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nipako

nipaka

masc nom sg of nipaka (adj); masc nom sg of nipaka (noun)

1. intelligent; wise; discerning; astute
2. chief; master

Built from

• ni — prefix · down, into
  Suggests a process completed, worked through, brought to fullness. Cognates: English nether, German nieder.
• pac — root · cook, ripen, mature
  The root denotes both literal cooking and metaphorical ripening into wisdom and readiness. Related to Sanskrit pacati and Latin coquō.
• a — ending · masculine nominative singular
  This adjectival ending marks the masculine singular nominative form in the a-stem class.

Etymology. ni + √pac (to cook, ripen, mature). The root pac denotes ripening and maturation; the prefix ni- (down, into) suggests a process of cooking down to maturity and readiness. Related to Sanskrit nipacyate and Latin coquō (to cook). The image is of someone seasoned, well-cooked by experience—hence mature judgment and wisdom.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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