Vocabulary and translation

Let us learn some more a-ending masculine nouns and translate a few Pali words into English.

Similar to ‘buddha’, ‘dhamma’ and ‘saṅgha’ are also a-ending masculine nouns.

Some commonly occurring a-ending masculine nouns are :

  • purisa = man
  • kumāra = boy
  • dārakā = young boy, child
  • putta = son
  • vāṇija = merchant
  • brāhmaṇa = brahmin
  • ratha = chariot
  • vihāra = monastery
  • upāsaka = lay devotee
  • ācariya = teacher
  • hattha = hand
  • patta = bowl
  • magga = path, road
  • yācaka = beggar
  • rukkha = tree
Audio for pronunciation of Masculine a-ending nouns_1

All the above nouns decline like the word ‘buddha’.

Please note : As the nominative singular form of these words end in ‘o’ (buddho), some old Pali grammar books mention this group of nouns as ‘o’-ending masculine nouns. However, we will call them as ‘a’-ending based on the original word / stem – Buddha, purisa, dhamma and so on.

Let us now translate a few declined forms of the above words.

  1. yācakassa
    yācaka = beggar
    The termination added to the word ‘yācaka’ is ssa which occurs in the dative and genitive singular.
    Thus yācakassa = to / for the beggar (dative singular), or
    = of the beggar / beggar’s (genitive singular)
  2. ācariyo
    ācariya = teacher. The termination ‘o’ denotes nominative singular case.
    Thus ācariyo = a / the teacher
  3. hatthehi
    hattha = hand. The termination ‘ehi’ is added in instrumental and ablative plural.
    Thus, hatthehi = by / with / through the hands (instrumental)
    = from the hands (ablative)

Please revise the declension table and translation of cases based on the following activities.

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Here are some more important a-ending masculine nouns that we will come across frequently in the suttas :

  • khandha = aggregate
  • kāya = body
  • rāga = greed
  • dosa = hatred
  • moha = delusion
  • saṅkhāra = volitional formation
  • deva = deity
  • gāma = village
  • dīpa = island, lamp
Audio for pronunciation of Masculine a-ending nouns_2
Last modified: Wednesday, 11 January 2023, 11:18 AM