I am referring Jayesh Patel's letter last week (AV, 1 Sept). Indo European influence on English language is accepted by linguists/ Indologists. This was due to contiguity of Sanskrit with Latin on banks of Mediterranean Sea, during historical past.
Indologist/ Euro-linguists would accept roots of words father, mother, daughter and brother to Sanskrit pitru, matru, dukhtar and bhrata. Words: navy rooted in “nava”, ignition in word “Agni”, Socrates with “Shukracharya,” Augustus with “Agatsya”, Etruscan with “Atri”. It is alleged that, word Vatican is rooted in Sanskrit word “vatica”, means garden. Note: September, October, November and December were supposed to be seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth months after Sanskrit words sept, ashta, nava and dus. Decimal system is based on “dus” of Sanskrit means ten. “Sasha” in Russian and Sanskrit mean, rabbit. Three is “tri” and divide has root in Sanskrit word “dvi”.
The word “Man” can be traced to “Manu” and Sanskrit saying that one with “mun” is Manushya and thus “man”, as changed in English language.
But happily, many Indian words are accepted and included in Oxford English Dictionary e.g. pandit, yoga, zen, nirvana, bindi, saree, curry, diulaly, Aga, tikka, tandoori, mufti, putty, lascar, sepoy and many more.
Ramesh Jhalla
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