Hi Rett
This raises an interesting question. You suggest that ceto is a borrowing
from Sanskrit. How do we know it is a borrowing from Sanskrit and a parallel
development? I think this is found in other Prakrits as well
Robert Didham
>From: rett <rett@...>
>Reply-To: Pali@yahoogroups.com
>To: Pali@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [Pali] what does ceto mean?
>Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 12:14:11 +0100
>
>Hi Ben,
>
>You asked:
>
> >
> >
> >I've been trying to figure out the meaning of the word "ceto". There
> >are terms such as cetovimutti, cetopas�da and cetosamatha where ceto
> >is used as a prefix. What does ceto mean? Does it have any meaning of
> >its own?
> >
> >I checked this site:
> >http://www.saigon.com/~anson/ebud/dict-pe/dictpe-09-c.htm
> >
> >Here, the meaning of ceto is given as "is the form that ceta takes in
> >cpds". I don't understand what cpds means and hence the entire
> >meaning. Hope some of you can help me.
>
>cpds meaning 'compounds', such as the examples you gave above like
>ceto-vimutti. Two words are compounded into a single word.
>
>Ceto means 'mind, heart'. Strange as it may appear, the word is neuter.
>This is because the original sanskrit word is cetas (ending in a
>consonant). This turns into ceto in pali, but the instrumental is cetasaa,
>the genitive cetaso.
>
>So cetovimutti would be 'liberation of the mind' or 'liberation of the
>heart', and cetosamatha would be 'mental calm' or 'calm in the heart'.
>
>According to PED ceto means the same thing as citta, and is just used as a
>substitute in certain contexts.
>
>best regards,
>
>/Rett