méltat

Múltat is the definite direct object form of the Hungarian noun múlt, which means the past or history. It is used when the past is the thing acted upon in a sentence. For example: A történész a múltat elemezte. (The historian analyzed the past.)

Grammatical note: Múlt is a noun that can function in various roles, including as a subject or object. When the past is treated as a definite object, it takes the definite accusative suffix -at, yielding múltat. This form contrasts with the base noun múlt, which is used in other grammatical positions without the definite object suffix. Example: A beszéd középpontjában a múltat idézik fel. (The speech centers on evoking the past.)

Usage and nuance: In historical writing, literary prose, and journalism, múltat denotes specific past events or eras rather than the general concept of time. Common expressions include múltat idézni (to evoke the past) and múltat felidézni (to recall the past). The form múltat helps mark definiteness when the past being referred to is known to both speaker and listener.

Notes: While múltat is primarily a grammatical form, it appears frequently in phrases that discuss memory, history, and retrospective analysis. It is not a separate lexical entry with a distinct meaning beyond “the past” as a definite object; rather, it is the object form of múlt used in appropriate contexts.