Some Irregular Masculine Nouns
Some Irregular Masculine Nouns¶
All the nouns we looked at in the Beginner Pāli Course had regular and predictable declensions. We will now start looking at nouns that have unusual or irregular declensions. These are often influenced by the old Sanskrit declensions.
Today we will look at manas, go, atta and rāja
Declension of manas (mano) (masc & nt6)
| 1.nom | mano | manā |
| 2.acc | manaṃ mano |
mane |
| 3.inst | manasā manena |
manehi |
| 4.dat | manaso manassa |
manānaṃ |
| 5.abl | manasā manā manamhā manasmā |
manehi |
| 6.gen | manaso manassa |
manānaṃ |
| 7.loc | manasi mane manamhi manasmiṃ |
manesu |
| 8.voc | mana manā |
manā |
mano-group nouns, while neuter in Sanskrit, are considered to be masculine by classical Pāḷi grammars such as Saddanīti. The example given is mano anicco, mano dukkho'ti. Counter-examples are amoghaṃ tapo and paramaṃ tapo.
Similarly
| āpas | water | siras | head |
| ayas | iron | tamas | darkness, ignorance |
| cetas | mind | tapas | heat, self-mortification |
| chandas | metrics | tejas | flame, fire |
| manas | mind | thāmas | strength, firmness |
| nabhas | sky | uras | breast, chest |
| ojas | nutrient, essence | vacas | word, speech |
| payas | milk, water | vāyas | wind, air |
| rajas | dust, dirt | vayas | age, decline |
| saras | lake, water | yasas | fame, reputation |
In Sanskrit these nouns all have the -as ending e.g. manas. In the PTS dictionary, you will also find them listed as mano & mana(s). If you study the following Sanskrit declension table, you will understand the reason for the unusual declensions in Pāli.
| Sg | Du | Pl | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom | manaḥ | manasī | manāṃsi |
| Acc | manaḥ | manasī | manāṃsi |
| Inst | manasā | manobhyām | manobhiḥ |
| Dat | manase | manobhyām | manobhyaḥ |
| Abl | manasaḥ | manobhyām | manobhyaḥ |
| Gen | manasaḥ | manasoḥ | manasām |
| Loc | manasi | manasoḥ | manaḥsu |
| Voc | manaḥ | manasī | manāṃsi |
The main feature of this group of nouns is they take an -o ending in compounds
| āpokāya | body of water |
| ayoguḷa | iron ball |
| cetovimutti | liberation of mind |
| manosamphassa | mental contact |
| rajojalla | dust and mud |
| tamokkhandha | mass of ignorance |
| tamonuda | dispelling darkness |
| tapokamma | ascetic practice |
| tejodhātu | fire state |
| vayoanuppatto | reached old age |
Declension of go (masc) cow, cattle
| 1.nom | go | gāvo gavo |
| 2.acc | gāvuṃ gavaṃ |
gāvo gavo |
| 3.inst | gāvena gavena |
gohi gobhi |
| 4.dat | gāvassa gavassa |
gavaṃ gunnaṃ |
| 5.abl | gāvā gāvasmā gāvamhā gavā gavasmā gavamhā |
gohi gobhi |
| 6.gen | gāvassa gavassa |
gavaṃ gunnaṃ |
| 7.loc | gāve gāvasmiṃ gāvamhi gave gavasmiṃ gavamhi |
gāvesu gavesu gosu |
| 8.voc | go | gāvo gavo |
Declension of atta (masc) - self
| 1.nom | attā | attāno |
| 2.acc | attānaṃ attaṃ |
attāno |
| 3.inst | attanā attena |
attanehi |
| 4.dat | attano | attānaṃ |
| 5.abl | attanā | attanehi |
| 6.gen | attano | attānaṃ |
| 7.loc | attani | attanesu |
| 8.voc | attā atta |
attāno |
similarly: asma, puma, bhasma, muddha, yuva, sakha etc.
Declension of rāja (masc) - king
| 1.nom | rājā | rājāno |
| 2.acc | rājānaṃ rājaṃ |
rājāno |
| 3.inst | raññā rājena |
rājūhi rājehi |
| 4.dat | rañño rājino |
raññaṃ rājānaṃ rājūnaṃ |
| 5.abl | raññā rājamhā rājasmā |
rājūhi rājehi |
| 6.gen | rañño rājino |
raññaṃ rājūnaṃ rājānaṃ |
| 7.loc | rājini raññe rājamhi rājasmiṃ |
rājūsu rājesu |
| 8.voc | rāja rājā |
rājāno |