Nominal Roots | learn Sanskrit

In this article, learn about nominal roots of Sanskrit grammar. Know how words are formed by combining multiple alphabets together.

Consonant + vowel = complete letter
Consonant without a vowel is incomplete, cannot be pronounced without a vowel

1. क् + अ = क

2. क् + इ = कक

3. क् + ए = के

Consonant + consonant = conjunct consonant (संयुक्त व्यञ्जन)

1. प् + र् + अ = प्र

2. क् + ष् + अ = क्ष

3. क् + त् + अ = क्त

4. ह् + य् + अ = ह्य

5. त् + र् + अ = त्र

6. ध् + य् + अ = धय

7. ज् + ञ् + अ = ज्ञ etc.

By adding consonants, vowels, अनुस्वार, ववसर्ग, अनुनाससक we can make words

Division of words

1. प्रसादः = प् + र् + अ + स् + आ + द् + अः

2. रमा = र् + म् + आ

nominal root

Nouns

1. Ending - peculiar to the Sanskrit language

2. Case - peculiar to the Sanskrit language

3. Gender - Masculine, Feminine, Neuter

4. Number - Singular, Dual, Plural (Dual category is the peculiarity of Sanskrit)

एकवचनम् - Singular
द्विवचनम् - Dual
बहुवचनम् - Plural

All nouns ending in अ and in masculine gender like गज (elephant),
हस्त (hand), कन्दुक (ball), जनक (father) etc. decline according to the above table.

वन - forest
‘वन’ – अकारान्तं (Ending in अ) नपुसकलिङ्गं (Neuter) नाम (Noun)

All nouns ending in अ and in neuter gender like ज्ञान (knowledge), फल (fruit), पर्ण (leaf), जल (water), मित्र (friend), etc. decline according to the above table.

माला - garland
‘माला’ – आकारान्तं (Ending in आ) स्त्रीलिङ्गं (Feminine) नाम (Noun)

All nouns ending in आ and in neuter gender like कन्या (Girl), शाटिका (sari), शाला (school), पूजा (worship), क्रीडा (play), etc. decline according to the above table.