6.8: The end of a compound
When words join into a compound their endings are dropped {317} and the whole
takes one ending; the last member usually keeps its shape, as aggi (“fire”)
does in rāgagginā (“with the fire of passion”, 9: 2.6),
which carries the ③ ending of aggi itself. Four rules let it
change at the samāsanta (“the end of a compound”), whatever the kind of
compound. The first is the one you will meet everywhere: a word with endings of
its own, such as rāja (“king”: rājā, rañño {135}), closes a compound in
plain a with the endings of purisa, so devānaṁ rājā (“the king of the
gods”) becomes devarājo. The rule’s own examples include sattāhaṁ (“for
seven days”), met in the Bodhikathā (3: 2.2). When a
compound ends in an unexpected shape, ask whether it is one of these four
changes.
The four changes
Section titled “The four changes”| what you see | what it means | example | rule |
|---|---|---|---|
a last member in plain a, whether its word has endings of its own (rāja) or another final (akkhi “eye”, go “cow”); sometimes ā or i |
it takes the endings of purisa; the change is optional: devarājā stands beside devarājo |
devarājo (“the king of the gods”) |
{337} |
-ka after a feminine word in ī or ū (Kaccāyana’s nadī), the ī now short |
the affix ka closes the compound, here a bahubbīhi, “having many …” |
bahunadiko (“with many rivers”) |
{338} |
tudaṁ- or jāni- before -pati (“husband”) |
both stand for jāyā (“wife”): “wife and husband” |
tudaṁpatī (“wife and husband”) |
{339} |
-dhanvā |
dhanu (“bow”) with the affix ā: “whose bow is …” |
gāṇḍīvadhanvā (“he whose bow is Gāṇḍīva”) |
{340} |
The first change also shapes pañcāhaṁ (“five days”),
visālakkho (“large-eyed”, from akkhi) and, with the final i, sugandhi
(“sweet-smelling”); its vutti also adds -ka after kattu (“doer”):
bahukattuko (“with many workers”). The other three are rare. Every rule
number links to the full rule in the Kaccāyana translation; the chapter
overview tables them all.
Examples
Section titled “Examples”devānaṁ rājā → devarājo
🚹⨂⑥(devānaṁ) 🚹⨀①(rājā) → 🚹⨀①🆎(deva+rāja)
of the gods / king → the king of the gods
{337}: rājā on its own, -rājo at the end of a compound, with the ending of puriso.
bahū nadiyo yasmiṁ so → bahunadiko
🚺⨂①(bahū nadiyo) *️⃣🤟🚹⨀⑦(yasmiṁ) *️⃣🤟🚹⨀①(so) → 🚹⨀①🆎(bahu+nadī+ka)
many / rivers / in which / that → with many rivers
{338}: nadī (“river”), feminine in ī, takes -ka at the end, its ī short.
jāyā ca pati ca → tudaṁpatī
🚺⨀①(jāyā) ⏏️(ca) 🚹⨀①(pati) ⏏️(ca) → 🚹⨂①🆎(jāyā+pati)
wife / and / husband / and → wife and husband
{339}: tudaṁ- before -pati stands for jāyā (“wife”); jānipatī says the same.
gāṇḍīvo dhanu yassa so → gāṇḍīvadhanvā
🚹⨀①(gāṇḍīvo) 🚻⨀①(dhanu) *️⃣🤟🚹⨀⑥(yassa) *️⃣🤟🚹⨀①(so) → 🚹⨀①🆎(gāṇḍīva+dhanu+ā)
Gāṇḍīva / bow / whose / he → he whose bow is Gāṇḍīva
{340}: dhanu (“bow”) with the affix ā ends the compound as -dhanvā; it names Arjuna.