6.4: The numeral compound

Info

Part of “A Beginner (Non-Linguist) Guide to Learning Pali”

Many words of the texts begin with a number: tilokaṁ (“the three worlds”), saḷāyatanaṁ (“the six sense bases”), pañcindriyaṁ (“the five faculties”), and in the Bodhikathā sattāhaṁ (“for seven days”, 3: 2.2). Each is a numeral (saṅkhyā, a number word) and a noun made into one word: tayo lokā (“three worlds”) becomes tilokaṁ. Kaccāyana calls such a word a digu (“numeral compound”): a kammadhāraya (the compound of section 6.3, two words naming the same thing) whose first member is a numeral {325}.

When you meet a word that begins with a number, ask what the number counts and whether the set is taken as one thing. If it is, the compound is singular and neuter whatever its members were {321}, and so it ends in -aṁ in the ① and the ② like any neuter noun: tayo lokā is masculine and plural, tilokaṁ neuter and singular.

How to recognise a digu

what you see	what it means	example	rule
a numeral as the first member, a noun as the second	a kammadhāraya beginning with a numeral is a digu	tilokaṁ, the three worlds (tayo lokā)	{325}
the compound singular and neuter, in -aṁ, whatever its members	a digu is singular and neuter, so its ① ending is -aṁ	catuddisaṁ, the four directions (catasso disā)	{321}, {219}
a feminine last member with -a- before the -ṁ	in the neuter a final ā is shortened, and a replaces a final ī	catuddisaṁ from disā; sattagodāvaraṁ, the seven Godāvarī rivers, from godāvarī	{342}, {337}

A digu is also counted a tappurisa {326}, section 6.5, and like every compound it takes endings of its own as a noun {601}. The rule table of chapter 6 lists every rule of the compounds.

The numeral as a first member

Whatever form a number has on its own (tayo with a masculine noun, tīṇi with a neuter one), as a first member it has one short form:

number	as a first member	examples, with the words they join
three	ti	tilokaṁ (tayo lokā); tiparivaṭṭaṁ, with three phases (tayo parivaṭṭā); tidaṇḍaṁ, the triple rod (tayo daṇḍā); timalaṁ, the three stains (tīṇi malāni); tiphalaṁ, the three fruits; tinayanaṁ, the three eyes; tisiṅgaṁ, a triangle
four	catu, the consonant after it doubled {28}	catuddisaṁ, the four directions (catasso disā)
five	pañca, its a dropped before a vowel {12}	pañcindriyaṁ, the five faculties (pañca indriyāni)
six	cha, which becomes saḷ before āyatana {571}	saḷāyatanaṁ, the six sense bases (cha āyatanāni)
seven	satta; with aha (“day”) it runs together as sattāha	sattāhaṁ, for seven days (satta ahāni); sattagodāvaraṁ (satta godāvariyo)

Examples

tayo lokā → tilokaṁ

🚹⨂①(tayo) 🚹⨂①(lokā) → 🚻⨀①🆎(ti+loka)
three / worlds → the three worlds
A digu {325}: the numeral ti first, the worlds taken as one set; neuter and singular {321}.

catasso disā → catuddisaṁ

🚺⨂①(catasso) 🚺⨂①(disā) → 🚻⨀①🆎(catu+disā)
four / directions → the four directions
A neuter singular compound from feminine plural members {321}; the ā of disā shortened {342}, the d doubled {28}.

Exercises

Each of the following is a digu. Say which numeral it holds and what the numeral counts, and give the meaning. The first two you met in the Bodhikathā of chapter 3 and the last in the first discourse (chapter 5); the other two are Kaccāyana’s own. Look each word up in a dictionary and compare the number and gender of the members with the compound’s.

Hint

You may find the Digital Pali Dictionary useful for looking up words, as well as doing the sandhi and compound word deconstruction.

1. saḷāyatanaṁ (3: 3.4)
2. sattāhaṁ (3: 2.2)
3. pañcindriyaṁ
4. tidaṇḍaṁ
5. tiparivaṭṭaṁ (5: 9.1)

Answers

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

1. cha āyatanāni → saḷāyatanaṁ

⚧⨂①(cha) 🚻⨂①(āyatanāni) → 🚻⨀①🆎(cha+āyatana)
six / sense bases → the six sense bases
cha (“six”) becomes saḷ before āyatana {571}; the six taken as one set, neuter and singular {321}.

2. satta ahāni → sattāhaṁ

⚧⨂①(satta) 🚻⨂①(ahāni) → 🚻⨀②🆎(satta+aha)
seven / days → for seven days
satta and aha (“day”) run together as sattāha; neuter and singular {321}, here in the ② ending for how long.

3. pañca indriyāni → pañcindriyaṁ

⚧⨂①(pañca) 🚻⨂①(indriyāni) → 🚻⨀①🆎(pañca+indriya)
five / faculties → the five faculties
pañca + indriya: the a of pañca dropped before i {12}; neuter and singular {321}.

4. tayo daṇḍā → tidaṇḍaṁ

🚹⨂①(tayo) 🚹⨂①(daṇḍā) → 🚻⨀①🆎(ti+daṇḍa)
three / rods → the triple rod
ti for tayo {325}, as in tilokaṁ; the three rods taken as one set, neuter and singular {321}.

5. tayo parivaṭṭā → tiparivaṭṭaṁ

🚹⨂①(tayo) 🚹⨂①(parivaṭṭā) → 🚻⨀①🆎(ti+parivaṭṭa)
three / phases → with three phases
ti for tayo {325}, as in tilokaṁ; the three taken as one set, neuter and singular {321}, as every digu is.