-ਦਾ

From the masculine singular accusative of Sanskrit -अत् (-at), (with a later extension in MIA) + Middle Indo-Aryan -𑀓- (-ka-). Cognate with Hindi -ता (-tā), and Belarusian -у́чы (-účy).

• IPA^(key): /d̪äː/
  • (colloquial, Canada) IPA^(key): [d̪ɐ(ˑ)]
• Rhymes: -äː

-ਦਾ • (-dā)

1. used to form the masculine singular habitual participle from verb stems

   ‎ਕਰ (kar) + ‎-ਦਾ (-dā) → ‎ਕਰਦਾ (kardā)

• Before consonant‑final noun stems, this suffix attaches without change (e.g. ‎ਕਰ (kar) + ‎-ਦਾ (-dā) → ‎ਕਰਦਾ (kardā)). However, with stems ending in a vowel it normally nasalizes that vowel and often inserts a weakly articulated /n/, as in:

• ‎ਦੇ (de) + ‎-ਦਾ (-dā) → ‎ਦੇਂਦਾ (dendā)
• ‎ਪੀ (pī) + ‎-ਦਾ (-dā) → ‎ਪੀਂਦਾ (pīndā)

In most cases this nasalization reflects an original nasal consonant from Prakrit -𑀅𑀦𑁆𑀢 (-anta).

• The participle declines differently than adjectives, particularly in the direct feminine plural: