Substantives (guṇanāma)

Substantives (guṇanāma)

Substantives are formed by taking a noun and adding a suffix at the end.

suta	knowledge	sutavant	has knowledge	well-studied
vaṇṇa	colour	vaṇṇavant	has colour	good-looking
bala	power	balavant	has power	powerful person
sati	memory	satimant	has memory	mindful person
sīla	morality	sīlavant	has morality	moral person
paññā	wisdom	paññavant	has wisdom	wise person
cakkhu	eye	cakkhumant	has eye	who has vision

Substantives are formed by adding the suffixes -mant or -vant to the noun

Nouns ending in -a / -ā take -vant suffix

e.g. bhaga + vant > bhagavant (fortunate one)

bala + vant > balavant (powerful one)

vedanā + vant > vedanāvant (one who feels)

Nouns ending in -i / -ī / -u / -ū / -o take -mant

e.g. sati + mant > satimant (mindful one)

iddhi + mant > iddhimant (one with psychic power)

cakkhu + mant > cakkhumant (one with eyesight)

bandhu + mant > bandhumant (one with relatives)

When a substantive stands alone it can functions as a noun.

SN1.1 sā devatā bhagavantaṃ etad’avoca

That deity said this to the Fortunate One.

DN3.15 cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhanti.

People with eyesight see forms.

A substantive can also be used as an adjective. When it stands together with another noun, it can function as an adjective.

MN152 seyyathāpi balavā puriso samiñjitaṃ vā bāhaṃ pasāreyya

Just like a strong man would stretch out his bent arm or …

AN2.40 yasmiṃ, bhikkhave, samaye corā balavanto honti …

At which time, monks, the thieves are powerful …

Declension of -ant masc

1.nom	bhagavā bhagavanto	bhagavanto bhagavantā
2.acc	bhagavantaṃ	bhagavante
3.inst	bhagavatā	bhagavantehi
4.dat	bhagavato bhagavantassa	bhagavataṃ bhagavantānaṃ
5.abl	bhagavatā bhagavantamhā bhagavantasmā	bhagavantehi
6.gen	bhagavato bhagavantassa	bhagavataṃ bhagavantānaṃ
7.loc	bhagavati bhagavante bhagavantamhi bhagavantasmiṃ	bhagavantesu
8.voc	bhagavaṃ bhagava bhagavā	bhagavanto bhagavantā

bhagavā 4803¹⁸

bhagavantaṃ 1755

bhagavatā 1168

bhagavato 1942

In the mūla part of the 4 Nikāyas