pronoun of polite address “Sir, Lord, or “venerable, honourable,” or simply “you.” Cases as follows (after Geiger,

Pali Grammar

§ 98#3): sg. nom. bhavaṃ Snp.486; DN.i.249; MN.i.484. nt. bhavaṃ MN.iii.172 acc. bhavantaṃ Snp.597; DN.ii.231; instr. bhotā DN.i.93 DN.i.110; SN.iv.120. gen. bhoto Snp.565; MN.i.486; voc bhavaṃ DN.i.93 & bho DN.i.93; MN.i.484; Ja.ii.26. See bho also sep
■ pl. nom. bhavanto Snp.p.107 (only as variant reading; T. bhagavanto), & bhonto; ibid.; MN.ii.2; Mil.25 acc. bhavante MN.ii.3; instr. bhavantehi MN.iii.13; gen bhavataṃ MN.ii.3; voc. bhonto Thag.832; MN.ii.2
■ f bhotī: sg. nom. bhotī Snp.988; Ja.iii.95; acc. bhotiṃ Ja.vi.523; loc. bhotiyā ibid. voc. bhoti ibid.; DN.ii.249-On form bhante see this.

cp. Sk. (& Vedic) bhavant, used as pronoun of the 2^nd; but constructed with 3^rd person of the verb Probably a contraction fr. bhagavant, see Whitney Altind. Gr. 456