The 8 Root Groups

The 8 Root Groups

What are the 8 root groups?

What are their conjugational signs?

1. bhuvādigaṇa (-a-)

What are the four different kinds of Group 1 bhūvādigaṇa roots?

Group 1.1

These roots end in a consonant and the conjugational sign -a- is added directly to the root to make the base. This is by far the most common group in Pāli.

√gam13	a	gaccha	gacchati	goes
√dis	a	passa	passati	sees
√kam	a	kama	kamati	goes, enters
√as	a	as, sa	atthi	is
√sad	a	sīda	sīdati	sinks, settles
√vatt	a	vatta	vattati	proceeds
√vad	a	vada	vadati	says, speaks
√har	a	hara	harati	carries, takes
√car	a	cara	carati	walks, roams
√vac	a	vaca	vacati	says, speaks
√han	a	hana	hanati	kills
√vas	a	vasa	vasati	lives
√pat	a	pata	patati	falls
√khip	a	khipa	khipati	throws
√sar	a	sara	sarati	wanders, flows
√ikkh	a	ikkha	udikkhati	sees
√ram	a	rama	ramati	delights, pleases
√labh	a	labha	labhati	gets
√vis	a	visa	nivisati	settles down; lit. enters down

All the roots that follow are in order from most common to less common

Group 1.2

These roots end in a vowel and the verbal terminations are added directly to the root. Sometimes the vowel undergoes guṇa.

√i	a	e	eti	goes
√nī	a	ne	neti	leads
√yā	a	yā	yāti	goes
√hū	a	ho	hoti	is
√khā	a	khā	akkhāti	tells, speaks
√sī	a	se	seti	sleeps
√ji	a	je	jeti	conquers
√vā	a	vā	vāti	blows

Group 1.3

These roots end in i ī u ū and, when they take the conjugational sign -a-, they are transformed to ay and av according to vuddhi.

√bhū	a	bhava	bhavati	exists
√si	a	saya	nissayati	depends on
√pā	a	piva	pivati	drinks
√su	a	sava	savati	flows
√nī	a	naya	nayati	leads
√bhī	a	bhāya	bhāyati	fears
√cu	a	cava	cavati	falls away

Group 1.4

These roots undergo reduplication to form the base.

√ṭhā	a	ṭhā + ṭhā > tiṭṭhā	tiṭṭhāti	stands
√dā	a	dā + dā > dadā	dadāti	gives
√hā	a	hā + hā > jahā	jahāti	abandons
√hu	a	hu + hu > juha	juhati	offers oblation

2. rudhādigaṇa (-ṃa-)

√yuj	ṃa	yuñja	yuñjati	yokes, joins
√bhuj	ṃa	bhuñja	bhuñjati	eats, enjoys
√muc	ṃa	muñca	muñcati	releases, frees
√chid	ṃa	chinda	chindati	cuts
√lip	ṃa	limpa	limpati	smears, coats
√rudh	ṃa	rundha	rundhati	obstructs
√bhid	ṃa	bhinda	bhindati	breaks
√nadh	ṃa	nandha	nandhati	twists, wraps
√sic	ṃa	siñca	siñcati	pours, sprinkles
√ric	ṃa	riñca	riñcati	empties, abandons
√vid	ṃa	vinda	vindati	feels, likes

3. divādigaṇa (-ya-)

√pad	ya	pajja	pajjati	goes on
√ādā	ya	ādiya	ādiyati	takes, grasps
√man	ya	mañña	maññati	thinks
√sam	ya	samma	sammati	calms, stops
√jan	ya	jāya	jāyati	is born
√sudh	ya	sujjha	sujjhati	is clean
√muh	ya	muyha	muyhati	forgets, is confused
√mad	ya	majja	majjati	is intoxicated
√jhā	ya	jhāya	jhāyati	thinks, meditates
√raj	ya	rajja	rajjati	is attached, desires
√hā	ya	hāya	hāyati	diminishes, dwindles
√saj	ya	sajja	sajjati	clings, is attached

4. svādigaṇa (-ṇu- -ṇā- -uṇā-)

√su	ṇā	suṇā	suṇāti	hears
√ap	uṇā	apuṇā	pāpuṇāti	reaches
√sak	ṇu	sakko	sakkoti	is able
√hi	ṇā	hiṇā	pahiṇāti	sends

As you can see, these are quite rare.

5. kiyādigaṇa (-nā-)

√ñā	nā	jānā	jānāti	knows
√ci	nā	cinā	vicināti	examines
√mun	nā	munā	munāti	knows, think
√ji	nā	jinā	jināti	conquers
√dhū	nā	dhunā	dhunāti	shakes, tosses
√pu	nā	punā	punāti	cleans, sifts
√thu	nā	thunā	thunāti	praises, worships
√lu	nā	lunā	lunāti	cuts grass, reaps

6. gahādigaṇa (-ṇhā-)

√gah	ṇhā	gaṇhā	gaṇhāti	grabs
√tas	ṇhā	(taṇhā)	(taṇhāti)	thirsts
√us	ṇhā	(uṇhā)	(uṇhāti)	heats

7. tanādigaṇa (-o- -yira¹⁴-)

It's in the traditional grammar books, but it's actually a more passive form.

√kar	o	karo	karoti	does
√tan	o	tano	tanoti	stretches

8. curādigaṇa (-e- -aya-)

√ghaṭ	e	ghāṭe	ghāteti	kills, slays
√vid	e	vede	vedeti	feels, experiences
√chad	e	chāde	chādeti	covers, conceals
√kam	e	kāme	kāmeti	desires
√dhar	e	dhāre	dhāreti	wears, carries
√vajj	e	vajje	parivajjeti	completely avoids
√cit	e	cete	ceteti	thinks
√lok	e	loke	oloketi	looks at; looks down
√mant	e	mante	manteti	counsels, addresses