[INDOLOGY] privative a with finite verb?

[Matthew Kapstein]

Dear colleagues,

In the 2500-line Prajñapāramitā i find expressions such as:

nâtra kiMcid vidhyate nâvidhyate, “here nothing is penetrated nor unpenetrated”.

So far as I can determine, in avidhyate the initial a can only be taken as privative.
Is this uniquely a peculiar Buddhist usage?

thank you for your thoughts,
Matthew

Matthew T. Kapstein
Professor emeritus
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris

Associate
The University of Chicago Divinity School

Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences

https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein

https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/

https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1

https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1

https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949

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