________________
Declension
(a) kanta- (husband).
1-2
V
3.
5.
6.
7.
sg.
kantu
कन्तु
kanta
कन्त
kantě
कन्तें
kanta-he
prae
kanta-ha
कन्तह
kante
apra
pl
kanta
कन्त
kanta-ho
aprast
kantě-hi
aprafa
kanta-hu
कन्तहुं
kanta-hã
कन्तहूं
kantě-hi
aprafe
21
Notes: The NA sg. form kanto is still found in very late Apbh, although it belongs to Prakrit. But kantu is a typical early Apbh form and is found throughout the history of the language. The youngest Apbh from is kanta. In NA pl. kantā is becoming rare and kantāī as well as kantaï are occasionally found, but they were destined to go with the fem. words of abstract neuter origin. The V pl. from kanta-ho has survived in Hindi (cf. log-o!). In Isg. kantena is the oldest form, which was also reduced to kantina, kantim and even kanti. The I pl. form is akin to the Vedic kante-bhiḥ, but another form kanta-hi. is the result of the weakening of the base. A rare form is kanti-hĩ. It is very surprising that I pl. and L pl. have fallen together, though of different origin. In Ab sg. there is also an additional form kanta-hu. The typical Gsg. form in Apbh is kanta-ha, but the older forms kantaho kantasu and kanta-ssu are found throughout the history of the language. In pl. the older form is kanta-hã. In L sg. the older form is kante, but it was later weakened to kantě and kanti. In some cases-hĩ of the pronominal declension is also seen (kanta-hi). However, it is a pl. ending when the base is kante-.
