Kāya- （“Mass, Multitude”） Suffix Compounds in the Pāli Canon

Abstract

In this paper, I present a list of the sources of kāya- suffix compounds in the Pāli canon. Due to limitations of space, the list deals with compounds in which, of the three meanings set by A Critical Pāli Dictionary （s.v. kāya-）, -kāya means “（inanimate） mass, multitude.”

I note two characteristics of these compounds based on their description in the Pāli commentaries: First, they can collectively describe all constituents （creatures or things） in a given range （e.g., “collection of hair [kesakāya-]” in a human body）. Second, a compound can be synonymous with its prefix noun （e.g., “earth [paṭhavī-]” and “collection of earth [paṭhavīkāya-]”）. According to the Pāli commentaries, nouns capable of forming kāya- suffix compounds include those that denote a wide range of items （bahuka-）, such as hair （kesa-） and bone （aṭṭhi-）. In contrast, nouns referring to a restricted set of items （paricchinna-）, like kidney （vakka-）, do not participate in such compounds.

I also present an overview of the usage of kāya- in the Vedic literature and the so-called “Seniors” of the Śvetāmbara Jain canon.