How do you determine, to which part of the sentence the tatiyā vibhatti belongs?

Explore the ancient language of the Tipitaka and Theravāda commentaries
Post Reply
dadati
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2022 5:28 pm

How do you determine, to which part of the sentence the tatiyā vibhatti belongs?

Post by dadati »

When you say
e.g. naro puttena yācakāya bhattaṃ dadāti

What does it mean?
Either
"The man gives rice to the beggar and to the sons." - so the beggar is with the sons
or
"The man and the sons give rice to the beggar." or more likely "The man with the sons gives rice to the beggar. " - so the man is with the sons
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13482
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: How do you determine, to which part of the sentence the tatiyā vibhatti belongs?

Post by Sam Vara »

As it stands, it reads "son" rather than "sons", as puttena is singular; "sons" would be puttehi.

It means the latter of the two phrases. Although it really needs a saha or saddhim in there, or otherwise it reads more as if the man is giving rice through, or by means of, his son.
dadati
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2022 5:28 pm

Re: How do you determine, to which part of the sentence the tatiyā vibhatti belongs?

Post by dadati »

Thanks. Oh yes, it is my mistake it is ekavacana. I haven't learned to use the saha and saddhim yet, but the main point for me now that it belongs to the paṭhamā of the sentence. Thanks a lot.
Post Reply