‹ Back to the text

sattā

satta

masc nom pl of satta (noun); masc instr sg of satta (noun); masc abl sg of satta (noun); masc voc sg of satta (noun); …

1. satta (masc): being; living being; creature
2. satta (masc): bright principal, sattva (of the Sāṃkhya)
3. satta (pp): clung; stuck; attached (to)
4. satta (pp): cursed; sworn
5. sattar (masc): enemy; adversary

Built from

• sat — root · sit, be, exist
  From PIE *sed-. Cognates: Latin stāre 'stand', English sit, German sitzen. The image is of settled, abiding presence—a being that persists in existence.
• ta — ending · state, agent
  Past participle and agent noun suffix. Here it nominalizes the root to mean 'one that sits/exists', a creature or being dwelling in the world.

Etymology. From √sat 'to sit, be' (Sanskrit sattva, Greek ἵστημι hístēmi 'to stand', Latin stāre 'to stand', English stand). The -ta ending marks a state or condition; satta is 'one that sits/abides', a being. In Buddhist philosophical usage, satta denotes a sentient being caught in saṃsāra, emphasizing the passive abiding in existence; the abstract noun sattva in Sāṃkhya cosmology denotes the luminous quality of nature.

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

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version