• daṇḍa — stem · stick, violence
  Noun in the nominative/accusative position. The concrete image of a rod or stick metaphorically extends to any form of violence or harm, including verbal abuse.
• -m — ending · accusative
  Marks the object or complement role in the sentence.

Analysis. vacī (speech, from vac- 'speak') + daṇḍa (stick, rod, hence figuratively punishment or violence); literally 'stick of speech', denoting verbal harm as a form of violence parallel to bodily violence.

Etymology. vacī from √vac (speak; cognate with English voice, Latin vox, Sanskrit vāc); daṇḍa (stick, rod; cognate with English dint in the sense 'force', and related to Sanskrit daṇḍa from √dand- 'strike'). The compound uses the image of a stick or rod to represent the force and injury inflicted by harsh words.

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

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