Pali sabba (46)

     According to Davids and Stede’s Pali-English Dictionary, Pali word sabba means “whole, entire, all, and every.” As a prefix in compound words, sabba˚ has the meaning of “(best) of all, very, nothing but, all round, entirely,” and in connection with numerals, it has the distributive sense of “of each, i.e., so and so many things of each kind, and like.” They also state that it is etymologically related to other Indo-European languages. It includes Avesta haurva (complete); Greek ὅλος (ólos) (“holo-caust”; whole); and Latin solidus, soldus (“solid”), salvus (safe). However, it traces its origin to the Tamil root iṟai through the transformation of iṟai > ciṟai > sar > sárva > sabba. The following words, related to Pali sabba, also originate from Tamil iṟai.

sabbaṁ, “the (whole) world of sense-experience.” sabba bāla, “the greatest fool.” sabba paṭhama, “the very first, right in front.” sabba sovaṇṇa, “nothing but gold.” sabba kaniṭṭha, “the very youngest.” sabba atthaka, “in every way useful.” sabba sangāhika, “thoroughly comprehensive.” sabba catukka, “with four of each, said of a gift or sacrifice.” sabba aṭṭhaka, “a gift consisting of 8 X 8 things.” sabba soḷasaka, “of 16 each.” sabba sata, “of 100 each.” sabbena sabbaṁ, “altogether all, i.e., with everything.” sabbato, “all round, in every respect.” sabbaso, “altogether, throughout.” sabbattha, “everywhere, under all circumstances.” sabbatthakaṁ, “everywhere.” sabbathā, “in every way.” sabbathā sabbaṁ, “completely.” sabbadā, “always.” sabbadā-cana, “always.” sabbadhi, “everywhere, in every respect.” sabba-atthaka, “concerned with everything, a do-all; profitable to all.” sabba-atthika, “always useful.” sabba-âbhibhū, “conquering all.” sabba-otuka, “corresponding to all the seasons.” sabba-kammika, “(amacca) (a minister) doing all work.” sabba-kālaṁ, “always.” sabba-ghasa, “all-devouring.” sabba-ji, “all-conquering.” sabba-(ñ)jaha, “abandoning everything.” sabba-ññu, “omniscient.” sabbatā, “omniscience, also written sabbaññūtā.” sabba-ññutāñāṇa, “omniscience, also written sabbaññū˚.” sabba-dassāvin, “one who sees (i.e., knows) everything.” sabba-byohāra, “business, intercourse.” sabba-bhumma, “universal monarch.” sabba-vidū, “all-wise.” sabba-saṁharaka, “a kind of perfume “eau de mille fleurs”.” sabba-sādhāraṇa, “common to all.” sabbatthatā, “the state of being everywhere.” sabbatthatāya, “on the whole.” sabbassa, “the whole of one's property.” sabbassa-haraṇa, “confiscation of one’s property.” sabbāvant, “all, entire.”

English words derived from Tamil iṟai connoting ‘staying place’