### 📜 Overview
The term "अष्टपञ्चाशत्तम" (aṣṭapañcāśattama) is derived from a compound of three elements, which together convey the meaning of "eighty-eight". This numeral combines the words for 'eight' (अष्ट) and 'fifty' (पञ्चाश), forming the ordinal representation of 88. It frequently appears in contexts of counting, numeration, and descriptions of quantity.

### 🗣️ Pronunciation Guide
Aṣṭa-paṅcāśat-tama (stress on "tama").

### 🧠 Grammatical Profile
- **Word Type:** Adjective
- **Gender:** Masculine
- **Root (धातु):** The root elements are अष्ट (aṣṭa, meaning 'eight') and पञ्च (pañca, meaning 'five') combined with the suffix तम् (tam) indicating an ordinal.
- **Compound (समास):** The word is a compound (संधि) formed from:
  - अष्ट (aṣṭa) - "eight"
  - पञ्चाश (pañcāśa) - "fifty"
  - तम (tama) - "most" or "ordinal suffix", signifying the highest degree in this context.

### 📖 Meanings
1. **Primary & Core Meanings (from Dictionaries):**
   - **अष्टपञ्चाशत्तम**: Means "eighty-eight" as an ordinal number, indicating the position in a sequence. 

2. **Extended or Figurative Meanings (from Dictionaries):**
   - The term is primarily numerical, and does not typically carry extensive metaphoric significance beyond its mathematical value.

3. **Additional Meanings:** 
   - In isolated contexts, it may also be interpreted as an indicator of completeness or totality in regard to a set of 88 items or beings.

### 🏗️ Etymology & Word Formation
The compound "अष्टपञ्चाशत्तम" breaks down as follows:
- **अष्ट** (aṣṭa) - from the root meaning 'eight'.
- **पञ्चाश** (pañcāśa) - derived from पंच (pañca, five) and the suffix -āś, which together signify 'fifty'.
- The ordinal suffix **तम** (tam) modifies the compound to indicate 'the eighth from fifty', culminating in the numerical label for eighty-eight (88). The construction aligns with standard rules of Sanskrit compound formation, highlighting the additive nature of these components.

### 🌐 Comparative Linguistics
1. **Hindi:** अठासी (aṭhāsī) - derived from the Sanskrit numeral, retaining the meaning of 'eighty-eight'.
2. **Bengali:** আটাশি (āṭāśi) - similarly means 'eighty-eight', showing affinity with the original Sanskrit form.
3. **Telugu:** ఎనభై (enabhai) - while not a direct cognate, demonstrates numerical naming stemming from classical traditions.
4. **Tamil:** எண்பத்து எட்டு (eṇpattu eṭṭu) - again reflects the numeral 88, although not a direct derivation from Sanskrit.

### ✍️ Usage Examples
1. **From Dictionary Entries:**
   - No specific examples provided in the dictionary entries.

2. **Additional Examples (General Knowledge):**
   - "कर्णानाम् अष्टपञ्चाशत्तम वर्ष (karṇānām aṣṭapañcāśattama varṣa)" - "Karna's eighty-eighth year." This usage showcases the application of the numeral in a literary context.

### 🖼️ Visual or Cultural Context
The term "अष्टपञ्चाशत्तम" can be relevant in contexts such as astrology or mythology, where a character's age or significant timeline might be denoted numerically. For example, in texts chronicling the legends of heroic figures, age milestones like eighty-eight could denote wisdom or a significant phase in life.

### ↔️ Dictionary Variations
In this case, as there is only one dictionary source provided (Monier-Williams), there are no significant variations to highlight. The term is straightforward in its definition and use.

### 🔄 Synonyms, Antonyms & Related Words
- **Synonyms:** अष्ट (aṣṭa - eight), पञ्चाश (pañcāśa - fifty), अठासी (aṭhāsī - Hindi for eighty-eight).
- **Antonyms:** Not applicable for numerical terms.
- **Related Words:** अंक (aṅka - numeral), संख्या (saṅkhyā - number).

INTERMEDIATE, Sanskrit to English, Cologne Edition

अष्ट—पञ्चाशत्तम mfn. = -पञ्चाश, q.v.


अष्टपञ्चाशत्तम (aSTapaJcAzattama)

Monier Williams Cologne