Chapter:  [ Contents | 1. Alphabet | 2. Sandhi | 3. Assimilation | 4. Strengthening | 5. Declension | 6. Feminine | 7. Adjectives | 8. Numerals |
9. Pronouns | 10.1 Verbs | 10.2 Verbs | 10.3 Verbs | 11. Indeclinables | 12. Compounds | 13. Derivation | 14. Syntax | 15. Prosody | Prefix | Root ]

Prefixes extracted from Charles Duroiselle's Pali Grammar

Number behind prefix = Paragraph Number in Book
a, an  532an before a vowelnot, without, free from
Examples  (Inseparable prefix)
 abhayafree from fear
abaalanot foolish
apassantonot seeing
anaaloketvawithout looking
aa  516to, at, towards, near to, until, as far as, away, all round.  
Examples
/chadto cover= acchaadeti, to cover over or all around, to put on clothes (33, 35).
/cikkhto show, tell= aacikkhati, to point out, tell to (to communicate).
/kirto pour, scatter= aakirati, to scatter all over or around, to fill.
/ka.d.dhto drag, draw= aaka.d.dhati, to draw towards, to drag away.
Remarks. This prefix reverses the meaning of some roots;
/daato givebut aadaati, to take
/gamto go, base:gaccha= aagacchati, to come
abbh  516(abhi before vowel)
aavi  521in full view, in sight, in view, manifestly, visibly.It is prefixed to the verbs: bhavati (/bhuu) and karoti (/kar).
Examples  (adverb used as verbal prefix)
 aavibhavatito become manifest, visible, to appear, be evident
aavikarotito make manifest, clear, evident; to explain, show.
abhi  516to, unto, towards, against, in the direction of. It also expresses excess, reverence, particularity. (Before a vowel=abbh).
Examples
/gamto go= abhigacchati, to go towards, approach
/ka"nkhto desire= abhika"nkhati, to desire particularly, to long for, yearn
/jalto blaze= abhijalati to blaze excessively, viz, fiercely
/vandto salute= abhivandati, to salute reverentially
acc  516(ati before vowel)
adhi  516(before vowels=ajjh), over, above, on, upon, at, to in, superior to, great, it expresses sometimes superiority.
Examples
/bhaasto speak= adhibhaasati, to speak to, to address.
/gamto go= ajjhagamaa, he approached = adhi + augment a + gamaa(Aorist)
/vasto live= to live in, to inhabit.
ajjh  516(adhi before vowel)
ajjhaa  516compound = adhi + aajjhaavasati, to dwell in (vas) ajjhaaseti, to lie upon (/sii).
ajjho  516compound = adhi + o, o= avaajjhottharati, to overwhelm (/thar, to spread).
ala.m  521fit, fit forused with verb, karoti in the sense of decorating.
Examples  (adverb used as verbal prefix)
ala"nkarotito adorn, embellish, decorate.
antara  521among within, betweenused with /dhaa, to put, place,
Examples   (adverb used as verbal prefix)
 antaradhaayatito vanish, disappear, hide;
antaradhaapetito cause to vanish or disappear.
an   532see a, an
anu  516after, along, according to, near to, behind, less than, in consequence of, beneath.
Examples
/dhaavto run= anudhaavati, to run after to pursue.
/gahto take= anuga.nhati, to take near, beneath = to protect.
/kamto go= anukkamati, to go along with, to follow.
/karto do= anukaroti, to do like, viz., to imitate, to ape.
anupa  516compound= anu + pato eat into (khad); anupabbajati to give up the world (/vaj, to go).
anupari  516compound= anu + parianuparidhaavati, to run up and down (dhav); anupariyaati, to go round and round (/yaa).
anusam  516compound= anu + samanusa"ngito, chanted together rehearsed; anusa~ncarati, to cross.
apa  516off, away, away from, forth: it also implies detraction, hurt, reverence.
Examples
/cito notice,observe= apacaayati, to honour, respect; apaciti, reverence.
/gamto go= apagacchati, to go away
/manto think= apama~n~nati, to despise
/niito lead= opaneti, to lead away, viz., to take away, remove.
api  516on, over, unto, close upon. This prefix is very seldom used; it is prefixed mostly to the roots: /dhaa, to put, set, lay, and /nah, to bind, join. It is moreover found abbreviated to pi in most instances.
Examples
/dhaato put, set, lay= pidahati, to cover, close, shut. apidhana.m, pidahana.m, pidhaana.m, covering, lid, cover.
/nahto bind, join= pinayhati, to bind on, join on.
ati  516(before vowel=acc.) beyond, across, over, past, very much, very; it expresses excess.
Examples
/carto act= aticarati, to act beyond, too much, in excess = to transgress
/kamto step, go= atikkamati (33), to step over to go across, go past, to escape, overcome, transgress, excell, to elapse
/niito lead= atineti, to lead over or across, to irrigate.
attha.m  521(adv. and noun) = home; disappearance, disappearing, settingused with verbs of going=to set, disappear (of moon, sun and stars). Mostly used with the verbs gacchati and eti (/i), to go.
Examples  (adverb used as verbal prefix)
attha"ngacchatito disappear, to set, atthameti, to set (of the sun).
ava  516down off away back aside little less Implies also: disrespect disregard
Remarks ava is often contracted to o
Examples
/jaato know= avajaanaati, to despise
/harto take= avaharati, to take away. avahaaro, taking away
/khipto throw= avakhipati, to throw down
/lok, lukto look= oloketi to look down = avaloketi
du, dur  532dur before a vowelbad, ill, hard difficult
Examples  (Inseparable prefix)
dubba.n.no (33. Remark)ugly, ill-favoured
dubbiniitoill conducted
duddamodifficult to tame
duggodifficult to pass
dujjanoa bad man
dukkarodifficult to perform
dujjiiva.ma hard life
paatu  521(before a vowel: patur) = forth to view, manifestly, evidentlyused with bhavati and karoti.
Examples  (adverb used as verbal prefix)
 paatubhavatito become manifest, evident, clear, to appear, to arise
paatubhaavoappearance, manifestation;
paatukarotito manifest, make clear, evident; to produce.
patur  521paatu before a vowel(adverb used as verbal prefix)
pura  521in front, forward, beforeused almost exclusively with karoti, (520).
Examples  (adverb used as verbal prefix)
purakkharotito put or place in front, to appoint or make a person (one's) leader, and thence: to follow, to revere.
ni  516(sometimes lengthened to nii, and before a vowel=nir) out, forth, down, into, downwards, in, under.
Examples
/dhaato place= nidahati or nidheti, to deposit, hide.
/hanto strike= nihanti, to strike down
/harto take= niiharati, to take out
/kamto go= nikkhamati, to go out, to depart.
o  516contracted form of ava
pa  516onward, forward to, forth, fore, towards, with. It expresses beginning.
Examples 
/bhaato shine= pabhaati, to shine forth, to dawn. pabhaa, radiance.
/bhuuto be= pabhavati, to begin to be, viz., to spring up, to originate.
/jalto burn= pajjalati, to burn forth, to blaze.
pali  516pari is often written:  pali(72).
paraa  516away, back, opposed to, aside, beyond.
Examples
/kamto go= parakkamati, to strive put forth effort
/jito conquer= paraajeti, to overcome
pari  516around, all around, about, all about, all over. Expresses completeness, etc.. pari is often written: pali (72).
Examples 
/carto walk= paricarati, to walk around, viz,. to serve, honour.
paricaaro, attendance; paricca, having encircled (=pari + i + tya).
/chidto cut= paricchindati, to cut around, to limit, mark out.
/dhaavto run= paridhaavati, to run about.
/jaato know= parijaanaati, to know perfectly, exactly.
pati, pa.ti  516against, back to, in reverse direction, back again in return, to, towards, near.
Examples
/bhaasto speak= pa.tibhaasati. to speak back, to reply.
/kamto step= pa.tikkamati, to step back, to retreat
/khipto throw= pa.tikkhipati, to refuse. pa.tikkhepo, refusing.
sa  532used instead of sam, (516), expresses the ideas of "possession, similarity; with, and; like; including."
Examples  (Inseparable prefix)
sabhaariyawith (his) wife
salajjahaving shame, ashamed
sabhogawealthy
savihaariiliving with
sadevakaincluding the worlds of gods
Remarks. The particle sa is the opposite of particle a, an.
sam  516with, along, together, fully, perfectly.
/bhujto eat= sambhu~njati, to eat with.
/vasto live= sa.mvasati, to live together with; sa.mvaaso, living with.
samaa  516compound= sam + aasamaaharati, to gather (/har); samaagamo, assembly (/gam).
samabhi  516compound= sam + abhisamabhisi~ncati, to sprinkle (/si~nc).
samud  516compound= sam + udsamukka.msati, to exalt; samucchindati, to extirpate (/chid); samudeti, to remove (/i).
samudaa  516compoundsam + ud + aasamudaacarati, to address, practise (/car); samudaaha.to, produced (/har);
samupa  516compound= sam + upasamupeti, to approach (/i); samupagacchati: to approach.
su  532has the contrary meaning of du :good, well, easy. It implies excess, facility, excellence.
Examples  (Inseparable prefix)
subhaasitowell-spoken
subahuvery much
sudantowell-tamed
sukaroeasy to perform
sulabhoeasy to be obtained
Remarks. After du, the initial consonant is generally reduplicated; reduplication seldom takes place after su.
tiro  521out of sight; across, beyondprefixed to roots kar and dhaa, in the sense of covering, hiding, etc.
Examples  (adverb used as verbal prefix)
 tirodhaapetito veil, to cover, put out of sight
tirodhaana.ma covering, a veil;
tirokarotito veil, to screen;
upasam  516compound= upa + samupasa.mharati, to bring together (/har); upasa.mvasati, to take up one's abode in (/vas, to live).
ud  516(=the u of native grammarians; for the assimilation of final d to the following consonants see 58, 60, 62, 65. Before h, sometimes final d is lost and the u lengthened.)
Upwards, above, up, forth, out.
Examples
/chidto cut= ucchindati, to cut off
/harto take= uddharati (96) to draw out. uddhara.na.m, pulling out.
/khipto throw= ukkhipati, to throw up, get rid of; ukkhepana.m, excommunication.
/.thaato stand= u.t.thahati to stand up, rise, u.t.thaana.m, rising.
Remark. ud reverses the meaning of a few verbs
/namto bend= unnamati, to rise up, ascend
/patto fall= uppatati, to leap up, spring up.
upa  516unto, to, towards, near, with, by the side of, as, like, up to, (opposed to apa), below, less.
Examples
/ka.d.dhto drag= upaka.d.dhati, to drag or draw towards, to draw below or down.
/kamto go, step= upakkamati, to attack, (lit. to go towards).
/karto do= upakaroti, to do something towards unto; viz, to help, upakaaro, help, use; upakara.na.m, instrument (lit. doing with).
vi  516asunder, apart, away, without. Implies separation, distinctness, dispersion.
Examples
/chidto cut= vicchindati, to cut or break asunder, to break off, interrupt.
/jaato know= vijaanaati, to know distinctly, to discern; vijaana.m, knowing.
 /kirto scatter= vikirati, to scatter about, to spread.
Remarks It should be borne in mind that two and sometimes three of the above prefixes may combine. Remark The student must be prepared to meet with some other combinations; the general meaning of a word can always be traced from the sense of the several combined prefixes


(Original file downloaded from www.tipitaka.net/pali/grammar/. )