2.2.2
अर्धं नपुंसकम्
Operational rule vidhi
The word अर्द्ध when it signifies exactly equal parts i.e. halves, is always neuter and is compounded with a word signifying a thing that has parts, provided that the thing halved is numerically one; and the compound is तत्-पुरुष.
Word by word (padaccheda)
Substitute / term अर्धम् prathamā · ekavacanaSubstitute / term नपुंसकम् prathamā · ekavacana
- Substitute / term Prathamā (1st case): in operational rules, the substitute or the thing introduced; in definitions, the term or its referent.
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Full reading
अर्धम् नपुंसकम्
Pāṇini leaves out words that carry over from earlier sūtras. Expand to see the rule as a reader actually understands it.
Commentary
The word अर्द्ध when it signifies exactly equal parts i.e. halves, is always neuter and is compounded with a word signifying a thing that has parts, provided that the thing halved is numerically one; and the compound is तत्-पुरुष।
The word अर्द्ध is neuter when it means exactly equal parts or bisection.
The word एकदेशिन् and एकाधिकरण are understood here. This sutra also debars sutra 9; as अर्द्धपिप्पल्याः = अर्द्धपिप्पली 'a half of the pepper'; अर्द्धकोशातकी 'a half of the Kosátaki.'
Why do we say 'when it is neuter'? Otherwise we have ग्रामार्द्धः 'half the village'? नगरार्द्धः 'half the city.'
The word ekadesin must also be taken here. Thus in the sentence अर्द्धं पशोर्देवदत्तस्य 'a half of the animal is of Devadatta'; we cannot compound the word ardha with Devadatta.
The word ekadhikarana must also be taken here. So we cannot compound अर्द्धं पिप्पलीनाम् 'the half of the peppers.'
Śrīśa Chandra Vasu, The Ashtadhyayi of Panini (1897), via ashtadhyayi.com.