Abbreviations
The easiest way to find any abbreviation in DPD is simply to double-click on it! But if you prefer the old fashioned method of looking things up in a table, here you go...
There are two types of abbreviations: Grammatical and Textual.
Grammatical Abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | declined in all three gender | |
| ･ | root has verbs which are derived from it | |
| () | letters deleted from construction | |
| [] | letters added to construction | |
| * | vuddhi or vowel strengthening takes place | |
| × | root has no verbs which are derived from it | |
| > | indicates morphological change occurs | |
| √ | root symbol | A root is the irreducible core meaning of a word, stripped of all affixes |
| ◑ | word data is partially complete with a meaning in context but minimal other information. | |
| ✔ | word data is complete with contextual meaning, grammar, sutta example and other relevant information. | |
| ✘ | word data is still under construction. | |
| 1st | first person | I; we |
| 2nd | second person | you; you all |
| 3rd | third person | he; they |
| abbrev | abbreviation | |
| abl | ablative case | generally showing separation (from, away from) (e.g. from that) |
| abs | absolutive verb | A verb, often a combination of having + past participle, expressing completed action (e.g. having approached; having made) |
| abstr | abstract noun | A concept or idea not associated with any specific instance or any concrete thing (e.g. friendliness) |
| acc | accusative case | the object of the sentence (e.g. me) |
| act | action noun, process noun | A noun describing the act or process of doing something (e.g the abandoning, the seeing) |
| adj | adjective | A word that expresses an attribute of something; usually qualify a noun (e.g. bad, good, impermanent) |
| adv | adverb | The word class that qualifies verbs or clauses (e.g. here) |
| agent | agent noun | A person who does the action of the verbal root (e.g. speaker; thief; hearer) |
| aor | aorist verb | A form of a verb that, in the indicative mood, expresses past action. (e.g. was; sat down; arose) |
| app | active past participle | e.g. who has eaten; who has seen |
| base | pronominal base | e.g. that, this, which, someone |
| bsk | Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit | |
| card | cardinal number | The number of elements in a mathematical set; denotes a quantity but not the order (e.g. four, five; one) |
| caus | causative verb | Causative verbs indicate that one person causes another person to do something. (e.g. causes to become; encourages; causes to know) |
| comm | commentary meaning | English summary from the commentary definition |
| comp | compound | When two or more words are combined to form a single unit |
| comp vb | compound verb | When verb is combined with another word(s) to form a single unit |
| compar | comparative adjective | The comparative form of an adjective (e.g. higher, earlier, more sublime) |
| comps | in compounds, word is only found as an element within compounds | |
| cond | conditional mood | Imposing or depending on or containing a condition (e.g. if would be; if could have been; would have gone) |
| conj | conjunction | Particle that joins or connects |
| cs | conjugational sign | |
| dat | dative case | showing the object or person to or for whom something is given or done. (to; for) (e.g. for the benefit) |
| deno | denominative verb | |
| derog | derogatory | |
| desid | desiderative verb | |
| dial | dialectical, non Indo-Aryan word | Vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people or specific place |
| dimin | diminutive noun | A word that is formed with a suffix (such as -let or -ing) to indicate smallness (e.g. booklet, droplet) |
| ditrans | ditransitive verb | A verb (or verb construction) that takes two objects in the accusative case. (e.g. asks someone for something) |
| emph | emphatic particle | Express some emphasis or stress something (e.g. only; just; indeed) |
| excl | exclamation | Expressing spontaneous feelings, reactions or make the sentences stronger. Sometimes used to attract attention. (e.g. oh no! most certainly! wonderful! hey!) |
| fem | feminine noun | |
| fut | future tense | A verb tense that expresses actions or states in the future |
| gen | genitive case | showing possession (of 's) (e.g. my, mine) |
| gen abs | genitive absolute construction | When a noun or a pronoun in the genitive case is used with a participle in the same case as itself, the construction is called genitive absolute. It can be translated as when, while, since, or as. Sometimes it also has the meaning of since, although, even if, despite, in spite of, notwithstanding. |
| ger | gerund | A verb (or verbal adjective), often ending in -ing, expressing ongoing action (eg. doing; making; going). Also some time can be translated with a combination of having + past participle, expressing completed action (e.g. having approached; having made). |
| gram | grammatical term, technical term | |
| idiom | idiomatic expression | A manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language or an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up |
| imp | imperative mood | Mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener's behavior or expresses wish. (e.g. begone! may there be! may it be!) |
| imperf | imperfect past tense | Past tense which is used for events which happened before yesterday, but were seen by the speaker. |
| impers | impersonal | Not relating to or responsive to individual persons (e.g. it occurs (to); it is suitable (for)) |
| in comps | in compounds, word is only found as an element within compounds | Usually acts as part of a compoun |
| ind | indeclinable | It does not have declensions or conjugations. |
| inf | infinitive verb | The uninflected form of the verb. It most commonly expresses a purpose. |
| instr | instrumental case | shows the object or person with or by whom something is performed. (by, with or through) (e.g. by me, with me) |
| intens | intensive verb | Also called Frequentative Verbs, express the frequent repetition or the intensification of the action denoted by the simple root. |
| interr | interrogative pronoun | Has the nature of asking a question. (who? how? perhaps? how many?) |
| intrans | intransitive verb | A verb (or verb construction) that does not take an object in the accusative case. sometimes they take what appears to be an object in another case. (e.g. there is; is conducive to) |
| irreg | irregular conjugation or declension | Differs from the usual, generally accepted patterns of conjugation or declension. |
| lit | literal meaning | Limited to the explicit meaning of a word or parts from which the word has been constructed. |
| loc | locative case | showing place (in, on, at, among) (e.g. in us; among us) |
| loc abs | locative absolute construction | When a noun or a pronoun in the locative case is used with a participle in the same case as itself, the construction is called locative absolute. It can be translated as when, while, since, or as. |
| masc | masculine noun | |
| matr | matronymic | A name derived from a maternal ancestor (e.g. son of Sāri; son of Mantāṇī; son of Vedehi) |
| neg | negative | express negation or opposite meaning |
| neut | neuter noun | |
| nom | nominative case | The category of nouns serving as the grammatical subject of a verb |
| noun | noun, substantive | A content word that can be used to refer to a person, place, thing, quality, or action; the word class that can serve as the subject or object of a verb, the object of a preposition, or in apposition (e.g. recluse; man; method) |
| nt | neuter noun | |
| onom | onomatopoeia | Using words that imitate the sound they denote |
| opt | optative mood | A mood that expresses a wish, probability, advice or capability; expressed in English by modal verbs (should / could / may / might) |
| ordin | ordinal number | The number designating place in an ordered sequence (e.g. first; second; third) |
| pass | passive verb | The voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is the recipient (not the source) of the action denoted by the verb (e.g. is abandoned; is said; is clearly known) |
| patr | patronymic | A name derived from a paternal ancestor (e.g. descendant of Kassapa; descended from Bharadvāja; descendant of Kati) |
| perf | perfect past tense | express something that happened a long time ago, a completed action, something you personally did not witness. |
| pl | plural number | The form of a word that is used to denote more than one |
| pos | part of speech | One of the traditional categories of words intended to reflect their functions in a grammatical context |
| pp | past participle | Verbal adjective which describes the action that a noun did (in the past) (e.g. have said; have seated; have heard) |
| pr | present tense | A verb tense that expresses actions or states at the time of speaking (e.g. lives; appears; sees) |
| prefix | prefix | An affix that is added in front of the word |
| prep | preposition | A function word that combines with a noun or pronoun or noun phrase to form a prepositional phrase that can have an adverbial or adjectival relation to some other word (e.g. with; in front (of); within) |
| prk | Prakrit | Any of the vernacular indic languages of north and central india (as distinguished from sanskrit) recorded from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD |
| pron | pronoun, pronominal adjective | A function word that is used in place of a noun or noun phrase (he; this; another; all) |
| prp | present participle | Verbal adjective, which describes the action that a noun is doing. (seeing; dwelling; knowing) |
| ptp | potential participle, future passive participle | Verbal adjectives, they give more information about the noun they are describing. (e.g. ought to be done; can be known; should be practised) |
| reflx | reflexive verb | The reflexive voice contains the idea of an action coming back to the person who did the action, i.e. reflecting back to the doer. Reflexive verbs can be translated into English with a reflexive pronoun. (he himself, they themselves etc.) |
| sandhi | sandhi compound | It refers to the changes that take place when the different parts of the speech are joined together. |
| sg | singular number | The form of a word that is used to denote one in number |
| sk | Sanskrit | |
| suffix | suffix | an affix that is added at the end of the word |
| superl | superlative adjective | increasing meaning of something; expresses a sense of the ‘most’ of something. (examples: lowest; highest) |
| trans | transitive verb | A verb (or verb construction) that requires an object in the accusative case. (e.g. makes something; says to; goes to) |
| vb | verb | The word class that serves as the predicate of a sentence |
| ve | verbal ending | |
| voc | vocative case | Addressing form |
| wrt | with regard to | |
| x | no gender | Word does not have any specific gender |
Textual Abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Info |
|---|---|---|
| ABH | Abhidhāna Dictionary | The Pāḷi Myanmar Abhidhān is the largest Pāḷi dictionary in the world, currently more than 23 volumes in size and including every word in the Mūla and Commentaries. There is currently a project underway to translate the dictionary into English. inside TPP |
| ADha | Abhidhamma Aṭṭhakathā | |
| AdhM | Abhidhammamātikāpāḷi | |
| ADht | Abhidhamma Ṭīkā | |
| AN | Aṅguttara Nikāya | Book 4 of the Sutta Piṭaka; Numbered Discourses; lit. one part more collection |
| ANa | Aṅguttara Nikāya Aṭṭhakathā | Commentary on the Aṅguttara Nikāya compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa; the “Fulfiller of Wishes”; lit. which fills with mental delight |
| ANt | Aṅguttara Nikāya Tīkā | |
| AP | Abhidhānappadīpikāpāṭha, by Ven. Moggallāna | A fourteenth century Pāḷi thesaurus. |
| APA | Therāpadāna | Book 10 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; Legends of the Elder Monks |
| APAa | Therāpadāna Aṭṭhakathā | Book 11 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; Legends of the Elder Nuns |
| API | Therīapadāna | |
| APIa | Therīapadāna Aṭṭhakathā | |
| APt | Abhidhānappadīpikā Ṭīkā | Commentary on the fourteenth century Pāḷi thesaurus. |
| BD | Concise Pali English Dictionary by Ven. Buddhadatta | web-link |
| BDN | Buddhist Dictionary by Ven. Ñāṇatiloka Mahathera | web-link |
| BJT | Buddha Jayanti Tipiṭaka (Sri Lanka) | |
| BMC | Buddhist Monastic Code by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro | web-link |
| BSK | Edgerton's Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary | web-link |
| BV | Buddhavaṃsa | Book 12 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; “The Chronicle of the Buddhas” |
| BVa | Buddhavaṃsa Aṭṭhakathā | |
| CDB | The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A New Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya by Bhikkhu Bodhi | |
| CMA | Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma by Bhikkhu Bodhi | read online |
| Cone | Pali Dictionary by Margaret Cone | search in the dictionary online |
| CP | Cariyā Piṭaka | Book 13 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; the Basket of Conduct |
| CPa | Cariyāpiṭaka Aṭṭhakathā, Paramatthadīpanī | |
| CPD | Critical Pāli Dictionary | web-link |
| CST | Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka, Sixth Council Version of the texts encoded by the Vipassana Research Institute | |
| DHK | Dhātukathāpāḷi | |
| DHP | Dhammapada | Book 2 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; Dhamma Verses |
| DHPa | Dhammapada Aṭṭhakathā, | Commentary to Dhammapada compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa; part of “Illumination of the Ultimate Truth” |
| DHS | Dhammasaṅgaṇīpāḷi | |
| DHSt | Dhammasaṅgaṇī Ṭīkā | |
| DN | Dīgha Nikāya | Book 1 of the Sutta Piṭaka; Collection of Long Discourses; lit. long collection |
| DNa | Dīgha Nikāya Aṭṭhakathā, Sumaṅgalavilāsinī | Commentary on the Dīgha Nikāya compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa; lit. very auspicious and charming |
| DNt | Dīgha Nikāya Ṭīkā, Sādhuvilāsinī | |
| DS | Dhammasaṅgaṇī | Book 1 of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka; enumeration of phenomena |
| DSa | Dhammasaṅgaṇī aṭṭhakathā | Commentary on the Dhammasaṅgaṇi compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa; “Exposition of Meaning” |
| DSṭ | Dhammasaṅgaṇī mūlaṭīkā | |
| EV | Elder's Verses by K.R.Norman | |
| ITI | Itivuttaka | Book 4 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; Quotations; lit. thus said |
| ITIa | Itivuttaka Aṭṭhakathā, Paramatthadīpanī | |
| JA | Jātaka | Books 14 and 15 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; birth stories |
| JAa | Jātaka Aṭṭhakathā | Commentary to Jātaka compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa; part of “Illumination of the Ultimate Truth” |
| Kacc | Kaccāyana | name of a famous grammatical treatise (Kaccāyanabyākaraṇa), and the classical school of Pāḷi grammar which ascribes to it (Kaccāyanabyākaraṇa-vāda) |
| KMt | Khuddasikkhā Mūlasikkhā, Vinaya sub-commentary | |
| KP | Khuddaka Pāṭha | Books 1 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; lit. small passage |
| KPa | Khuddakapāṭha Aṭṭhakathā, Paramatthajotikā | |
| KV | Kathāvatthupāḷi | |
| KVa | Kaṅkhāvitaraṇīaṭṭhakathā | Commentary to the Pāṭimokkha, Vinayapiṭaka, compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa |
| KVt | Kaṅkhāvitaraṇī Purāṇaṭīkā and Kaṅkhāvitaraṇī Abhinavaṭīkā, Vinaya sub-commentary | |
| LDA | The Law of Dependent Arising by Kaṭukurunde Ñāṇananda | |
| LDB | Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya by Maurice Walshe | |
| MIL | Milindapañha | Book 19 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; the “Questions of Milinda” |
| MLDB | Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi | Book 19 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; the “Questions of Milinda” |
| MN | Majjhimā Nikāya | Book 2 of the Sutta Piṭaka; Collection of Middle-length Discourses; lit. middle collection |
| MNa | Majjhimā Nikāya Aṭṭhakathā, Papañcasūdanī | Commentary on the Majjhima Nikāya compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa; “Destruction of Obstacles [to Progress]”; lit. setting mental proliferation in order |
| MNt | Majjhima Nikāya Ṭīkā | |
| MOGG | Moggallāna Byākaraṇaṃ | |
| MST | Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka (Sutta Central) | |
| MW | Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary | web-link |
| NDB | The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Complete Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya by Bhikkhu Bodhi | |
| NIDD1 | Mahāniddesa | Book 16 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; canonical commentary on the Aṭṭhakavagga of the Sutta Nipāta; lit. great detailed analysis |
| NIDD1a | Mahāniddesa Aṭṭhakathā | Commentary to Mahāniddesa |
| NIDD2 | Cūḷaniddesa | Book 17 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; canonical commentary on the Pārāyanavagga of the Sutta Nipāta; lit. smaller detailed analysis |
| NIDD2a | Cūḷaniddesa Aṭṭhakathā | |
| NMS | Nibbana: The Mind Stilled by Kaṭukurunde Ñāṇananda | |
| NP | Nettippakaraṇapāḷi | |
| NPa | Nettippakaraṇa Aṭṭhakathā | |
| NPt | Nettippakaraṇa Ṭīkā | |
| PDB | Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism | |
| PED | Pāli English Dictionary, published by the Pāli Text Society | web-link |
| Perniola | Pali Grammar by V.Perniola | read online |
| PM | Paṭisambhidā Magga | Book 18 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; Path to Analytical Knowledge |
| PMa | Paṭisambhidāmagga aṭṭhakathā, Saddhammappakāsinī | |
| PP | Puggalapaññattipāḷi | |
| PPa | Puggalapaññatti aṭṭhakathā | Commentary to Puggalapaññatti |
| PRS | Padarūpasiddhi | |
| PTH | Paṭṭhānapāḷi | |
| PTP | Peṭakopadesapāḷi | |
| PV | Petavatthu | Book 7 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; lit. story about ghosts |
| PVa | Petavatthu Aṭṭhakathā, Paramatthadīpanī | |
| PYt | Pācityādiyojanāpāḷi, Vinaya sub-commentary | |
| SaDM | Saddanītippakaraṇaṃ Dhātumālā | |
| SaPM | Saddanītippakaraṇaṃ Padamālā | |
| SBS-PER | SBS Pāli English Recitations | Download the latest version here |
| SCPN | Syntax of the Case in the Pali Nikayas by O.H. de A. Wijesekera | read online |
| SDt | Sāratthadīpanī Ṭīkā, Sub-commentary to Samantapāsādikā | Sub commentary to Samantapāsādikā |
| SN | Saṃyutta Nikāya | Book 3 of the Sutta Piṭaka; Collection of Connected Discourses; lit. connected collection |
| SNa | Saṃyutta Nikāya Aṭṭhakathā, Sāratthappakāsinī | Commentary on the Saṃyutta Nikāya compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa; “Revealer of Essential Meaning”; lit. shining essence of the goal |
| SNP | Sutta Nipāta | Book 5 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; “Sutta Collection”; lit. Irregular Discourses |
| SNPa | Sutta Nipāta Aṭṭhakathā, part of Paramatthajotikā | Commentary to Sutta Nipāta compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa; part of “Illumination of the Ultimate Truth” |
| SNt | Saṃyutta Nikāya Ṭīkā | |
| SPV | Saṃgāyanassa pucchā vissajjanā | |
| SYA | Syāmaraṭṭha 1927 Royal Edition (Thailand) | |
| TH | Theragāthā | Book 8 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; Verses of the Elder Monks |
| THa | Theragāthā Aṭṭhakathā | |
| THI | Therīgāthā | Book 9 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; Verses of the Elder Nuns |
| THIa | Therīgāthā Aṭṭhakathā | |
| UD | Udāna | Book 3 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; Inspired Sayings; lit. breath up; sigh |
| UDa | Udāna Aṭṭhakathā, Paramatthadīpanī | |
| VAt | Vinayālaṅkāra Ṭīkā | |
| VBt | Vajirabuddhi Ṭīkā, Vinaya sub-commentary | |
| VIBH | Vibhaṅgapāḷi | Book 2 of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka; lit. analysis |
| VIBHa | Vibhaṅga aṭṭhakathā | Commentary on the Vibhaṅga, Abhidhammapiṭaka |
| VIBHt | Vibhaṅga mūlaṭīkā | Sub commentary on the Vibhaṅga, Abhidhammapiṭaka |
| VIN | Vinaya Piṭaka | The first basket of the Tipiṭaka; the Discipline; lit. leading out |
| VINa | Vinaya Piṭaka Aṭṭhakathā, Samantapāsādikā | Ven. Buddhaghosa's commentary on the Vinaya Piṭaka; lit. making everything clear; (or) all-inspiring |
| VINt | Vinaya Piṭaka Ṭīkā, Sāratthadīpanīṭīkā | |
| VISM | Visuddhimagga | Path of purification; commentarial treatise by Ven. Buddhaghosa |
| VISMa | Visuddhimagga Aṭṭhakathā | Commentary to Visuddhimagga |
| VMVt | Vimativinodanī Tīkā, Vinaya sub-commentary | |
| VSa | Vinayasaṅgaha Aṭṭhakathā, Vinaya sub-commentary | |
| VV | Vimānavatthu | Book 6 of the Khuddaka Nikāya; story about Celestial Abodes |
| VVa | Vimānavatthu Aṭṭhakathā, Paramatthadīpanī | |
| VVt | Vinayavinicchaya Ṭīkā, Vinaya sub-commentary | |
| VVUt | Vinayavinicchaya Uttaravinicchayo, Vinaya sub-commentary | |
| YAM | Yamakapāḷi |