-ਏ

The singular oblique case and the vestigial singular locative and instrumental cases are the result of many mergers of case endings in Apabhramsa, which led to the use of postpositions to disambiguate grammatical cases. Additional influence for the singular oblique case in masculine extended nouns may derive from the Persian ezafe, which links words together (similar to how the oblique case functions by activating postpositions).

The direct plural case is inherited from Apabhramsa -अय (-aya) and cognate with Hindi -ए (-e).

Similarly, the singular vocative case on feminine nouns is possibly inherited from Apabhramsa -अए (-ae), from Prakrit -ए (-e), which however comes from inflections of feminine -आ (-ā) stems in both.

-ਏ • (-ē)

1. case ending for masculine extended nouns ending with -ਆ (-ā):
   1. plural direct case
   2. singular oblique case
   3. (rare) singular locative case
   4. (rare) singular instrumental case
2. case ending for masculine unextended nouns:
   1. (rare) singular locative case
   2. (rare) singular instrumental case
3. case ending for feminine extended nouns ending with -ਈ (-ī):
   1. singular vocative case
4. case ending for feminine unextended nouns:
   1. singular vocative case
   2. (rare) singular locative case
   3. (rare) singular instrumental case

From the singular oblique case of masculine extended nouns ending with -ਆ (-ā). The frequent use of this suffix to fuse words with Persian suffixes may indicate influence from the Persian ezafe.

-ਏ • (-ē)

1. creates the combining form of masculine extended nouns ending with -ਆ (-ā):

   ‎ਜੱਥਾ (jatthā, “group”) + ‎-ਏ (-ē) → ‎ਜੱਥੇਦਾਰ (jatthedār, “group leader”) (with Persian suffix -ਦਾਰ (-dār))

   ‎ਮੂਸਾ (mūsā, “Moosa”) + ‎-ਏ (-ē) → ‎ਮੂਸੇਵਾਲਾ (mūsevālā, “Moose Wala”) (with non-Persian suffix -ਵਾਲਾ (-vālā))

   ‎ਸੇਵਾ (sevā, “service”) + ‎-ਏ (-ē) → ‎ਸੇਵਾਦਾਰ (sevādār, “volunteer”) (indeclinable)

• This ending is generally used with suffixes of Persian origin such as -ਦਾਰ (-dār) or -ਦਾਨ (-dān), and uncommon otherwise.
• Indeclinable words that end with -ਆ (-ā), usually inanimate nouns such as ਕਲਾ (kalā) or ਸੇਵਾ (sevā), do not morph before combining with suffixes or words.

Compare with Hindi -ए (-e), a vocative case ending preserved in Hindi. May also be borrowed from the singular vocative case for feminine nouns.

-ਏ • (-ē)

1. (uncommon) creates the polite/respectful form of proper names ending with -ਆ (-ā):

   ‎ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲਾ (bhiṇḍrā̃vālā, “Bhindranwala”) + ‎-ਏ (-ē) → ‎ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲੇ (bhiṇḍrā̃vāle, “Bhindranwale”)

Merging from a few sources:

• Inherited from Prakrit -𑀅𑀲𑀺 (-asi), from Sanskrit -असि (-asi), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *-asi, from Proto-Indo-European *-esi (second person present).
• Inherited from Prakrit -𑀅𑀤𑀺 (-adi), from Sanskrit -अति (-ati), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *-ati, from Proto-Indo-European *-eti (third person present).
• Inherited from Prakrit -𑀏𑀲𑀺 (-esi), from Sanskrit -अयसि (-ayasi), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *-áyasi, from Proto-Indo-European *-éyesi (second person causative present).
• Inherited from Prakrit -𑀏𑀤𑀺 (-edi), from Sanskrit -अयति (-ayati), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *-áyati, from Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti (third person causative imperfective).

-ਏ • (-ē)

1. Marks the second-person singular subjunctive.
2. Marks the third-person singular subjunctive.

   ‎ਕਰ (kar, “do”, verb stem) + ‎-ਏ (-ē) → ‎ਕਰੇ (kare)