Digression on terminology & sources

Hi Jim,

Re: terminology:

> Avyaya (invariable) is a term that encompasses two word-classes: the
> upasagga (prefix) and the nipaata (indeclinable).

The "hierarchy" of these terms is by no means universal; this issue is taken
up in the footnotes to Vol. 1 of my book (and briefly in the list of
grammatical terms that I added near the opening of chapter three).  My
experience (or: conclusion) on the subject is that the array (and
imprecision) of the usage of these terms in modern sources reflects the
imprecision of their usage in classical sources.  However, it is certainly
true that the modern Sinhalese equivalents to these terms (e.g., "upasarga",
etc.) seem to have been used in a consistent way since A.P. Buddhadatta
(i.e., not long!). In the research for my book I contrast the reported usage
from Burmese sources, etc. --but I don't really think the issue merits
further discussion.

> The nipaata class would be an open one with an indefinite number of
> words including indeclinable compounds, words ending
> in -tvaa, -tu.m, -to, and so on.

Where do you draw this definition from?  Why would (e.g.) participles and
other verbal-derivatives be treated as a subset of "avyaya"?

> The upasagga class on the other hand

> Before I go any further, I'd like to know your source for the
> meaning 'until' as well as the 'in future' for the previous 'amutra'.

I already stated my sources in my initial posting on the subject: aside from
Buddhadatta, the only other text I used (i.e., could carry on my bicycle) is
a century-old Sinhalese edition of the Abidhanappadipika.

If you want a copy, there's a Taiwanese reprint --*however* you will have to
get a friend who speaks fluent Chinese to write to (or telephone) the folks
at the following website:
  http://www.budaedu.org/en/book/
The cover of the reprint is Sinhala-only --and nobody at that organization
can read Sinhala --so your friend will have to be *very* fluent in Chinese
to describe the book you're looking for.  I showed up in person and walked
through their warehouse in Taipei.

The full citation for that text is provided in the introduction to my book
  --because the publication info is in Sinhalese only, it might be a bit
useless to reproduce it here.

E.M.


--
A saying of the Buddha from http://metta.lk/
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One, who has craving, cannot be satisfied even when he has plenty of gold.
The wise man does not crave as he understands the consequences of craving.
Random Dhammapada Verse 186