Intelligible Sanskrit phrases

[Piquerobi]

When reading on Indo-European languages, it struck me how some sentences in Sanskrit can be nearly intelligible, if the knowledge of other Indo-European languages comes into play:

* This is an example by James Mallory:

"Indrasya nu viryani pra vocam".

A short excerpt from the Rig Veda celebrates the warrior god Indra's victory over the evil Vrtra. The opening line contains a number of words with numerous cognates in the other Indo-European languages. For example, nu is the same as Greek, Old Irish, Lithuanian and Old English nu 'now'. Indra's heroic deed viryani are 'manly deeds' from the root vir- which is also found in Latin vir, Old Irish fer, Lithuanian vyras and Old English wer where it still survives in the compound 'werewolf'. To proclaim, literally 'speak forth' pra vocam is cognate with Latin pro 'forth' and voco 'I call'".

* Another example by James Mallory, "God gave teeth; God will give bread":

Lithuanian Dievas dave dantis; Dievas duos duonos.
Sanskrit Devas adadat datas; Devas dat dhanas.
Latin Deus dedit dentes; Deus dabit panem.

*Russian vs Sanskrit comparison (other speakers of Indo-Europeans languages should notice similarities to their own IE group or other IE ones which they may know):

”A widow lives in the house”

dame vidahava jivati.

v dome vdava jivyot.


"The house is new"

damah navah asti.

dom no yest.


"There is fire in the house: the widow warms up the house"

dame agnih asti: vidhava damam tapayati.

v dome agon yest: vdava dom topit.


"The four sons are not at home - they shepherd sheep in the open"

catvarah sunavah na santi dame, avikah pasanti prastare.

cetvereo sinavey ne sut doma, avet pasut na prastore.

I found it at this site years ago (it also provides other interesting relationships between IE languages):

borissoff.wordpress.com/