Dear D.C.,
The "norm" seems rather peculiar in the PED article on Pāli. Rhys Davids
translates "dhamma" as "norm" in his DN translation. It'll be interesting to
see Cone's article on pāli/pāḷi when her DOP III comes out. The word
presents many problems in going about getting a better understaning of its
meanings and usage down through the centuries which comes as no surprise as
the same applies to most Pali words when one starts to delve in.
As for your remark on "mass nouns", I'm not sure if I agree. In English
usage, a mass noun is defined as a common noun, concrete or abstract, that
is uncountable, e.g., butter (concrete), music (abstract). But perhaps
you/re thinking of samūhikanāmas such as bowl, cloth, person? PED gives
multitude, mass, aggregate in defining "samūha".
Best wishes,
Jim
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dc Wijeratna dcwijeratna@... [palistudy]"
<palistudy@yahoogroups.com>
To: <palistudy@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: November 17, 2014 1:49 AM
Subject: Re: [palistudy] Paali
Dear Jim, Bryan and all
1. PTSD gives one more meaning to Paali, norm. It is from that it goes to
"literary language".
2. I agree with the Saddaniti interpretation as rakkhane. Rakkhane means
protection. Protection is a mass noun. Protection has to be provided by
somebody or something. with authority. Examples, Dhamma and Vinaya (Dhammo
have rakkhati dhammacaari.n); It is the Dhamma and Vinaya of the Bhagavaa;
Bridge provides protection by giving us a safe passage across. Teacher
commands: "Fall in line!" (Discipline) so on and so forth.
3. All Buddhist traditions are later than Lord Buddha. So they are
interpretations.
4. In the Dhamma of the Lord, the word occurs in compound words. I have
found Ambapaali and Upaali.
Upaali is the authority on Vinaya as we know. By the way in Dhamma of the
Lord, names almost always are mass nouns.
Best wishes
D.C.