Sanskrit phrasebook
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Sanskrit (संस्कृतम्) is an ancient language in which many Hindu religious texts were written. It is an Indo-European language, and hence related to languages such as Greek and Latin. Similar to Latin, it is now primarily a liturgical language and not spoken as a native language by any significant sector of the population. Nevertheless, as many contemporary Indian languages are descended from Sanskrit, and even those unrelated to Sanskrit have been strongly influenced by it, learning Sanskrit is of immense value to those with a keen interest in Indian culture. Sanskrit has also had a strong influence on many languages of Southeast Asia. It is one of the official languages of India.
WritingSanskrit is written in many scripts in different parts of India and Southeast Asia.
PronunciationMost English speakers find Sanskrit pronunciation rather challenging, as there are 11 separate vowels and 35 separate consonants, employing a large number of distinctions not found in English.
Phrase list
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Sanskrit phrasebook" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Unknown artistUnknown artist, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons