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khādanti
khādati
pr 3rd pl of khādati (verb)
- chews; devours; eats
Built from
- khād — root · chew, eat
The root √khād means to bite or grind with the teeth; cognate with Sanskrit khādati and distantly with English 'chew' (both from PIE *gʰed- 'to bite, seize'). The image is of the mouth actively taking and processing food.
- a — stem · present stem
The stem vowel -a- marks the present system; combined with the root it forms the present stem khāda-.
- nti — ending · 3rd plural present
The ending -nti marks 3rd person plural in the present indicative active voice, showing that multiple agents chew or eat.
Etymology. Root √khād, akin to Sanskrit khādati and Indo-European *gʰed- 'to bite, seize' (cognate with English "chew" via Germanic *keuan-). The verb carries the concrete image of the mouth taking and grinding food.