Bhadanta (Bhaddanta) [a secondary adj. formation from address bhaddaŋ (=bhadraŋ) te "hail to thee," cp. "bhaddaŋ vo" under bhadda 1] venerable, reverend.mostly in voc. as address "Sir, holy father" etc., to men of the Order. voc. sg. bhadante S i.216 (v. l. bhaddante); voc. pl. bhadantā DhA iii.414. -- A contracted form of bhadante is bhante (q. v.). Note. In case of bhadanta being the corresp. of Sk. *bhavanta (for bhavān) we would suppose the change v>d and account for dd on grounds of pop. analogy after bhadda. See bhante. The pl. nom. from bhadantā is formed after bhadante, which was felt as a voc. of an a -- stem with -- e for -- a as in Prk. Māgadhī.