Dear Nina,

thank you for your comments, in particular about the genitive absolute, it makes more sense now.

Dunnikkhittassa, bhikkhave, padabya~njanassa atthopi dunnayo hoti.
O monks, when the letter of the word is wrongly arranged, the meaning is also wrongly inferred.

metta,
Yong Peng.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Nina van Gorkom wrote:

> "Dveme, bhikkhave, dhammaa saddhammassa sammosaaya antaradhaanaaya sa.mvattanti.
> "O monks, these two things lead to the confusion and disappearance of the good teachings.

N: sadddhamma: good dhamma or true dhamma. PTS:true dhamma. (sant is existing, true).

> Dunnikkhittassa, bhikkhave, padabya~njanassa atthopi dunnayo hoti.
> O monks, the wrongly inferred meaning is also (due) to displacement of letters.

N: A genetive absolute: If the letter of the word is wrongly arranged, the meaning is also wrongly interpreted.

PTS adds: the letter (of the text). Commentary states that the �letter of the word� refers to the "text" (paali).