Interrogative words in Sanskrit

Raj Man

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May 13, 2018, 11:16:35 AM5/13/18

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Namastey,

Is their a ordered list of all interrogative words in Sanskrit? I heard that there are Seven interrogative words broadly, as follows. Is this correct?

Kutra - Where?

Kadaa - When?

Katham - How?

Kathi - How many?

Kutaha - From where?

Kimartham - Why? what for?

Kim - This declines in many forms such as kEna, kaa, kaha etc in all 3 lingas, 7 Vibhaktis, 3 vachanas and meaning varies.

Is this categorization right? Where do words such as kaani, kEna, Kiyat, Kasyai, Kaabhyaha, kaihi, kaabhyaam etc fall under this categorization?

Thanks for guidance.

dhanyavaadah

Sunder Hattangadi

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May 13, 2018, 4:08:12 PM5/13/18

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An interesting thread on the topic:

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barman....@gmail.com

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May 13, 2018, 5:15:58 PM5/13/18

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Dear Raj Man,
More another interrogative words are seen in Sanskrit such as Kwa (where), Kimu (used in interrogation), karhi (when) etc.

In the English grammar; which, when, why, where and others interrogative words are called Wh-words. Now in the Sanskrit as like as English grammar we may call all interrogative words as a "ka-Sabdah."

Thank you.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

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ken p

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May 13, 2018, 7:31:18 PM5/13/18

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Here are some related links.

https://learnsanskritonline.com/lessons/Simple%20Pronoun%3A%20He%2C%20She%2C%20It%20and%20They%20/simple-interrogative-words-who-when-why-where-and-how
http://learnsanskrit.org/nouns/pronouns/questions

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/bvparishat/zHSwtn8j19c

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/pronouns/questions-interrogative-pronouns-what-who

https://books.google.com/books?id=el7Q1F1QUygC&pg=PA543&lpg=PA543&dq=Interrogative+in+sanskrit&source=bl&ots=TOW1v9FpT4&sig=rG7QRtUZLGehC4nQ_Ysa3Q9_ZTo&hl=gu&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjqh6HtnYPbAhVr1oMKHRsEDew4ChDoAQhMMAc#v=onepage&q=Interrogative%20in%20sanskrit&f=false

S. L. Abhyankar

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May 13, 2018, 7:51:04 PM5/13/18

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All the responses are good. May I also add =>

One makes interrogative sentences without interrogatives also. In English grammar the rule is to put the verb at the beginning of the sentence, e.g. Affirmative :- It is so. Interrogative :- Is it so ?
In Sanskrit अपि at the beginning of the sentence makes it interrogative, e.g. सः गच्छति | => अपि गच्छति सः ?
Often interrogative can be understood by tone. सः गच्छति खलु | सः गच्छति खलु ?

Subrahmanian R

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May 13, 2018, 10:18:56 PM5/13/18

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In Raghuvamsa कुशाग्रबुद्दे कुशलीगुरुस्ते the interrogative 'How is your Guru' is clear without an interrogative word (and without any special intonation).

Such construction is there in Hindi also:

आप ठीक ठाक हैं or आप कुशल मंगल हैं is commonly used for 'How do you do?'

R Subrahmanian

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Hnbhat B.R.

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May 13, 2018, 10:44:31 PM5/13/18

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Hnbhat B.R.

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May 13, 2018, 10:55:37 PM5/13/18

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The other forms listed are the derivatives of the Interogative pronoun " kim" like kutaH, kutra etc.

On Sunday, May 13, 2018, barman....@gmail.com <barman....@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Raj Man,
More another interrogative words are seen in Sanskrit such as Kwa (where), Kimu (used in interrogation), karhi (when) etc.
In the English grammar; which, when, why, where and others interrogative words are called Wh-words. Now in the Sanskrit as like as English grammar we may call all interrogative words as a "ka-Sabdah."

Thank you.
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

On Sun, May 13, 2018 at 8:46 pm, Raj Man
<rajm...@gmail.com> wrote:

Namastey,

Is their a ordered list of all interrogative words in Sanskrit? I heard that there are Seven interrogative words broadly, as follows. Is this correct?

Kutra - Where?
Kadaa - When?
Katham - How?
Kathi - How many?
Kutaha - From where?
Kimartham - Why? what for?
Kim - This declines in many forms such as kEna, kaa, kaha etc in all 3 lingas, 7 Vibhaktis, 3 vachanas and meaning varies.

Is this categorization right? Where do words such as kaani, kEna, Kiyat, Kasyai, Kaabhyaha, kaihi, kaabhyaam etc fall under this categorization?

Thanks for guidance.

dhanyavaadah

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Hnbhat B.R.

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May 13, 2018, 11:01:03 PM5/13/18

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अपि is used in the sense प्रश्न! अव्ययानामनेकार्थत्वात्.

Shabdakalpadruma and Vacaspatya give प्रश्न and जिज्ञासा for अपि and खलु respectively as one of the meanings.

On Monday, May 14, 2018, S. L. Abhyankar <sl.abh...@gmail.com> wrote:

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MANOJ KUMAR BARMAN

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May 14, 2018, 7:10:23 AM5/14/18

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All interrogative sense may be divided into two part : one is affirmative or negative answer giving Interrogation and another is explanatory answer giving Interrogation. For instance:

Q: अपि कुशली भवान्? (Are you OK?)

Ans: आम् /न (Yes/No)

Q: किं राम: विद्यालयं गच्छति? (Has Ram gone to school?)

Ans: आम् /न (Yes/No)

Q: सीता कुत्र गच्छति? (Where is Sita going?)

Ans: सीता हट्टं गच्छति। (Sita is going to market.)

On Mon 14 May, 2018 7:48 am Subrahmanian R, <subrah...@gmail.com> wrote:

In Raghuvamsa कुशाग्रबुद्दे कुशलीगुरुस्ते the interrogative 'How is your Guru' is clear without an interrogative word (and without any special intonation).
Such construction is there in Hindi also:
आप ठीक ठाक हैं or आप कुशल मंगल हैं is commonly used for 'How do you do?'
R Subrahmanian

On 14 May 2018 at 05:19, S. L. Abhyankar <sl.abh...@gmail.com> wrote:

All the responses are good. May I also add =>
One makes interrogative sentences without interrogatives also. In English grammar the rule is to put the verb at the beginning of the sentence, e.g. Affirmative :- It is so. Interrogative :- Is it so ?
In Sanskrit अपि at the beginning of the sentence makes it interrogative, e.g. सः गच्छति | => अपि गच्छति सः ?
Often interrogative can be understood by tone. सः गच्छति खलु | सः गच्छति खलु ?

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G S S Murthy

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May 14, 2018, 12:34:49 PM5/14/18

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What about "kaccit" ?

Regards

Murthy

Surendra Mohan Mishra

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May 14, 2018, 5:43:56 PM5/14/18

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ॐ

कच्चिद् एतत् श्रुतं पार्थ ? कच्चिद् अज्ञानसम्मोहः ?-- गीता, अ.१८

कच्चित्सौम्य ! व्यवसितमिदं बन्धुकृत्यं त्वया मे ? -- मेघे।

अथ इति प्रश्ने।

किंस्वित् इत्यपि।

ॐ इत्यपि प्रश्नः !

नमांसि !

On 14 May 2018 at 09:22, G S S Murthy <murt...@gmail.com> wrote:

What about "kaccit" ?
Regards
Murthy

On Mon 14 May, 2018, 4:40 PM MANOJ KUMAR BARMAN, <barman....@gmail.com> wrote:

All interrogative sense may be divided into two part : one is affirmative or negative answer giving Interrogation and another is explanatory answer giving Interrogation. For instance:

Q: अपि कुशली भवान्? (Are you OK?)
Ans: आम् /न (Yes/No)
Q: किं राम: विद्यालयं गच्छति? (Has Ram gone to school?)
Ans: आम् /न (Yes/No)

Q: सीता कुत्र गच्छति? (Where is Sita going?)
Ans: सीता हट्टं गच्छति। (Sita is going to market.)

On Mon 14 May, 2018 7:48 am Subrahmanian R, <subrah...@gmail.com> wrote:

In Raghuvamsa कुशाग्रबुद्दे कुशलीगुरुस्ते the interrogative 'How is your Guru' is clear without an interrogative word (and without any special intonation).
Such construction is there in Hindi also:
आप ठीक ठाक हैं or आप कुशल मंगल हैं is commonly used for 'How do you do?'
R Subrahmanian

On 14 May 2018 at 05:19, S. L. Abhyankar <sl.abh...@gmail.com> wrote:

All the responses are good. May I also add =>
One makes interrogative sentences without interrogatives also. In English grammar the rule is to put the verb at the beginning of the sentence, e.g. Affirmative :- It is so. Interrogative :- Is it so ?
In Sanskrit अपि at the beginning of the sentence makes it interrogative, e.g. सः गच्छति | => अपि गच्छति सः ?
Often interrogative can be understood by tone. सः गच्छति खलु | सः गच्छति खलु ?

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Surendramohan Mishra
Dept of Sanskrit,Pali & Prakrit
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