Sanskrit Sandhi and Exercises, Revised Edition - by M B Emeneau (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Sanskrit Sandhi and Exercises: Revised Edition offers students of both Sanskrit and descriptive linguistics a streamlined and practical introduction to one of the language's most intricate features: sandhi, or euphonic combination. Based on Leonard Bloomfield's classroom notes and carried forward by his student, this handbook distills Whitney's classic but overwhelming *Sanskrit Grammar* into a concise and usable set of rules. With clear references to Whitney's system and phrasing that draws closer to the analytic precision of Pāṇini, the volume provides learners with a working core of sandhi principles without requiring prior mastery of the broader language. The presentation emphasizes sandhi as a descriptive, morphophonemic process rather than a historical one, making the text equally valuable for Sanskritists and for linguists seeking training in the methods of morphological analysis.

Alongside the grammatical notes, the book supplies twenty-seven carefully designed exercises that guide students through reconstructing complex data from Pāṇini's solutions, fostering both familiarity with Sanskrit rules and disciplined habits of analytic reasoning. These exercises reverse the usual pattern of Sanskrit drill, aiming instead to cultivate exactness in handling linguistic data and a feel for the systematic style of statement employed by classical grammarians. By combining Bloomfield's Paninean orientation with Whitney's canonical formulations, the Revised Edition preserves a lineage of rigorous grammatical pedagogy while adapting it for modern classrooms. Compact, precise, and pedagogically tested over decades, the book remains an indispensable aid for anyone beginning Sanskrit or wishing to appreciate how sandhi can illuminate the techniques of descriptive grammar.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1952.