sphere, range, focus, field (of consciousness or perception; cp. Dhs trsl. 199), appearance AN.ii.67; Ja.i.336 Vb.321; Mil.298; Vism.21, Vism.548; DN-a.i.228; Dhs-a.308 Dhs-a.333; Vv-a.232 (˚kāla); Dhp-a.iv.85; Sdhp.356. Usually in phrase āpāthaṃ gacchati to come into focus, to become clear, to appear MN.i.190; SN.iv.160, or -ṃ āgacchati Vin.i.184; AN.iii.377 sq.; AN.iv.404; Vism.125. Cp. ˚gata below.

• -gata come into the sphere of, appearing, visible MN.i.174 = Nd ii.jhāna (an˚ unapproached); Pv-a.23 (āpāthaṃ gata)
• -gatatta abstr. fr. last: appearance Vism.617.

etym.? Trenckner, Mil p.428 says: “I suspect ā. to be corrupted from āpāta (cp. āpatati), under an impression that it is allied to patha; but it is scarcely ever written so”