2.3: Irregular inflections

Most nouns follow 2.2. A few dozen very common words do not. Their endings do the same jobs; what differs is the shape, and the lemma never shows itself: no text has rāja, only rājā, rañño.

So the question of 2.2, “which ending, and so which job?”, gets one step in front of it: “which of this word’s few shapes is this?” The shapes recur: -ā is ① (rājā, bhagavā), -ānaṁ is ② (attānaṁ), -no and -to are ④⑥ (rañño, bhagavato), -nā and -tā are ③ (brahmunā, bhagavatā), -ni and -i are ⑦ (attani, manasi). The texts’ symbol lines use the dictionary’s lemmas, bhagavant, satthar, pitar, manas; Kaccāyana’s are bhagavantu, satthu, pitu, mana. Appendix G tables every rule cited below.

`rājā`, `attā`, `brahmā`

lemma	what you see	ending	rule
`rāja` (king)	`rājā`; `rājānaṁ`; `rājāno`	①⨀; ②⨀; ①②⨂	{189}; {188}; {190}
	`raññā`, `rājena`; `rañño`, `rājino`; `raññe`, `rājini`	③⨀; ④⑥⨀; ⑦⨀	{137}; {135}; {138}
	`rājūhi`; `raññaṁ`, `rājūnaṁ`; `rājūsu`	③⑤⨂; ④⑥⨂; ⑦⨂	{169}, {136}
`atta` (self)	`attā`; `attānaṁ`; `attāno`	①⨀; ②⨀; ①②⨂	{189}; {188}; {190}
	`attanā`; `attano`; `attani`; `attanehi`	③⑤⨀; ④⑥⨀; ⑦⨀; ③⑤⨂	{214}; {213}; {212}; {211}
`brahma` (Brahmā)	`brahmā`; `brahmānaṁ`; `brahmāno`; `brahme`	①⨀; ②⨀; ①②⨂; ⓪	{189}; {188}; {190}; {193}
	`brahmunā`; `brahmuno`; `brahmani`	③⨀; ④⑥⨀; ⑦⨀	{198}; {197}

`satthā`, `pitā`, `mātā`

The lemmas satthu, pitu, mātu 🚺 put -ār- or -ar- before most endings {209}; in a compound the lemma is bare: satthugāravena.

lemma	what you see	ending	rule
`satthu` (teacher), `pitu` (father), `mātu` (mother)	`satthā`, `pitā`, `mātā`; `satthāro`, `pitaro`	①⨀; ①②⨂	{199}; {205}
	`satthāraṁ`, `pitaraṁ`, `mātaraṁ`; `satthārā`, `pitarā`, `mātarā`	②⨀; ③⨀	{200}; {207}, {209}
	`satthu`, `satthuno`, `satthussa`; `pitu`; `mātu`, `mātuyā`	④⑥⨀	{203}, {117}, {61}; {112}
	`satthari`, `pitari`, `mātari`	⑦⨀	{206}, {208}
	`satthārānaṁ`, `mātānaṁ`; `pitūnaṁ`; `satthārehi`	④⑥⨂; ③⑤⨂	{201}, {202}; {200}

`bhagavā`, `āyasmā`, `arahaṁ` and the participles in `-ant`

bhagavā and āyasmā end in the affix ntu (“having”); the participles in -ant and mahanta (“great”) share these endings in every form but ① {187}.

lemma	what you see	ending	rule
`bhagavantu`, `āyasmantu` (words in `ntu`)	`bhagavā`, `āyasmā`	①⨀, ⓪	{124}, {126}
	`bhagavantaṁ`, `āyasmantaṁ`, `mahantaṁ`	②⨀	{92}
	`bhagavatā`; `bhagavato`, `āyasmato`, `jānato`; `bhagavati`	③⨀; ④⑥⨀; ⑦⨀	{127}, {187}
	`guṇavanto`, `arahanto`; `guṇavantā`, `jānantā`	①⨂	{122}; {92}
	`sīlavataṁ`; `guṇavantehi`; `guṇavantesu`	④⑥⨂; ③⑤⨂; ⑦⨂	{128}; {92}
`arahanta`, `gacchanta`, `mahanta`	`arahaṁ`, `gacchaṁ`, `gacchanto`	①⨀	{186}
`santa` (being)	`santo`; `sataṁ`; `sabbhi`	①⨀, ①⨂; ④⑥⨂; ③⨂	{186}; {185}
`bhavanta` (sir)	`bho`, `bhante`; `bhavaṁ`; `bhoto`	⓪; ①⨀; ④⑥⨀	{243}

`kamma`, the `mano` group and `go`

The s of manasā is inserted before a vowel ending {184}.

lemma	what you see	ending	rule
`kamma` 🚻 (action)	`kammunā`, `kammanā`, `kammena`; `kammani`, `kamme`; the rest as `citta`	③⨀; ⑦⨀	{160}; {197}, {108}
`mana` (mind), `ceta`, `vaca`, `tapa`, `teja`, `yasa`, `sira`: the `mano` group	`mano`, `ceto`, `tejo`; `mano-` in a compound	①⨀	{104}; {183}
	`manasā`, `cetasā`, `vacasā`; `manaso`, `cetaso`; `manasi`, `vacasi`	③⨀; ④⑥⨀; ⑦⨀	{181}, {184}; {182}
`go` (cow)	`go`; `gāvo`; `gāvaṁ`, `gavaṁ`; `gāvena`; `gāvassa`; `gunnaṁ`; `gosu`	①⨀; ①②⨂; ②⨀; ③⨀; ④⑥⨀; ④⑥⨂; ⑦⨂	{220}; {74}; {75}; {73}; {81}

Examples

bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti

🚹⨂①(bhikkhu) 🚹⨀⑥(bhagavant) 🚻⨀②🔽(ta)(bhāsita) 🟢⨂🤟⏮(abhinandati) ⏏️(iti)
bhikkhū / of the Bhagavā / what was spoken / rejoiced in / (end quote)
“Rejoiced in the Bhagavā’s words”: bhagavato, -ato, ④⑥ singular of a word in ntu {127}, here ⑥; 5: 10.4.

satthā no garu

🚹⨀①(satthar) *️⃣👆⚧⨂⑥(ahaṁ) 🚹⨀①(garu)
teacher / of us / respected
“Our teacher is respected”: satthā, ① singular of satthu {199}, the u become ā; Bonus: 1, 24.5.

mettāsahagatena cetasā

🚹⨀③(mettāsahagata) 🚹⨀③(cetas)
filled with goodwill/friendliness / with intent
“With intent”: cetasā, ③ singular of the mano group, ā for nā with s inserted {181}, {184}; Bonus: 37, 1.11.52.

Exercises

Name the lemma, ending, number and rule of each word in bold; the sentences are from chapters 5, 7, 9 and the bonus chapter.

Pavattite ca pana bhagavatā dhammacakke
mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā
aññaṁ satthāraṁ uddiseyyāthā”ti
āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ bhagavā etadavoca
eso me attā
Yāvajīvaṁ arahanto abrahmacariyaṁ pahāya
Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako
Mano āditto, dhammā ādittā, manoviññāṇaṁ ādittaṁ, manosamphasso āditto.

Answers

Note: please do the exercises first before checking the answers.

Pavattite ca pana bhagavatā dhammacakke

🚻⨀⑦🔽(ta)(pavattita) ⏏️(ca) ⏏️(pana) 🚹⨀③(bhagavant) 🚻⨀⑦🆎(dhamma+cakka)
set in motion / and / now / by the Bhagavā / the wheel of the Dhamma
“Set in motion by the Bhagavā”: bhagavatā, -atā, ③ singular of bhagavantu {127}; 5: 12.1.

mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā

🚹⨀③(māra) ⏏️(vā) 🚹⨀③(brahma) ⏏️(vā) *️⃣🤟🚹⨀③(kaci) ⏏️(vā)
by Māra / or / by Brahmā / or / by anyone / or
“Māra or Brahmā or by anyone”: brahmunā, ③ singular of brahma, a become u before nā {198}; 5: 12.1.

aññaṁ satthāraṁ uddiseyyāthā”ti

🚹⨀②(añña) 🚹⨀②(satthar) ⏯🤘⨂(uddisati)
another / teacher / appoint
“Will you appoint another teacher?”: satthāraṁ, ② singular of satthu, with -ār- {200}; Bonus: 1, 24.10.

āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ bhagavā etadavoca

🚹⨀②(āyasmant) 🚹⨀②(sāriputta) 🚹⨀①(bhagavant) 🔵⏮🤟⨀(etadavoca)
Venerable / Sāriputta / Bhagavant / said this
“The Bhagavant said this to Venerable Sāriputta”: āyasmantaṁ, ② singular of āyasmantu, -antaṁ {92}; sāriputtaṁ agrees with it; Bonus: 44, 1.3.

eso me attā

*️⃣🤟🚹⨀①(eta) *️⃣👆⚧⨀⑥(ahaṁ) 🚹⨀①(atta)
this / my / self
“This is my attā (self)”: attā, ① singular of atta, -ā {189}, as rājā; 7: 6.5.

Yāvajīvaṁ arahanto abrahmacariyaṁ pahāya

🚻⨀①(yāvajīva) 🚹⨂①(arahant) 🚻⨀①(abrahmacariya) 🔼(pahāya)
life-long / liberated ones / incelibacy / giving up
“Life long arahants (liberated ones) give up incelibacy”: arahanto, ① plural of arahanta {122}, singular arahaṁ {186}; Bonus: 32, 21.1.

Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako

⏏️(evaṁ) 🚹⨀①🔽(anta)(passanta) 🚹⨂⓪(bhikkhu) 🚹⨀①(sutavant) 🚹⨀①🆎(ariya+sāvaka)
thus / seeing / bhikkhave / learned / awakened disciple
“Thus seeing, the learned awakened disciple”: passaṁ, ① singular of the participle passanta {186}; sutavā, ① singular of a ntu word, as bhagavā {124}; 7: 11.1.

Mano āditto, dhammā ādittā, manoviññāṇaṁ ādittaṁ, manosamphasso āditto.

🚹⨀①(mano) 🚹⨀①🔽(ta)(āditta) 🚹⨂①(dhamma) 🚹⨂①🔽(ta)(āditta) 🚻⨀①🆎(mano+viññāṇa) 🚻⨀①🔽(ta)(āditta) 🚹⨀①🆎(mano+samphassa) 🚹⨀①🔽(ta)(āditta)
the mind / burning / mental phenomena / burning / mind-consciousness / burning / mind-contact / burning
“The mind is burning, mind-consciousness is burning”: mano, ① singular of mana, -o {104}; mano- kept before viññāṇa and samphassa in a compound {183}; 9: 7.1.