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vanapatthaṁ

accusative singular of vanapatha (m.) — resolved surface form; attested in MSS as vanapatthaṁ, a variant of vanappatthaṁ

1. forest path
2. woodland track
3. wild country

Built from

• vana — root · forest, wood
  Related to English "wood" and the idea of separation or clearing; in the Suttas, wilderness as the seat of ascetic practice.
• patha — root · path, way
  From PIE *pent- "to go"; shared with English "path" and Latin pons. Denotes a traveled route.
• ṁ — ending · accusative singular
  Marks the direct object or goal of a verb; here indicating movement into or along the forest path.

Analysis. vana (forest) + patha (path); a compound denoting the paths or routes through wilderness areas, with secondary sense of remote, uncivilized terrain.

Etymology. vana is cognate with English "wood" (OE *wudu-) and Latin vidua "widowed, bereft" (lit. "stripped"), both ultimately from PIE *wid- "to separate, divide"; patha derives from PIE *pent- "to go, pass" (cognate with English "path", Latin pons "bridge", Sanskrit panthā).

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

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