Ardhamagadhi Grammar: Declension, Conjugation and Sandhi
What this domain tests
Direct grammar: decline a given noun, conjugate a given verb in a stated tense or person, and join or divide a sandhi. Marks rest on exact endings, not on gloss.
Declension, a-stem (samaṇa, deva)
Singular: nom. -e, acc. -ṃ, instr. -eṇa, dat. -āya, abl. -āo, gen. -ssa, loc. -ammi / -e. Plural: nom. -ā, acc. -e, instr. -ehiṃ, gen. -āṇaṃ, loc. -esu. Feminine ā-stem (kathā, sayā): nom. sg. -ā, acc. -ṃ, instr./gen./loc. sg. -āe, nom. pl. -āo, gen. pl. -āṇaṃ. Pronoun ta-: taṃ (that, him), teṇa (by him), tassa or se (of him), te (they, those), tāṇaṃ (of them).
Conjugation
Present endings: -mi, -si, -i/-ti, -mo, -tha, -nti. hū ("to be"): homi, hosi, hoi, homa, hotha, honti. Imperative: hohi (be!), hotu (let him be), hontu (let them be). Optative in -ejjā; future in -issa-/-hii; past participle in -ia/-ya; absolutive in -ttā, -ūṇa, -iya; infinitive in -tuṃ.
Sandhi
- a + a > ā; a + i > e; a + u > o; a + e > e.
- taha + eva > taheva.
- Final -ṃ stands before a consonant: bhagavaṃ āha.
- Double consonants are kept, never simplified: dhamma, savva, kamma, putta.
Worked example
Join taha + eva, then use the result. Step 1: final -a meets initial e; a + e > e, giving taheva. Step 2: taheva samaṇe dhammaṃ sikkhai - "so the monk learns the dhamma". Here samaṇe is nominative singular, dhammaṃ accusative singular, sikkhai third singular present of √sikkh.
Traps
- Writing Pali -o for the a-stem nominative singular; Ardhamāgadhī uses -e.
- Single consonants where doubling is required (dhama for dhamma).
- Confusing genitive -ssa with dative -āya.
- Using Sanskrit ś/ṣ; Prakrit merges all three sibilants into s.
- Splitting a sandhi at a point that leaves an impossible syllable.