Tables and Summaries > List of “Saŋ” Words and Other Pāli Roots

June 29, 2017; revised November 9, 2018; March 17, 2023

1. Pāli is a phonetic language. It does not have its alphabet. Tipiṭaka was initially written down in Pāli with the Sinhala alphabet.

▪Pāli verses are composed for ease of oral transmission. Tipiṭaka was orally transmitted faithfully for several hundred years.

▪So, in many cases, root words are hidden in combined words in verses that were composed to rhyme better for easy oral transmission.

2. Rather than trying to find roots in Sanskrit, that is the way to find the roots. As I explained with evidence from the Tipiṭaka, the Buddha prohibited using Sanskrit words, or even translating the Tipiṭaka to Sanskrit; see, “Preservation of the Buddha Dhamma.”

▪That is because despite some similarities, in Sanskrit, many words were composed to sound more “impressive”, without paying attention to embedded meanings.

▪For example, Pratītyasamutpāda is the Sanskrit term for Paṭicca Samuppāda. Pratītyasamutpāda sounds impressive but the meaning is not clear at all.

▪On the other hand, it is evident in paṭi + icca leading to sama + uppāda; see, “Paṭicca Samuppāda – “Pati+ichcha”+”Sama+uppāda.”

3. Pāli words are combined in ways to rhyme better. By finding critical roots embedded in such “combined words,” one can quickly figure out the meaning.

▪“yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhaṁ, yaṁ dukkhaṁ tadanattā” verse appears in many suttā.

▪To understand it, we need to “expand it” or “unfold it”: “yad aniccaṁ taṁ dukkhaṁ, yaṁ dukkhaṁ tad anattā.”

▪Now the meaning becomes clear: “anicca nature leads to dukkha, dukkha nature leads to anatta nature”; see, “Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – Wrong Interpretations.”

4. The following are some examples of combinations of words to make a verse rhyme better for oral transmission.

Naidham = na idham or “not the case.”

Ayamantimā jāti = ayam +antima + jāti or “my last birth.”

Nūppajjati = na + uppajjati: “will not arise.”

Cittappasāda = citta + pasāda; note the two p’s in the combined word that allow it to rhyme better.

Similarly in: Rūpakkhandha = rūpa khandha: “rūpa aggregate.”

Aveccappasāda = ava icca pasāda or “faith that leads to overcoming taṇhā (attachment).”

Buddha = bhava + uddha: one who figured out how to stop existences (bhava) from arising.

Bhavaṅga = bhava + aṅga; intrinsic aspect of bhava.

Sakkāya = sath + kāya: good collections usually refer to the five aggregates. Sakkāya diṭṭhi is the view that the five aggregates should be embraced. [sakkāya = sat + kāya; sat = sant; sant : (ppr．of atthi), 1. 存在 (being, existing)。 2. 善的, 真實 (good, true,) Nom. sg. m. santo； f. satī; nt. santaṁ; Acc. santaṁ & sataṁ (opp. asaṁ); Instr. satā; Loc. sati & sante; Abl. santato. -- pl. Nom. santo; nt. santāni; Acc. sante; Gen. sataṁ; Instr. sabbhi; Loc. santesu. -- Compar．santatara; superl. sattama. ]

Anāpāna = āna + āpāna: “taking in” and “putting out.”

Note the pronunciation of the following words backwards to rhyme better:

▪Anāgāmi = na āgāmi: not coming back (about not coming back to kāma loka for a person who has attained the Anāgāmi stage of Nibbāna.

▪Anatimāna = na + atimāna: atimāna is “high-mindedness” and anatimāna is opposite or “humble.”

5. Just by knowing what is meant by the root “saŋ,” many Pāli words can be understood easily; see, “What is “Saŋ? Meaning of Saŋsara (or Saṁsāra).”

▪Note that some words are written and pronounced with emphasis on “m” rather than “n”, because it rhymes better that way; a good example is saṁsāra (saŋsāra) which can be written and pronounced either way.

▪On the other hand, sammā comes from “saŋ” + “mā,” but is always pronounced as “sammā,” because it rhymes easier that way; e.g., sammā diṭṭhi, sammā saṅkappa, etc.

▪It must be kept in mind that “saŋ” has various levels. First one needs to remove ‘saŋ’ that lead to immoral activities that can lead to births in the apāyā; after one becomes a Sotāpanna, one should strive to eliminate “saŋ” involving sense pleasures; after becoming an Anāgāmi, the goal is to remove “saŋ” associated with rūpa and arūpa jhāna. I only stated “sense pleasures” in the Table.

6. I plan to add another table for Pāli words with a few more key “roots.”

Pāli Words with “Saŋ” Root

No	Pāli Word	Roots	Meaning of added word	Meaning of whole word
1	Sammā	saŋ + mā	mā means to “remove”	associated with removing “saŋ”
2	sammāpaṭipatti	saŋ + mā +patipatti	patipatti is a process	method or effort to remove “saŋ”
3	sammāvimutti	saŋ + mā + vimutti	vimutti is complete release	Arahant phala; Nibbāna
4	Sammanti	saŋ + mā	like gaccā to gaccanti	attaining peacefulness by removing “saŋ”
5	samantano	saŋ + anta; rhymes like samananta	anta is end	a process that gets rid of “saŋ”
6	Sammā diṭṭhi	Sammā + diṭṭhi	diṭṭhi is vision (here to see Tilakkhaṇa)	clear vision to see danger of (and how to remove) “saŋ”
7	Sammā saṅkappa	Sammā + saṅkappa	saṅkappa are conscious/unconscious thoughts	thoughts to removing “saŋ”
8	Sammā vācā	Sammā + vācā	vācā is conscious thoughts/speech	speech to remove “saŋ”
9	Sammā kammanta	Sammā + kammanta	kammanta is actions	bodily actions to remove “saŋ”
10	Sammā ajīva	Sammā + ajīva	ajīva is way one lives	living style to remove “saŋ”
11	Sammā vāyāma	Sammā + vāyāma	vāyāma is effort	effort to remove “saŋ”
12	Sammā sati	Sammā + sati	sati is mindfulness (about Tilakkhaṇa)	mindfulness to remove “saŋ”
13	Sammā samādhi	Sammā + samādhi	samādhi is the state of equanimity (sama + adhi)	state of samādhi resulting from removing “saŋ”
14	Sambhava	saŋ + bhava	bhava is existence	existence due to “saŋ”
15	Sambuddha	saŋ + bhava + uddha	uddha is rooting out	one who rooted out existence in 31 realms
16	Sambodhi			state attained by a sambuddha; Nibbāna
17	Sambhūta	saŋ + bhūta	bhūta refers to cattāro mahā bhūta	creation of bhūta via “saŋ” in the mind; The Origin of Matter – Suddhaṭṭhaka
18	Sammapañña	sammā + pañña	pañña is wisdom	wisdom to see the way to remove “saŋ”
19	Sammā-Sambodhi (Sammā-Sambuddha)		Emphasizing the achievement of sambodhi on one's own	reserved for the Buddhas
20	Sammatta	saŋ+mā+atta	atta means the “truths leading to sammā”	Sammatta niyama is a knowledge of a Sotāpanna.
21	Sambojjanga	saŋ +bodhi+aṅga; rhymes as sambojjanga	“aṅga” means factors	Factors that lead to Sambodhi
22	Sampajāna (Sampajanna)	saŋ + pajāna	pajāna is to comprehend	to figure out defilements (saŋ)
23	sammappadhāna	saŋ + mā+ padhāna	mā is to remove; padhāna means “first”	first to do to remove “saŋ”
24	Sambandha	saŋ + bandha	bandha is to bind, associate with	bind with someone/something with “saŋ”
25	sambhāvitā	saŋ + bhāvitā	bhāvitā is to use	engage in “saŋ” or sense pleasures
26	Sambheda	saŋ + bheda	bheda means to quarrel	fighting over pleasurable things or “saŋ”
27	Sambhīta	saŋ + bhīta	bhīta means to terrify	“saŋ” leading to terror (in mind or in future births)
28	Sambhoga	saŋ + bhoga	bhoga means pleasurable things, especially food	sense pleasures
29	Sambhunjati	saŋ + bhunja	bhunja means to eat or consume	engage in sense pleasures
30	sammoha	saŋ + moha	moha is delusion	extreme delusion
31	sampādesi / sampādeta	saŋ + pādesi	pādesi is to sort out and see	to clarify what is “saŋ”, as in "vaya dhammā saṅkhāra, appamādena sampādeta".
32	sampahanseti	saŋ +pahāna	pahāna is to remove	to remove “saŋ”
33	sampañño	saŋ + pañño	pañño means with wisdom, possessive of paññā	attained wisdom to see “saŋ”
34	Sampajāna	saŋ + pajāna	pajāna is to clarify	sort out or to clarify “saŋ”
35	sampayoga	saŋ + payoga	payoga is a clever plan to get something done	plan to access a pleasurable thing
36	Samphassa	saŋ + phassa	contact with saŋ (in the mind)	Vedanā (Feelings) Arise in Two Ways
37	Sampassati	saŋ + passati	passati means to comprehend	comprehend “saŋ”
38	sankiliṭṭha or saṁkiliṭṭha	saŋ + kilittha	kilittha is to defile	making mind defiled by adding “saŋ”
39	sankilesa or saṁkilesa	saŋ + kilesa	kilesa are defilements	things that defile the mind
40	Samsāra (Saṁsāra)	saŋ + sāra	sāra means “good”	perception that saŋ (things in this world) are good.
41	Sanseva (Samseva)	saŋ + seva	seva means to “associate”	to indulge in worldly pleasures
42	Samucceda (as in samucceda pahāna)	saŋ + ucceda	ucceda means to “remove from the roots”; pahāna is remove	samucceda pahāna means to “get rid of permanently”
43	saṁyoga or sanyoga	saŋ + yoga	yoga is to bind	bound with “saŋ” (to this world)
44	saṁyojanā or sanyojanā	saŋ + yo +ja	“yo” is to bind; “ja” is to produce	factors that leads to bonds to rebirth process
45	samudaya	saŋ + udaya	udaya is to arise	arising due to “saŋ”
46	Samutthāna	saŋ + utthāna	utthāna means “where it arises”	Samutthāna citta is same as cittaja; where “saŋ” originates (mind)
47	samvāsa or sanvāsa	saŋ + vāsa	vāsa live with	live together; sexual intercourse
48	Samvara (Sanvara)	saŋ + vara	vara means to stop, avoid	moral behavior
49	Samvaddha	saŋ + vaddha	vaddha is to "grow"	to add “saŋ”, i.e., defilements
50	Samvannanā	saŋ + vannanā	vannanā is to praise	to praise immoral acts
51	Samvattana (Samvattati)	saŋ + vattana	vattana is to “drop”	aiding in removing “saŋ”
52	samvedanā or sanvedanā	saŋ + vedanā	vedanā is to feel	feelings due to “saŋ”: samphassa jā vedanā
53	saṁvidhāna or sanvidhāna	saŋ + vidhāna	vidhāna means ordering	giving orders, organize (normally used mundanely)
54	saṁsaraṇa or sansaraṇa	saŋ + sarana	sarana means move around, travel	wandering in saṁsāra
55	Saṁyutta (as in Saṁyutta Nikāya)	saŋ + yutta	yutta means “contains”	Suttā in the Saṁyutta Nikāya explain “saŋ” terms
56	Sancetanā	saŋ + cetanā	cetanā is intention (in a thought)	defiled thoughts
57	sanditthika	saŋ + diṭṭhi	diṭṭhi is seeing, vision	seeing “saŋ” with Buddha Dhamma
58	Sangāyanā	saŋ + gāyanā	gāyanā is to recite	Buddhist Council where suttā describing “saŋ” are recited.
59	Sanga	saŋ + ga	ga is to attach,	attach to “saŋ”
60	Sangati	saŋ + gati	gati is character, habit	bad character/habits
61	Saṅgha	saŋ + gha	gha is to remove	Those who have removed “saŋ” belong to Sanhga; Nobles or Ariyā, but usu. include bhikkhus
62	Sāṅghika	possessive of Saṅgha		offered to Saṅgha
63	Sangīta (Sangeetha)	saŋ + gīta	gīta is a poem, song	music that bend mind towards sense pleasures
64	sankalpana or saṅkappa	saŋ + kalpana	kalpnana means conscious thoughts	defiled thoughts
65	sankhitta	saŋ + kitta	kitta is action (kriya)	anything done with “saŋ” (defilements) in mind
66	Sansun	saŋ + sûn (û rhymes like put)	sûn means to destroy	calming the mind via removing “saŋ”
67	Sanvara	saŋ + vara	vara is to stay away from	discipline via staying away from “saŋ”, i.e., moral behavior
68	sanvega or samvega	saŋ + vega	vega is speed or rapidity	enhanced javana of a citta due to “saŋ”, i.e., highly emotional
69	saṅkhāra (should really be sankāra)	saŋ + kāra	kāra is action (all actions are initiated via thoughts)	Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means
70	Sankata	saŋ + kata	kata is a result	produced via saṅkhāra; anything in this world
71	Sansāra (Saṁsāra)	Saŋ + Sāra	Sāra is good, beneficial	What is “Saŋ”? Meaning of Sansāra (or Saṁsāra)
72	Santāpa	saŋ + tāpa	tāpa is heat	heating of the mind due to “saŋ”
73	Santutti (or Santhutti)	saŋ + thutti	thutti is to remove: Arogya Parama Labha..	ease of mind when “saŋ” removed; but commonly used to indicate happiness