An Elementary Pali Course

Lesson XXII

Taddhita - Nominal Derivatives

Words formed by adding suffixes to the bases of substantives, primary or derived from roots, adjectives, etc. are called Taddhita.

Some of these derivatives are treated as nouns and adjectives and are declined accordingly. A few others are treated as indeclinables.

There are many such suffixes which are used in various senses. The following are the principal ones of these :-

1. "A" is used to signify possession, pedigree, etc.

In this case the initial vowel, not followed by a double consonant, undergoes Vuddhi substitute.

Examples:-
Pa––Œ + a = pa––a (m. Nom. Sing. pa––o), he who has wisdom, or wise.
SaddhΠ+ a = saddha (m. Nom. Sing. saddho), he who has faith, or faithful; devotional.
VasiÊÊh + a = VŒsiÊÊha - vŒsiÊÊho, son of VasiÊÊha; vŒsiÊÊh´, daughter of VasiÊÊha; vŒsiÊÊhaµ, VasiÊÊha clan.

2. "Ika*" is used to signify 'pertaining to', 'mixed with', 'crossing', 'versed in', 'engaged in', etc.

In this case too the initial vowel, not followed by a double consonant, undergoes Vuddhi substitute.

Examples:-
Dhamma + ika = dhammika, righteous.
KŒyŒ + ika = kŒyika, bodily
Nagara + ika = nŒgarika, pertaining to the city, i.e., urban.
Loka + ika = lokika, worldly
Loöa + ika = loöika, mixed with salt
NŒvŒ + ika = nŒvika, navigator, he who crosses in a ship
Magga + ika = maggika, traveller
Vinaya + ika = venayika, he who studies vinaya
BhaöŒgŒra + ika = bhaöŒgŒrika, treasurer

*English: -ish and -ic, as in hellish or heroic.

3. "Ima" and "iya" are also used to signify 'pertaining to'.

Examples:-
Anta + ima = antima, last
Majjha + ima = majjhima, middle, central
Loka + iya = lokiya, worldly

4. "I", "ika", "ima", "mantu", "vantu", and "v´" are used to signify possession.

Examples:-
Daöa + ´ = daö´, he who has a stick
Chatta + ´ = chatt´, he who has an umbrella
Putta + ika = puttika, he who has sons
Daöa + ika = daöika, he who has a stick
Putta + ima = puttima, he who has sons
Dhiti + mantu = dhitimantu, courageous
Bandhu + mantu = bandhumantu, he who has relatives
Guöa + vantu = guöavantu, virtuous
MedhŒ + v´ = medhŒv´, he who has wisdom

5. "Maya" is used in the sense of 'made of'.

Examples:-
Aya + maya = ayomaya, made of iron
DŒru + maya = dŒrumaya, wooden
Mana + maya = manomaya*, mental
Rajata + maya = rajatamaya, made of silver
Suvaööa + maya = suvaööamaya, or sovaööamaya, golden

*Mana and other words similarly declined, when combined with another word or with the suffix maya, change their final vowel "a" into "o". See lesson XIX.

6. "TŒ" is used ta signify collection, state, or quality. The derivatives thus formed are always in the feminine.

Examples:-
GŒma + tŒ = gŒmatŒ, collection of villages
Jana + tŒ = janatŒ, multitude
BŒla + tŒ = bŒlatŒ, ignorance, childhood
Dhamma + tŒ = dhammatŒ, state of things, nature
Manussa + tŒ = manussatŒ, manhood

7. "Tta*" and "ya" are also used to signify state or quality**. The derivatives thus formed are in the neuter.

In the case of "ya" the initial vowel, not followed by a double consonant, undergoes Vuddhi substitute.

Examples:-
Aroga + ya = Œrogya, health, freedom from disease
BŒla + ya = bŒlya, ignorance, childhood
+ tta = bŒlatta, ignorance
Manussa + tta = manussatta, manhood
N´la + tta = n´latta, blueness
Paöita + ya = PŒöitya, and Paöicca, wisdom

*Saµskrt, tvam; English "dom", Kingdom.

**Sometimes the word "bhŒva", which means nature or state, is combined with other words to express state or quality, e.g., purisabhŒva, manhood; itthibhŒva, womanhood, etc.

8. "Tara" and " iya" are used to express the comparative degree, and "tama" and "iÊÊha", the superlative degree.

Examples:-
POSITIVE   COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
BŒla young, ignorant bŒlatara balatama
Dhamma religious, righteous dhammiya dhammiÊÊha
Guöa virtuous guöiya guöiÊÊha
Medha wise medhiya medhiÊÊha
Paö´ta noble paö´tatara paö´tatama
PŒpa evil, pŒpatara, pŒpiya pŒpatama, pŒpiÊÊha
Appa little, few appatara appatama
Appa   kaniya, younger kaniÊÊha, youngest
Pasattha good seyya, better seÊÊha, best
Vuddha old jeyya jeÊÊha

9. "Ka" is affixed to numerals to denote a group.

Examples:-
Eka + ka = ekaka, one-group; unit; groups of singles
Dvi + ka = dvika, two-group; dyad ; twofold group
Catu + ka = catukka, four-group; tetrad ; threefold group

These derivatives take either the masculine or the neuter.

10. "Kkhattuµ" is affixed to numerals to denote the number of times.

Examples:-
Eka + kkhattuµ = ekakkhattuµ, once
Dvi + kkhattuµ = dvikkhattuµ, twice

11. "DhŒ" is affixed to numerals, "so" and "thŒ" to others, to form distributive adverbs.

Examples:-
Eka + dhŒ = ekadhŒ, in one way
Pa–ca + dhŒ = pa–cadhŒ, in five ways, fivefold
Bahu + dhŒ = bahudhŒ, in many ways, manifold
Attha + so = atthaso, according to the meaning
Sabba + so = sabbaso, in every way
A––a + thŒ = a––athŒ, in another way, differently
Sabba + thŒ = sabbathŒ, in every way

These last two classes of derivatives are treated as declinables.

It should be understood that some comparatives and superlatives are formed by prefixing ati, and at´va or ativiya to the positive respectively.

Exercise 22-A

1. "RŒjŒ bhavatu dhammiko."
2. "Socati puttehi puttimŒ."
3. Tava paöiccena mama kiµ payojanaµ?
4. Ahaµ mama mŒtŒpitare sadŒ dvikkhattuµ vandŒmi.
5. Manussattam'pi labhitvŒ kasmŒ tumhe pu––aµ na karotha?
6. Eso saddho dŒyako sabbadŒ s´laµ sammŒ rakkhati.
7. Sabbesu devamanussesu sammŒ-sambuddho pana seÊÊho hoti.
8. lmesaµ dvinnaµ sŒvkŒnaµ ayaµ pana jeyyo seyyo ca hoti.
9. Tasmiµ Œpaöe vŒnijo, dŒrumayabhaöŒni na vikkiöŒti.
10. Yo saddho vŒ pa––o vŒ yaµ yaµ desaµ gacchati so tatth'eva pèjito hoti.
11. MahŒra––o kaniÊÊhaputto imasmiµ raÊÊhe seÊÊharŒjabhaöŒgŒriko hoti.
12. AmhŒkaµ antevŒsikŒnaµ kaöiyo pana venayiko, kaniÊÊho pana Œbhidhammiko.
13. LokiyajanŒ pu––apŒpaµ katvŒ sugatiduggat´su uppajjitvŒ bahudhŒ kŒyikasukhadukkhaµ bhu–janti.
14. "Tesaµ saccena s´lena - khantimettabalenaca
Te pi tvaµ anurakkhantu - Œrogyena sukhena ca."

Exercise 22-B

1. What is the good of your manhood if you do no good to others?
2. Every bodily deed is mind-made.
3. His eldest brother is the most virtuous boy in the school.
4. The great multitude sat in the hall in different ways.
5. Health is the best wealth.
6. It is a Buddha who understands the nature of a Buddha in every way.
7. I went to see the treasurer several times.
8. All ships are not made of iron.
9. What is the use of worldly goods to monks and nuns?
10. He advised me in every way to strive to attain Buddhahood.
11. Twice I wrote to him, but he did not send a reply even once.
12. My youngest brother is the wisest of all.
13. The righteous and wise men are very few.
14. Wooden beds are better than iron* beds.

*Use the Ablative case.