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satthasamphassāpi
satthasamphassa
masculine; nominative singular with particle api (even, also)
- stabbing with a weapon; blow with a sword; lit. contact with weapon
Built from
- sattha — root · weapon, sword
From √śas 'cut, slash'. The word denotes that which cuts or strikes, imaging the tool's cutting edge.
- saṁ — prefix · together, with
Brings elements into contact or union; here the weapon and its impact are unified as a single event of touching.
- phassa — stem · contact, touching
From √spaś 'touch, feel'; phassa in the canon often means sensory contact, here the physical blow or strike of the weapon.
- a — ending · nominative singular masculine
Marks the noun as subject or predicate nominative in masculine singular form.
- pi — prefix · even, also
The particle api (often written as a separate word, here enclitic) adds emphasis or generalizing scope: 'even this', 'such blows as well'.
Analysis. sattha (weapon, sword) + samphassa (contact, touching); the compound expresses instrumental contact—the weapon's touching-blow. The particle api adds emphasis or generalizing sense: 'even contact with a weapon', 'also such blows'.
Etymology. sattha < Sanskrit śastra, from √śas 'cut, slash' (cognate with English shear, sharp); samphassa < saṁ (together) + √spaś 'touch' (Sanskrit sparśa, cognate with English sparse in the sense of 'spread, extend').