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khalu

ind.

  1. indeed; surely
  2. certainly not; definitely not
  3. it is said; it is reported

Etymology. The word khalu is an emphatic particle of Sanskrit origin (khalu), functioning as an indeclinable marker of assertion or emphasis. It may derive from a root sense of 'being firm' or 'holding', though the etymology within Pali itself is opaque. The particle serves to strengthen the force of a statement, marking it as definite, reported, or noteworthy—a pragmatic function rather than one whose origin is recoverable from morphology.

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

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