Re: okaasa

Dr. Pind,

> In fact, the use of okaasa in the canon to denote
> place, location etc. is well attested.

My point is not at all that Okaasa is an innovation (in Kacc.), but
the contrary: it is a peculiar usage (of a very old term, found in the
canon and before) that would seem to indicate unfamiliarity with
whatever the source was of the more logical terms used in the
Commentaries and both earlier and later grammars.

I think you'll agree that its grammatical use is or only half-logical.
  Okaasa has more in common (semantically) with the english concept of
"extension" than "space", and is explicity relative to the viewer, and
empty; thus, cosmologically, it is used in the sense that we say
"outer space", viz., a completely empty void in/above the sky.

> ... I assume its use in Kacc instead of the expected bhumma that is well
> known from the commentarial lit. is motivated by a widespread tendency to
> adopt a grammatical case terminology that has canonical antecedents.

Do you feel that the author of Kacc-s read and knew the Commentaries,
and intentionally chose to use "more canonical" language (in this
instance, or in general)?

In either case, thank you again for your comments.

E.M.