In older styles of written Hindi (as well as in eastern dialects) you will sometimes encounter a future tense made from the invariant (= masculine singular) past tense form of the verb followed by a finite form of  c:ah.  The future referred to is imminent, one that is to come immediately after the present moment:

  1.  Ab: b:aðl:a hi c:aht:ð hòø.
      '(It seemed as if) they were just on the verge of speaking.'

     (from Part Two of  Idg:ah by  )ðm:c:nd.  See context.)

  2.  b:s:,  m:S:k s:ð p:an:i u_ðl:a hi c:aht:a hò.
      'Why he is just about to sprinkle water (onto the road) from his water bag.'

     (from Part Two of  Idg:ah by  )ðm:c:nd.  See context.)

For another use of the invariant (=masculine singular) form of the past tense see notes on V-y:a kr and the expression of the marked habitual.

To index of grammatical notes.

To index of  m:lhar.

Drafted and posted 11 Sep 2001.