Questions tagged [sanskrit]
For questions about Sanskrit, the Ancient Classical language of Northern India.
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questions
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What was the spacing orthography of the earliest Devanagari?
When Devanagari first began, did people separate words by spaces? Did they use the । and ॥ markers for verses/stanzas/etc.? They obviously didn't use periods because I think those were invented in ...
1
vote
0answers
44 views
How to transliterate Devanagari into Brahmi (mainly, diacritics)
I have been messing around with converting a large Devanagari Sanskrit text to Brahmi using a simple mapping function. There is also this table showing how most of the characters map. I found one that ...
-4
votes
1answer
43 views
What is the sound for ज्ञ in Sanskrit? [closed]
Wikipedia has this:
ɟɲ ज्ञ jñ roughly like argue
But those 3 writings all conflict with one another, so what is the correct pronunciation?
22
votes
3answers
10k views
Is Sanskrit really the mother of all languages?
Hindus believe that "Sanskrit is the mother of all Languages".
It is a fact that Sanskrit has enriched most Indian Languages including the Dravidian Languages such as Telugu, as Latin enriched some ...
7
votes
3answers
4k views
Why are Latin and Sanskrit called dead languages?
I hear Latin and Sanskrit are called dead languages. Sanskrit is used in rituals and at the temples.
I think this is also true of Latin.
What is the cause of their degradation when they have enriched ...
1
vote
2answers
101 views
Is Latin “ulula” cognate with hindi उल्लू (“ullu”)?
Hindi उल्लू /ʊl.luː/ (derived from Sanskrit उलूक /uluːka/) appears superficially very similar to Latin ulula (both meaning "owl"). Are these words cognate?
1
vote
1answer
94 views
Standardized and ambiguity-free language
Is there exist a language (the natural or the constructed one) with a completely standardized and ambiguity-free rules, and which is suitable for the modern use?
I am wondering for a language which ...
3
votes
1answer
99 views
Do Old Indian words with voiceless aspirated stops have cognates in other branches of Indogermanic?
Inspired by this answer by Arnaud Fournet I have this question: Do Old Indic (Vedic, Sankrit) words beginning with a voiceless aspirated stop (like ph, th, or kh) have cognates in other branches of ...
0
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1answer
106 views
Possible absolute synonymy in PIE for 'night'?
I recently came across this post (question attached). But this rule seems to struggle once it comes to the Sanskrit - Indo-Aryan side of the family (PIE) , for example ratri in Sanskrit and raat in ...
0
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1answer
58 views
Given a name in sanskrit, how to find what to call the son or daughter of that person. What is the grammatical rule for forming such words? [closed]
Example:-
Kunti-- Kauntey
anjana-- aanjane
What are the rules
-1
votes
1answer
46 views
Universal Grammar or Other Area of Study
So, what I am wondering about is what I should look up to study the following. From my understanding, there is a limited number of ways languages are implemented. That is, there is a set of abstract ...
3
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2answers
281 views
Why does Sankr. नक्ति (nákti) not show Satemization
Did Sanskrit नक्ति (nákti) "night", PIE *nókʷts, not participate in the kentum-satem split? Why? Is it a loan? There are at least two synonyms, if that makes any difference.
I have no actual reason ...
4
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1answer
153 views
Possible extrapolation of old German word “hansa” to protogermanic and possibly common root with Sanskrit “sangha”
I came across a discussion about if "Lufthansa" means air-Swan, inspired by the sanskrit word hansa swan. Which is of course wrong as it has its origins in the old german word hansa for group or ...
1
vote
1answer
155 views
Does Sanskrit निस् • (nis) “out, forth, away” come from PIE *ni- “in; down?” with meaning shift from “in” to “out”?
निस्·nis "out, forth, away" > nirvana "to blow out, extinguish; out of breath?"
नि·ni "down, back, in, into" < PIE *h₁én "in; down?"
My question is whether these words are from the same PIE root? ...
0
votes
2answers
131 views
Doesn't Sanskrit use adpositions of any kind?
For some reason, the Wikipedia article makes no mention of any adpositions of any kind. I find it highly unbelievable that the language makes no use of such. It has a case system, but there's only 8 ...
0
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2answers
308 views
Can you help identify a strange Devanagari symbol in a book that doesn't look like any Devanagari letters [closed]
In a book Shaktapramode (example page) there is a strange symbol
that I have never encountered before.
Here it is in the context: .
Does anybody know what it signifies? Thank you!
5
votes
1answer
688 views
In what way is Japanese related to Sanskrit?
The Wikipedia says that Japanese katakana vowels “The gojūon inherits its vowel and consonant order from Sanskrit practice. “. Could expert explains this in easy language?
0
votes
3answers
471 views
Soft consonants in Devanagari [closed]
Can someone tell me what are the soft consonants in Devanagari?
This link gives me a list of the devanagari soft consonants. However, is this the complete list? I find in other sources another list. ...
1
vote
1answer
81 views
Evolution of perfective aspect from Sanskrit derivational suffix -ka in Modern Indo-Aryan languages
It is well attested that the Sanskrit derivational suffix -ka for adjectives together with the syntesized participle on nominals like krta-ka>done, evolved as the possessive case marker in modern Indo-...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
Anunasika(Chandrabindu) in Vowels (Sanskrit)
Someone said Anunasika is like trying to say something entirely in nasal voice. So let’s say I want to pronounce a vowel ‘U’kara with Chandrabindu on top of it. I know it’s should be completely a ...
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votes
1answer
196 views
How should I pronounce double consonant in a Sanskrit word? [closed]
The visarga in रामः शेते is facing Sh so it should change to Sh, right? And we get the one word रामश्शेते Raamashshete, but I am not sure how it should be pronounced. Should the dobule Sh be mingled ...
5
votes
1answer
132 views
Good recent historical grammar of Sanskrit, preferably in English?
Does there exist a reliable, reasonably up-to-date historical-comparative grammar of Sanskrit written in English? Failing that, what are the standard works for historical Sanskrit phonology and ...
5
votes
1answer
437 views
How many “principal parts” do Sanskrit verbs have?
What is the minimum number of forms that one needs to memorize in order to be able to fully conjugate a Sanskrit verb? I've found differing answers: some say six, others ten, and in fact, I personally ...
2
votes
1answer
142 views
Does Sanskrit really have a large proportion of borrowings from non IE stock?
A comment on an answer to anoher question about Lithuanian suggests that 'quite a large number of words was borrowed from non-IE languages'.
While some words in Sanskrit indeed seem to have Fenno-...
1
vote
2answers
221 views
Difference in translating Sanskrit words कोप [kopa] and क्रोध [krodha]
Translationg the terms makes a semantic rendering important. The English resourse translates क्रोध [krodha] as 'anger' wrath, passion, etc.' with the same definition for कोप [kopa] plus defining it ...
0
votes
1answer
447 views
Etymology of Sanskrit नारक / नरक [nāraka / naraka]
If the word नर [nara], sometimes represented as नार [nāra] primarly means 'man, human, person' and the word नारक / नरक [nāraka / naraka] means 'hell', 'infernal' and/or 'inhabitant of hell', then ...
0
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1answer
143 views
Is there a difference between 'doot' (दूत) and 'dut' (दुत) in Sanskrit? [closed]
I recently came across a verse from RigVeda
यदक्रन्दः परथमं जायमान उद्यन समुद्रादुत वा पुरीषात |
शयेनस्य पक्षा हरिणस्य बाहू उपस्तुत्यं महि जातं ते अर्वन ||
Now, I can understand उद्यन समुद्रादुत (...
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4answers
4k views
Is Thai language related or a descendant of Sanskrit?
Why is the Thai language classified as Sino-Tibetan/Sino-Burmese when its script looks like Sanskrit to me?
2
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2answers
651 views
Advice on voiced and unvoiced in sanskrit sounds
I am trying to learn Sanskrit alphabets, and want to see how I can pronounce the consonants. Then I noticed that when pronouncing the consonants, which are voiced and unvoiced, my vocal chords are ...
4
votes
1answer
200 views
what about ophis Python==ahi Budhnya?
in short : is the equation ὄφις Πύθων == अहि बुध्न्य ahi budʰnya widely accepted by scholars ?
Python and Ahi Budhnya/Ahirbudhnya are both a famous serpent, the first one in the Greek mythology, the ...
5
votes
2answers
703 views
Sanskrit pangram joke?
There are claims that the sanskrit/devanagari pangram (with natural sanskrit phonetic alphabet order):
कः खगौघाङचिच्छौजा झाञ्ज्ञोऽटौठीडडण्ढणः।
तथोदधीन् पफर्बाभीर्मयोऽरिल्वाशिषां सहः॥
whose IAST ...
5
votes
3answers
290 views
Etymology of Ancient Greek interrogative particle ἆρα
The Ancient Greek interrogative ἆρα is strikingly similar to modern Persian āyā.
Both words exclusively signal yes/no questions, and almost always begin the sentence. There is an accent on the first ...
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1answer
194 views
Origin of gen./abl. “pitur” genitive of “pitā́” (“father”) in Sanskrit
How did the Sanskrit gen./abl. singular of pitr-/pitā́ ("father") came to be pitur (and the genitive of the entire noun class as well, of course)? The evolution of all other forms (even pitā́, which ...
2
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1answer
172 views
Gemination in Sanskrit and Pali
The Thai vocabulary consists of a lot of Pali and Sanskrit words. Their spelling is preserved, but not their pronunciation (so that for example, originally dental and retroflex stops except those both ...
2
votes
3answers
502 views
Why does IAST exist when IPA is there?
When IPA can incorporate most of the sounds with Roman like symbols. Why do we need IAST?
Why do we need yet another standard for representing Indic scripts/sounds? If non phone-city of Roman ...
3
votes
0answers
178 views
The etymology of Sanskrit jāla 'web'
I am looking for an etymology on the Sanskrit word jāla 'web'. What is the origin of it? I am trying to find a parallel in other Indo-European languages but no luck so far.
0
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1answer
91 views
Conjugation of the word प्रकटयमास [closed]
I have been reading Sudharma and I have encountered a new type of words such as प्रकटयमास, प्रकटयमासुः and समादिदिशुः. I know what the roots mean. What I don't know is what type of conjugation is ...
3
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1answer
146 views
What's a good source to say if a word is masculine or feminine in Sanskrit?
I trying to write a few verses and knowing the gender might change the meaning. A good source to Sanskrit grammar would also be accepted!
1
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1answer
106 views
what is the difference between ind. and indecl. in Sanskrit?
In spokensanskrit.de, there are words that are marked as ind. and indecl.
For example, indecl. stands for indeclinable words in Sanskrit such as तावत्.
The same word is also marked ind. Could anybody ...
2
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2answers
178 views
History of Preverbs in Indo-European
As you may know, quite some of the IE languages know preverbs, who may modify the meaning of a verbal root. I would like to know more about the interrelation of the various preverbs found in these ...
1
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1answer
139 views
Grammatical mistake in the Gita
I am studying Sanskrit. I encountered a sentence in verse 19 of chapter 1 of the Bhagavad gita - as it is. The sloka is as follows:
स घोषो धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत्।
नभश्च पृथिवीं चैव तुमुलो...
0
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1answer
101 views
Components of सर्वस्याऽपि
I am trying to study Sanskrit. I am right now reading the following article on Shivaji in Sanskrit. There is a sentence सर्वस्याऽपि दोषिणः योग्यं दण्डं विदधाति। I get what it means, roughly that every ...
1
vote
1answer
593 views
Is there any Sanskrit-Greek-Latin-English dictionary available?
Is there any Sanskrit-Greek-Latin-English dictionary [including online] available? I am so much interested in etymological study. I will be grateful for any help.
1
vote
1answer
193 views
Meaning of “Elin”
Elin is supposed to mean "Woman of Intelligence" in Sanskrit see http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Elin. However, I was not able to verify this independently in Sanskrit dictionaries on the web ...
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1answer
189 views
Was sanskrit first complex language [closed]
I believe a complex language in necessary for a religious ideology involving man, mind, awareness, material world, immaterial world and such to be passed on. Was sanskrit the first language that was ...
3
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2answers
792 views
External sandhi rule for final visarga followed by r?
The picture at the bottom is taken from Introduction To Sanskrit by Egenes Thomas, in which we see that, if a vowel different from a or aa precedes the visarga, and if the initial lettre of the ...
4
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5answers
882 views
Can words have multiple, different origins
In the yoga context, it is common for gurus to give multiple origins of a specific word in order to 'dig' a deep meaning.
For example, let us take the word मन्त्र.
Here is a first explanation from ...
5
votes
1answer
256 views
What language is this character from?
A colleague of mine owns a ring and asked me what language this character is from:
I speak Japanese so I could pretty much rule out that and Chinese (her first guess). It's not Korean nor Thai either;...
5
votes
2answers
502 views
Why are these Sanskrit words in the nominative case
I'm studying the Sanskrit mantra that starts with asato ma:
असतो मा सद् गमय asato mā sad gamaya
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय tamaso mā jyotirgamaya
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय mṛtyormā amṛtaṃ ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
Are Armenian գունդ (gund) and Sanskrit गिन्दुक (ginduka) related?
I was just looking at the words for "ball" in many languages.
I noticed that Armenian has a word գունդ gund and Hindustani has a word गेंद / گیند gẽnd.
I didn't spot any other language with a ...
