kathā

feminine

talk talking, conversation AN.i.130; Pv-a.39. So in antarā˚ DN.i.179; Snp.p.107, Snp.p.115; cp. sallāpa. Also in tiracchāna˚; low, common speech, comprising 28 kinds of conversational talk a bhikkhu should not indulge in enumerated in full at DN.i.7 = DN.i.178 = DN.iii.36 & passim (e.g. SN.v.419: corr. suddha˚ to yuddha˚!; AN.v.128 = Cnd.192) ref. to at AN.iii.256; AN.v.185; Ja.i.58; Pp.35. Similarly in gāma˚; Snp.922; viggāhikā k. AN.iv.87; Snp.930. Ten good themes of conversation (kathā-vatthūni) are enumerated at MN.iii.113 = AN.iii.117 = AN.iv.357 = AN.v.67; Mil.344 similarly dhammī kathā AN.ii.51; AN.iv.307; AN.v.192; Snp.325 pavattanī k. AN.i.151; yutta kathāyaṃ Snp.826; sammodanīyā k. in salutation formula s˚ṃ k˚ṃ sāraṇīyaṃ vītisāretvā DN.i.52, DN.i.108, etc.; AN.v.185; Snp.419, pp. Snp.p.86, Snp.p.93 Snp.p.107, Snp.p.116.
speech, sermon, discourse, lecture Vin.i.203, Vin.i.290 (˚ṃ karoti to discuss); AN.iii.174; AN.iv.358 Freq. in anupubbi˚; a sermon in regular succession graduated sermon, discussing the 4 points of the ladder of “holiness,” viz. dānakathā, sīla˚, sagga˚, magga˚ (see anupubba) Vin.i.15; AN.iii.184; AN.iv.186, AN.iv.209, AN.iv.213; Dhp-a.i.6; Vv-a.66.
a (longer) story, often with vitthāra˚; an account in detail, e.g. Pv-a.19. bāhira˚ profane story Kp-a.48.
word, words, advice: -ṃ gaṇhāti to accept an advice Ja.ii.173; Ja.iii.424.
explanation, exposition, in aṭṭha˚; (q.v.), cp. gati Pts.ii.72.
discussion, in -vatthu (see below) Mhvs.5 Mhvs.138. -dukkathā harmful conversation or idle talk AN.iii.181; opp. su˚; AN.iii.182. -kathaṃ vaḍḍheti “to increase the talk,” to dispute sharply Ja.i.404; Ja.v.412 -ṃ samuṭṭhāpeti to start a conversation Ja.i.119; Ja.iv.73 At the end of compounds (as adj.) -kathā e.g. chinna Snp.711; ṭhita˚ DN-a.i.73; madhura˚ Ja.iii.342; Ja.vi.255.

In the wild

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What it meant — PTS Pali–English Dictionary

In the wild