Ratta2 (nt.) & (poet.) rattā (f.) [Epic Sk. rātra; Vedic rātra only in cpd. aho -- rātraŋ. Semantically an abstr. formation in collect. meaning "the space of a night's time," hence "interval of time" in general. Otherwise rātri: see under ratti] (rarely) night; (usually) time in general. Occurs only -- ˚, with expressions giving a definite time. Independently (besides cpds. mentioned below) only at one (doubtful) passage, viz. Sn 1071, where BB MSS. read rattam -- ahā for rattaŋ aho, which corresponds to the Vedic phrase aho -- rātraŋ (=P. ahorattaŋ). The P.T.S. ed. reads nattaŋ; SnA 593 reads nattaŋ, but expls as rattin -- divaŋ, whereas Nd2 538 reads rattaŋ & expls: "rattaŋ vuccati ratti, ahā (sic lege!) ti divaso, rattiñ ca divañ ca." -- Otherwise only in foll. adv. expressions (meaning either "time" or "night"): instr. eka -- rattena in one night J i.64; satta˚ after one week (lit. a seven -- night) Sn 570. -- acc. sg. cira -- rattaŋ a long time Sn 665; dīgha˚ id. [cp. BSk. dīrgha -- rātraŋ freq.] Sn 22; M i.445; aḍḍha˚ at "halfnight," i. e. midnight A iii.407; pubba -- ratt' âpararattaŋ one night after the other (lit. the last one and the next) DhA iv.129. -- acc. pl. cira rattāni a long time J v.268. -- loc. in var. forms, viz. vassa -- ratte in the rainy season Jv.38 (Kern, Toev. s. v. gives wrongly iii.37, 143; aḍḍha -- ratte at midnight PvA 152; aḍḍha<-> rattāyaŋ at midnight Vv 8116 (=aḍḍharattiyaŋ VvA 315); divā ca ratto ca day & night Vv 315 (=rattiyaŋ VvA 130); cira -- rattāya a long time J v.267; Pv i.94.

 -- andhakāra the dark of night, nightly darkness Vin iv.268 (oggate suriye); M i.448. -- ûparata abstaining from food at night D i.5 (cp. DA i.77). -- ññuof long standing, recognised D i.48 (in phrase: r. cira -- pabbajito addhagato etc.; expld at DA i.143 as "pabbajjato paṭṭhāya atikkantā bahū rattiyo jānātī ti r."); A ii.27 (here the pl. rattaññā, as if fr. sg. ratta -- ñña); Sn p. 92 (therā r. cira -- pabbajitā; the expln at SnA 423 is rather fanciful with the choice of either=ratana -- ññu, i. e. knowing the gem of Nibbāna, or=bahu -- ratti -- vidū, i. e. knowing many nights); ThA 141. A f. abstr. ˚ññutā "recognition" is found at M i.445 (spelt rataññūtā, but v. l. ˚utā). -- samaye (loc., adv.) at the time of (night) J i.63 (aḍḍha -- ratta˚ at midnight), 264 (id.); iv.74 (vassa˚ in the rainy season); PvA 216 (aḍḍha˚).