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hontu

hoti

imp 3rd pl of hoti (verb)

1. hoti (pr): is; becomes
2. hoti (pr): exists (for)
3. hoti (pr): stays; remains; continues to be; lit. is
4. hontu (imp): may they be!; they must be!

Built from

• ho — root · be, become
  The bare root expressing existence and change. Related to PIE *bhew-; appears in Sanskrit bhavati, English 'be', Latin 'fui'.
• ntu — ending · 3rd plural imperative
  The -ntu ending marks third person plural imperative mood, expressing command or optative force directed at a third party not addressed directly.

Etymology. From PIE *bhew- 'to become, grow, be'; cognate with English 'be', Latin 'fui' (past of esse), Sanskrit 'bhavati' (becomes). The root carries the concrete sense of growth and change, which extends into the abstract notion of existence and state.

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

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