Dear Jim, George and others,
With reference to Jim's exegesis, I see two possible objections:
(1) Compounding naama with vibhattyaadiini will give the sense "I will
explain the noun endings etc." (naama being a technical term in Pali
grammar for noun) . This will not fit this chapter since it deals with
kriyaavibhatti etc.
(2) It is not mandatory that the referent of naama should be in the
nominative case. Compare the following: (a) so gaama-vaasiihi saddhi.m
agga-sassa-daana.m naama adaasi. (b) aha.m gotama-buddhassa naama
saasane agga-savaka-.t.thaana.m patthesi.m. In these instances the
referent is in the accusative and genetive cases. The examples are
from The Aggasaavaka-vatthu of the Dhammapada commentary.

Mahinda

On 1/1/09, Jim Anderson <jimanderson.on@...> wrote:
> George wrote:
>> Ito para.m pavakkhaami, sotuuna.m mati-va.d.dhana.m

>> kriyaa-pada-kkama.m naama, vibhatt'-aadiini diipaya.m.

>
> The particle 'naama' here in the sense of 'by name' or 'called' is puzzling
> to me. I have in mind (perhaps in error) that the masc. acc. -kkama.m would
> need to be in the masc. nom. case, i.e., -kkamo if it is to be followed by
> 'naama' in this sense. I propose that 'naama' belongs instead with
> 'vibhatt'-aadiini' in the same compound, i.e., 'naama-vibhatt'-aadiini'.
>
>> The translation of these verses which I offered was:
>>
>> I will explain, for the growth of my audience's wisdom,

>> the terminology of verbs, starting with endings.

>
> [...]
>
>> I now recount, to enhance the understanding of students,
>> the terminology of verbs, explaining the endings, etc.
>
> I'm still undecided on whether 'sotuuna.m' is gen. or dat. pl. Either seems
> to work but I do question if a gen. pl. can relate directly to the
> adjectival compound instead of the tappurisa compound that follows it. I
> offer the following tentative translation of the gaathaa:
>
> From here on, showing the terms and the conjugational endings and so on, I
> will present to listeners (i.e., students) the permutation of the verb
> (i.e., bhavati) which will serve to widen (one's) understanding (or
> knowledge).
>
> Near the beginning of the 2nd pariccheda is the following:
>> tattha ti anti, si tha, mi ma, te ante, se vhe, e mhe iccetaa
>> vattamaanaavibhattiyo naama.
>
> Aggava.msa has presented a series of 12 present tense conjugational endings
> which are denoted by the technical term: vattamaanavibhattiyo. This is an
> example of what I think Aggava.msa means when he says: naamavibhatti- (the
> terms and their endings). Naama is used as a synonym of sa~n~naa (technical
> term).
>
> Best wishes to all in the New Year 2009!
> Jim
>
>