ettaka

adjective so much, this much, according to context referring either to deficiency or abundance, thus developing 2 meanings, viz.

  1. just as much (& no more), only so little, all this, just this, such a small number, a little pl. so few, just so many DN.i.117 (opp. aparimāṇa), DN.i.124; AN.iv.114; Cnd.304#iii. (ettakena na tussati is not satisfied with this much); Vv.79#12 (cp. Vv-a.307); Mil.10, Mil.18 (alaṃ ettakena enough of this much); Dhp-a.i.90 (enough this much), Dhp-a.i.93, Dhp-a.i.399 (pl. ettakā); Dhp-a.ii.54 (only one), Dhp-a.ii.174 sq. Vv-a.233 (a little), Vv-a.323
    ■ ettakaṃ kālaṃ a short time (but see also under 2) Ja.i.34; Dhp-a.ii.20
  2. ever so much (and not less), so much, pl. so many, ever so many, so & so many, such a lot AN.iii.337; Ja.i.207 (pl ettakā), Ja.i.375 (nt. ettakaṃ); Ja.iii.80 (id.), Ja.iii.94 (˚ṃ dhanaṃ such great wealth); Mil.37 (pl.); Dhp-a.i.392, Dhp-a.i.396 (pl f. ettikā), Dhp-a.i.397, Dhp-a.i.398; Dhp-a.ii.14, Dhp-a.ii.89 (pl.), Dhp-a.ii.241 (pl. so many) Vv-a.65 (dhanaṃ)
    ■ ettakaṃ kālaṃ for some time, such a long time (see also above, under 1) Dhp-a.ii.62, Dhp-a.ii.81 Dhp-a.iii.318; Vv-a.330.

etta + ka, contrasting-comparative function, cp. tattaka