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bhonto

bhavant

masc nom pl of bhavant (noun); masc voc pl of bhavant (noun)

1. bhavant (masc): master; sir; respected man; lit. being present
2. bhonto (masc): gentlemen; masters

Built from

• bhava — stem · being, presence
  Present participle stem of bhavati (to be, become), from √bhū. The concrete image is of something standing present or in existence.
• nt — ending · participle marker
  Nominative singular ending for present participles; -o in the plural represents the nominative/vocative plural contraction (-e → -o with elision of -t).

Analysis. bhonto is the nominative/vocative plural of bhavant; the final -t is elided before the plural -o (from -e), a common Pali contraction in address forms.

Etymology. bhavant is the present participle of bhavati (to be, to become), from the root √bhū, which descends from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewh₂- (to grow, become, be). Cognates: Sanskrit bhavant, Latin fuī (I was, from *bʰuH-), English be. The word's literal sense 'being present' or 'one who is' shifted to the respectful 'master' or 'sir' through the notion of one who stands present or presides.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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