Salaka
/səˈlɑːkə/noun
In Buddhist monastic practice, a salaka is a voting ticket or marked stick used in a formal decision.
Did you know?In early Buddhist communities, salakas could be used as voting markers, making the humble stick part of a formal ritual of communal decision-making.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skel-
“To cut, split, or cleave; the reconstructed root associated with things separated into thin pieces.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śalākā
“A splinter, slender stick, rod, probe, or writing stylus.”
Ancient Pali
Pali
salākā
“A slender stick or ticket, including a marked object used for voting.”
Early Buddhist tradition
Pali
salākā
“A voting ticket or counting stick used in monastic communal procedures.”
Modern English
English
salaka
“A Buddhist voting ticket or marked stick, used as a technical loanword.”