Sanskrit Words in English — Etymology
अंग्रेजी में संस्कृत — व्युत्पत्ति
English Words That Come From Sanskrit · All Classes
Key Points to Remember
- ▸English and Sanskrit both descend from Proto-Indo-European (PIE) — they are "sister languages"
- ▸Agni (fire) → Latin ignis → English ignite/ignition — the "a-" changed to "i-" in Latin
- ▸Daśa (10) → December (10th month) → decade → decimal — all the same root
- ▸Nāma (name) → Latin nomen → English name, nominal, denomination, anonymous
Vocabulary List
English and Sanskrit are "sister languages" — both descended from Proto-Indo-European (PIE). Many English words are cognates (related words) of Sanskrit words. Recognizing these connections makes learning both languages easier.
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning | Root / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| माता (mātā) | mother | Sanskrit mātā → English mother (both from PIE *méh₂tēr) | mā (to measure/create) |
| पिता (pitā) | father | Sanskrit pitā → English father (PIE *ph₂tḗr) | pā (to protect) |
| नव (nava) | new | Sanskrit nava (new, nine) → English new (PIE *newos) | nava means BOTH "nine" and "new" — number nine = "the new one" after eight? |
| अग्नि (agni) | ignite | Sanskrit agni → Latin ignis → English ignite | PIE *h₁ngnis; "ignite", "ignition" come from Sanskrit's own fire-word |
| नाम (nāma) | name | Sanskrit nāma → English name (PIE *h₁nómn̥) | cognate with Latin nomen → "nominal, denomination," Greek onoma → "anonymous, synonym" |
| दश (daśa) | decimal, decade, December | Sanskrit daśa (10) → Greek deka → English decade | Latin decem → December | PIE *déḱm̥; December was the 10th month |
| शत (śata) | cent, century, percent | Sanskrit śata (100) → Latin centum → English cent/century | PIE *ḱm̥tóm; "per cent" = "for each hundred" |
| द्वार (dvāra) | door | Sanskrit dvāra → English door (PIE *dhwer) | dvāra = gate/door — cognate with Greek thyra → "thyroid" (shaped like a door/shield) |
| दन्त (danta) | dental, dentist | Sanskrit danta (tooth) → Latin dens → English dental | PIE *h₁dónts |
| नक्त (nakta) | nocturnal, night | Sanskrit nakt (night) → Latin nox → English nocturnal | Sanskrit niś → English night | PIE *nókʷts |
Exercises (2)
Exercise 1: Match the Column
Match Sanskrit word to its English descendant
1. अग्नि (agni)
Show answer
ignite / ignition
2. नाम (nāma)
Show answer
name / nominal / denomination
3. दन्त (danta)
Show answer
dental / dentist
4. शत (śata)
Show answer
cent / century / percent
5. द्वार (dvāra)
Show answer
door
Exercise 2: Short Answer
Etymology exploration
1. "December" comes from Sanskrit via Latin. What does it mean and why is the name odd for the 12th month?
Show answer
December = decima (tenth) = Sanskrit daśa (10). In the original Roman calendar of 10 months, December was the 10th month. When January and February were added, it became the 12th month but kept its old name.
More Sanskrit Worksheets
Related Guides
Are you a Sanskrit teacher?
These worksheets are free for classroom use. VedaLingo also has an interactive app — students learn Sanskrit through stories, audio, and games, not just memorisation.
Contact VedaLingo →