adjective noun masculine one. Eka follows the pron. declension i.e. nom. pl. is eke (e.g. Snp.43, Snp.294, Snp.780 etc.)

1. “one” as number, either with or without contrast to two or more; often also “single” opp. to nānā various, many (q.v.). Very frequent by itself as well as with other numerals, ekangula one thumb Mhvs.29, Mhvs.11; Dhp-a.iii.127; ekapasse in one quarter Dhp-a.ii.52; ekamaccha a single fish Ja.i.222. In enumeration: eka dve pañca dasa Dhp-a.i.24. With other numerals: eka-tiṃsa (31) DN.ii.2 ˚saṭṭhi (61) Vin.i.20; ˚navuti (91) Dhp-a.i.97; ˚sata (101; Dhp-a.ii.14. Cp. use of “one less” in ekūna (see under compounds & ūna).
2. (as predicative and adj.) one, by oneself, one only, alone, solitary AN.iii.67 (ek-uddesa) Ja.i.59 (ekadivasena on the one day only, i.e. on the same day); Dhp.395; Snp.35, Snp.1136 (see Cnd.172#a), ekaṃ ekaṃ one by one SN.i.104 (devo ekaṃ ekaṃ phusāyati rains drop by drop), cp. ekameka.
3. a certain one, some one, some; adj. in function of an indefinite article = a one (definite or indefinite): ekasmiṃ samaye once upon a time Ja.i.306; ekena upāyena by some means Ja.iii.393 ekaṃ kulaṃ gantuṃ to a certain clan (corresp. with asuka Dhp-a.i.45; ekadivasaṃ one day Ja.i.58; Ja.iii.26; Pv-a.67 Cp. Snp.1069 (see Cnd.172#b)
   ■ All these three categories are found represented in freq. compounds, of which the foll. are but a small selection.

• -akkhi see ˚*pokkhara*.
• -agga calm, tranquil (of persons just converted), collected [cp. Buddh. Sk. ekāgra Jtm.31#70] SN.iv.125; AN.i.70, AN.i.266; AN.ii.14, AN.ii.29; AN.iii.175 (˚citta), AN.iii.391; Snp.341; Ja.i.88; Ne.28, cp. Mil.139
• -aggatā concentration; capacity to individualise; contemplation, tranquillity of mind (see on term Cpd. 16, 178⁵ 237, 240) SN.v.21, SN.v.197, SN.v.269 (cittassa); AN.i.36; AN.iv.40; Dhs.11 (cittassa); Vism.84.
• -aṅga a part, division, something belonging to Ja.iii.308; Ud.69.
• -aṅgaṇa one (clear space Ja.ii.357.
• -āgārika a thief, robber DN.i.52, DN.i.166; AN.i.154, AN.i.295; AN.ii.206; AN.iii.129; Mnd.416; Cnd.304#iii.a. DN-a.i.159 (= ekam eva gharaṃ parivāretvā vilumpanaṃ DN-a.i.159).
• -āyana leading to one goal, direct way or “leading to the goal as the one & only way (magga MN.i.63; SN.v.167, SN.v.185.
• -ārakkha having one protector or guardian DN.iii.269; AN.v.29 sq.
• -ālopika = ekāgārika DN.i.166; AN.i.295; AN.ii.206.
• -āsana sitting or living alone MN.i.437; Snp.718; Dhp.305; Ja.v.397; Mil.342; Vism.60 (expl^d. with reference to eating, viz. ekāsane bhojanaṃ ekāsanaṃ, perhaps comparing āsana with asana². The foll ˚āsanika is ibid. expl^d. as “taṃ sīlam assā ti ekāsaniko”)
• -āsanika one who keeps to himself Mil.20, Mil.216; Vism.69.
• -āha one day MN.i.88; usually in cpd. ekâhadvîhaṃ one or two days Ja.i.255; Dhp-a.i.391.
• -āhika of or for one day DN.i.166.
• -uttarika (-nikāya) is another title for Anguttarika-nikāya Mil.392.
• -ūna one less, minus one usually as 1^st part of a numeral cpd., like ˚vīsati (21 − 1 = 19) Dhp-a.i.4; ˚paññāsa (49) Ja.iii.220; ˚saṭṭhi (59; Dhp-a.iii.412; ˚pañcasatā (499) Dhp-a.ii.204. See ūna-eka one by one, each, severally, one to each DN.ii.18 (˚loma); DN.iii.144 (id.), DN.iii.157; Ja.i.222; Dhp-a.i.101 (ekekassa no ekekaṃ māsaṃ one month for each of us); Dhp-a.ii.114; Vv-a.256; Pv-a.42, Pv-a.43.
• -ghana compact, solid, hard Dhp.81.
• -cara wandering or living alone, solitary SN.i.16; Snp.166, Snp.451; Dhp.37.
• -cariyā walking alone, solitude Dhp.61; Snp.820.
• -cārin = ˚cara Mil.105.
• -cittakkhaṇika of the duration of one thought Vism.138.
• -cintin “thinking one thing (only)”, simple Mil.92.
• -thūpa (all in one heap, mixed up, together Ja.v.17 (= sūkarapotakā viya C.).
• -doṇikā (-nāvā) a trough-shaped canoe with an outrigger Ja.vi.305.
• -paṭalika having a single sole (of sandals, upāhanā) Vism.125.
• -paṭṭa single cloth (cp. dupaṭṭa) Vism.109.
• -padika (-magga) a small (lit. for one foot) foot-path Ja.i.315; Ja.v.491.
• -pala one carat worth (see pala) Vism.339.
• -passayika is to be read ek’apassayika (see under apa˚).
• -pahārena all at once Vism.418; Dhs-a.333.
• -piṭaka knowing one Piṭaka Vism.62
• -puttika having only one son Kp-a.237.
• -purisika (itthi (a woman) true to one man Ja.i.290.
• -pokkhara a sort of drum Ja.vi.21, Ja.vi.580 (C. explains by ek-akkhi-bherī)
• -bījin having only one (more) seed, i.e. destined to be reborn only once SN.v.205; AN.i.233; AN.iv.380; Ne.189
• -bhattika having one meal a day AN.i.212; AN.iii.216; Ja.i.91
• -bhattakinī a woman true to one husband Ja.iii.63.
• -rajja sole sovereignty Dhp.178; Pv-a.74.
• -rājā universal king Ja.i.47 (of the Sun).
• -vāciya a single remark or objection Ja.ii.353.
• -vāraṃ once Ja.i.292;
• -vārena id. Dhp-a.i.10.
• -sadisa fully alike or resembling, identical Ja.i.291
• -sama equal Ja.vi.261.
• -sāṭa & sāṭaka; having a single vestment, a “one-rober” SN.i.78 (˚ka); Ud.65.

Vedic eka, i.e. e-ka to Idg. *oi as in Av. aēva, Gr. ο ̓ϊος one, alone; and also with diff. suffix in Lat. ū-nus, cp. Gr. οἰνός (one on the dice), Goth. etc ains = E. one