Sanskrit Word Formation

An interactive analysis of Pāṇinian grammar, exploring Sanskrit morphology through an English lens. This application translates the key findings of the research report into an explorable format.

Explore the Concepts

Click on any of the ten root concepts below to launch an interactive modal. Each modal contains a detailed breakdown of the word's derivations in both English and Sanskrit, its usage in example sentences, and the specific Pāṇinian grammatical rules (sūtras) that govern its formation.

Key Principles of Formation

Sanskrit word formation is a generative science. It combines a base element, the **Prakṛti (प्रकृति)**, with a suffix, the **Pratyaya (प्रत्यय)**. This systematic process is built on one fundamental distinction: the type of base word the suffix is added to.

1. Kṛt Pratyayas (कृत् प्रत्ययाः)

These are primary suffixes added directly to **Verbal Roots (Dhātus)**, like `√kṛ` (to do) or `√cāl` (to move). They form new nouns or adjectives (e.g., `kartā` - doer; `cālakaḥ` - driver).

2. Taddhita Pratyayas (तद्धित प्रत्ययाः)

These are secondary suffixes added to existing **Nominal Stems (Prātipadikas)**—finished nouns or adjectives—to form new words. For example, they are added to `sukha` (happy) to create `sukhitvam` (happiness).

Suffix Types in This Report

A breakdown of the 10 specific pratyayas analyzed in this research, showing the fundamental split between the two types.

Sūtra Reference Library

This is a comprehensive reference of all the Pāṇinian sūtras (grammatical rules) and pratyayas (suffixes) detailed in the original research. They are organized by their classification as either Kṛt or Taddhita.

Kṛt Pratyayas (Applied to Verbal Roots)

Taddhita Pratyayas (Applied to Nominal Stems)