Make a word
Sanskrit is a kit. Roots, prefixes and endings snap together by rule, which is how it has kept naming new things for three thousand years.
How it is done
1
Root + ending
One root, many endings: the act, the one who does it, the thing done.
+→
लेखन
lekhana
“writing”
+→
लेखक
lekhaka
“writer”
+→
लिखित
likhita
“written”
+→
गणन
gaṇana
“counting”
+→
गणक
gaṇaka
“one who counts”
+→
गणित
gaṇita
“mathematics”
2
Prefix + root
A small prefix in front turns the direction of the root.
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आगम
āgama
“coming, arrival”
+→
निर्गम
nirgama
“exit”
+→
संगम
saṃgama
“coming together, confluence”
+→
अनुगम
anugama
“following”
+→
आहार
āhāra
“food”
+→
विहार
vihāra
“recreation”
+→
प्रहार
prahāra
“a blow”
+→
उपहार
upahāra
“gift”
+→
संहार
saṃhāra
“destruction”
3
Word + word (compound)
Two words become one. The describing word comes first, the main word last.
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हिमालय
himālaya
“abode of snow”
+→
सूर्योदय
sūryodaya
“sunrise”
+→
विद्यालय
vidyālaya
“school”
+→
खग
khaga
“bird”
+→
जलद
jalada
“cloud”
Modern words, made the same way
+→
दूरदर्शन
dūradarśana
“television”
+→
आकाशवाणी
ākāśavāṇī
“radio”
+→
दूरभाष
dūrabhāṣa
“telephone”
++→
सङ्गणक
saṅgaṇaka
“computer”
+→
अन्तर्जाल
antarjāla
“internet”
Make your own
Type an idea as two or three parts in plain English, then pick a Sanskrit piece for each. Put the describing word first and the main word last: "far-seeing", not "seeing-far".
Pick a piece for at least two parts to see your word.