-ਤਾ

Uncertain, possibly derived from Sanskrit -इत (-ita) or -त (-ta), which the standard past participle suffix, -ਇਆ, is a reflex of. The retention of -t- may reflect analogy with an earlier participial form in which an intervocalic -t- was preserved; that older pattern could have subsequently generalized into -ਤਾ, while in other phonetic environments the -t- was lost (e.g. -ਇਆ). This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /t̪äː/

-ਤਾ • (-tā)

1. (dialectal, Mukerian) used to form the masculine singular perfective participle from verb stems

   ‎ਮਾਰ (mār, verb stem of ਮਾਰਨਾ, "to kill, hit") + ‎-ਤਾ (-tā) → ‎ਮਾਰਤਾ (mārtā, “killed, hit”)

   ‎ਟੰਗ (ṭaṅg, verb stem of ਟੰਗਣਾ, "to hang, suspend") + ‎-ਤਾ (-tā) → ‎ਟੰਗਤਾ (ṭaṅgtā, “hung”)

   ‎ਪਾ (pā, verb stem of ਪਾਉਣਾ, "To pour") + ‎-ਤਾ (-tā) → ‎ਪਾਤਾ (pātā, “poured”)

This suffix is most common on transitive verbs, and may sound incorrect when used on intransitive verbs, to native speakers.

For example compare the transitive verb ਖੋਲ੍ਹਣਾ (kholhṇā, “to open”) and the intransitive verb ਖੁਲ੍ਹਣਾ (khulhṇā, “to be open”):

• The form ਖੋਲ੍ਹਤਾ (kholhtā, “he/she/it opened”) is possible.

• The form ×ਖੁਲ੍ਹਤਾ (khulhtā) is not common and may sound odd to native speakers, ਖੁਲ੍ਹਿਆ (khulhiā) would be used instead, in everyday speech.

• -ਦਾ (-dā, habitual participle forming suffix)
• -ਇਆ (-iā, standard past perfective participle suffix)