अर्थवदधातुरप्रत्ययः प्रातिपदिकम्

A significant form of a word, not being a verbal root (धातु), or an affix (प्रत्यय) is called a प्रातिपदिक or crude-form.
This defines the word "pratipadika" or crude-form. The pratipadika is the intermediate stage in the development of a full word (pada), from the undifferentiated ore called the dhatu or root. It is that part of a word which is capable of receiving the case-terminations.

The word अर्थ means having signification. With the exception of verbal roots and affixes, a word-form having a significance or meaning is called a pratipadika, as डित्थः 'a wooden elephant,' कपित्थ 'the wood-apple tree,' कुण्डम् 'a bowl,' पीठम् 'a seat.':

Why do we say "significant"? Of course it must have some meaning. Thus of the word वनं, we cannot say that the portion वन् is pratipadika; as it has no meaning, and had it been a pratipadika, the final न् would have been dropped by Rule 8.2.7 \[1\] (the final न् of a pratipadika is dropped).

The word must not be a verb, as the word अहन् (the third person sing. number, imperfect tense of हन्) he killed. Had it been a pratipadika, the न् would have been dropped.

The word must not be an affix or ending in an affix:-as कुण्डे 'in the bowl.' Here the word ends in the affix इ of the locative case, and is consequently not a 'pratipadika' or crude form, but a complete word. Had it been a pratipadika, the ए would have been shortened into इ by rule 47 succeeding.

A nipata or particle though not a significant form of a word, yet gets the designation of pratipadika in the opinion of the author of the Mahabhashya. As अध्यागच्छति, प्रलम्बते.

## Footnotes
- [1] - नलोपः प्रातिपदिकान्तस्य ॥