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Sanskrit Connections to English
World History
The Connection Between Sanskrit, Latin, and Greek
In the 18th century, there was significant interaction between the English and Indians,
especially with the East India Company. This led to Western scholars studying Sanskrit and
the Vedas, which opened their minds to the roots of Sanskrit and many Western languages,
including English.
In 1786, Sir William Jones, an English philologist, said that Sanskrit is more perfect than
Greek, more copious than Latin, and more refined than either, yet bearing a stronger affinity
with both in roots and grammar than could not have been produced by accident. He believed
that no philologist could examine all three languages without believing they had a common
source.
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Modern philologists now strongly believe in this connection between Sanskrit, Latin, and the
Germanic and Celtic languages. They theorize that a parent language of Sanskrit, Latin, and
the Germanic and Celtic languages is Proto-Indo-European, a lost language. Sanskrit is
considered one of the oldest evidences of this language.
Sanskrit evolved into languages like Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi. Latin, now a dead
language, evolved into languages like Spanish, Italian, and French. English, which is
considered a Germanic language structurally, has significant influence from Latin and
French.
The connection between Sanskrit and other languages is evident in the similarities of words.
For example, the Sanskrit word for mother (matr) is similar to the English word (mother) and
the Latin word (mater). Similarly, the Sanskrit word for father (pithr) is similar to the Latin
(pater) and English (paternal) words.
Sanskrit Connections to English
World History
The Connection Between Sanskrit, Latin, and Greek
In the 18th century, there was significant interaction between the English and Indians,
especially with the East India Company. This led to Western scholars studying Sanskrit and
the Vedas, which opened their minds to the roots of Sanskrit and many Western languages,
including English.
In 1786, Sir William Jones, an English philologist, said that Sanskrit is more perfect than
Greek, more copious than Latin, and more refined than either, yet bearing a stronger affinity
with both in roots and grammar than could not have been produced by accident. He believed
that no philologist could examine all three languages without believing they had a common
source.
, 2
Modern philologists now strongly believe in this connection between Sanskrit, Latin, and the
Germanic and Celtic languages. They theorize that a parent language of Sanskrit, Latin, and
the Germanic and Celtic languages is Proto-Indo-European, a lost language. Sanskrit is
considered one of the oldest evidences of this language.
Sanskrit evolved into languages like Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi. Latin, now a dead
language, evolved into languages like Spanish, Italian, and French. English, which is
considered a Germanic language structurally, has significant influence from Latin and
French.
The connection between Sanskrit and other languages is evident in the similarities of words.
For example, the Sanskrit word for mother (matr) is similar to the English word (mother) and
the Latin word (mater). Similarly, the Sanskrit word for father (pithr) is similar to the Latin
(pater) and English (paternal) words.
