Questions tagged [sanskrit]
For questions about Sanskrit, the Ancient Classical language of Northern India.
72
questions
3
votes
1answer
98 views
Historically, did the Sanskrit alphabet contain two 'la' consonants?
Historically, did the Sanskrit alphabet (varnamala) contain two 'la' consonants (vyanjan varnas)? It seems there was one in the 'ya' series (varga) and another one in the 'sha' series.
Current texts ...
0
votes
1answer
56 views
Algorithms used for identifying the syllables in a Sanskrit word
Could anyone give a reference to the best book or website for learning the algorithms used for identifying the syllables in a Sanskrit word, in a completely unambiguous way, just from a piece of text? ...
1
vote
0answers
24 views
The various forms of the Sanskrit word 'Para'?
I came across the word 'Paratpara' and found the meaning to be 'Greatest of the Great'. This led me to try and understand it in relation with other similar words I already knew - paraspara(mutual) and ...
1
vote
1answer
58 views
What is the frequency of Devanagari signs in Sanskrit?
I've been searching everywhere to find the frequency of Devanagari's signs (including the sign in a conjunct) in a typical Sanskrit text. I found the frequency of Devanagari conjuncts here and there ...
0
votes
0answers
65 views
Does any Sanskrit noun stem end in e ए?
Sanskrit nouns stems ending in dipthongs are very rare but I could still find examples of at least one stem each ending in every dipthong except e ए.
ऐ ai - रै rai
ओ o - गो go
औ au - नौ nau
But I ...
0
votes
1answer
98 views
Is Indra grammatically irregular?
I came across this on http://sanskritdictionary.com/:
kubera kuberaḥ, yakṣarāṭ, yakṣendraḥ, yakṣeśvaraḥ, tryambakasakhā, guhyakeśvaraḥ, manuṣyadharmā, dhanadaḥ, dhanādhipaḥ, kinnareśaḥ, vaiśravaṇaḥ, ...
5
votes
2answers
429 views
Is it possible in Sanskrit to distinguish between the names Rāma and Rām i.e. राम and राम् when used in a sentence?
Consider this sentence:
रामो लेखन्या लिखति
Is रामो in that sentence always referring to someone named राम (Rāma) or could it be equally possible that the person's name was राम् (Rām)? Are names like ...
2
votes
4answers
501 views
Sanskrit consonant clusters
I thought it'd be fairly easy to find a list of Sanskrit consonant clusters online, but the last hour or so has proved me wrong. There's information out there about how to write conjoined consonants ...
0
votes
2answers
329 views
Is Sanskrit 100% phonetic?
Even though many languages are still written in Devanagari, they have a problem of schwa deletion. But that problem doesn't exist in Sanskrit. I know that almost all languages have phonetic ...
1
vote
0answers
91 views
What is meant by the term 'genitive of appurtenance'
In his Sanskrit Grammar, William Dwight Whitney describes the uses of the genitive case in Sanskrit and he mentions the 'genitive of possession or appurtenance':
The genitive in its normal ...
6
votes
1answer
220 views
Why are there so many 'a' sounds in Sanskrit?
I noticed that in Sanskrit (as well as in many Indo-Aryan languages), the vowel /a/ appears much more frequently than any other vowel. Many words have only have /a/ as a vowel.
Is there any reason ...
-2
votes
2answers
125 views
why the number of phonemes for speaking and alphabet for writing (वर्णों की कुल संख्या) in 'Sanskrit' language is fixed and specific?
In the given below sentences the word,
'sound' means any sound wave. I am not asking/talking about the meaning of that sound. That sound can be meaningless too.
**I am curious about, why can't it ...
2
votes
1answer
105 views
Modern Thai writing system and modern Khmer writing system and the sharing of Non-Sanskrit symbols
I understand that both old and modern Khmer and old and modern Thai, effected one another and share lots of words or "roots" of words.
For example
Modern Thai words derived from Old Khmer
ឆ្លាតor ...
0
votes
0answers
86 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
214 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?
24
votes
3answers
14k 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
6k 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
220 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?
2
votes
1answer
126 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
140 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
votes
1answer
135 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
votes
1answer
68 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
49 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
votes
2answers
369 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 ...
5
votes
1answer
223 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
222 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 ...
0
votes
2answers
304 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
votes
2answers
521 views
Can you help identify a strange Devanagari symbol in a book that doesn't look like any Devanagari letters? [closed]
In the 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!
7
votes
2answers
2k 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
735 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
87 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
3k 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 ...
-1
votes
1answer
268 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
220 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
1k 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 ...
3
votes
2answers
251 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
302 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 ...
1
vote
4answers
888 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
votes
1answer
178 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 (...
0
votes
4answers
6k 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
votes
2answers
961 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
239 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
985 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
359 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
251 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
223 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 ...
3
votes
3answers
623 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
436 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
votes
1answer
103 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
votes
1answer
159 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!
