Sanskrit and Hindi

[Jodhaa]

Namaste All,

One of my goals this year has been to start learning Hindi. I started back in January and despite the slow going I really enjoy it. I have a few people I know well enough at Temple who help me practice speaking when I visit on the weekends. A Sanskrit group started up at the Temple and even though I didn't have much interest in learning it, the director encouraged me to come to one of the meetings.

I went to the first meeting today and I also really enjoyed the class. While many of the native Indians had some advantage in that they were more familiar with the script and pronunciation already, we were all basically equally new and mystified by it.

I can't imagine it's wise to learn both at the same time. Perhaps if you grow up surrounded by both, its not so bad as someone who is new to both languages. I have to believe it could confuse me to try and learn both at once. And yet, one of the women tried to convince me that Sanskrit would help me with Hindi.

Now, it is said that if one knows Latin, the romantic languages are easier to understand.

Understand. Not speak. I've never heard of someone learning Latin also being able to speak easily with a Spaniard of a Frenchman. I'm not sure that's how languages work. One might be able to grasp meaning from someone as they talk, but communicate back?

Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience and see if anyone else was currently learning. Or, if anyone had any insight into whether learning Hindi and Sanskrit at the same time is a bad idea

I may attend a few more Sanskrit classes to see if the answer comes to me that way. If I start mixing up the two that will tell me.

Shanti.

[Anirudh]

Namaste Jodhaa,

if anyone had any insight into whether learning Hindi and Sanskrit at the same time is a bad idea

My mother tongue is Hindi and I have started (self) learning Sanskrit. Since I know Hindi, it was very easy to pick up Sanskrit. But since you don't know (i assume) both the languages, would suggest you to start with Sanskrit then move to Hindi based on your requirement.

Learning both at the same time may confuse you. More over, Hindi is polluted due to Islamic invasion. So the chances are, you may end up learning Urdu words while learning Hindi.

[Believer]

Namaste,

More over, Hindi is polluted due to Islamic invasion. So the chances are, you may end up learning Urdu words while learning Hindi.

I will repeat myself for the 100th time in this forum - Hindi and Hindustani are two different things. Hindustani is the street language of India which is Hindi mixed in with words from Arabic, Farsi and Turkish (and English); whereas Hindi is Hindi. A credible Hindi teacher would be teaching Hindi, and not Hindustani. She is going to learn the language from a Hindi teacher and not pick it up, or practice it on the streets of Mumbai, Delhi or Hydrabad. Even if the teacher teaches a little corrupted Hindi and not in its pristine form, it will help her to communicate with other people at the mandir and become more friendly with them. So, what is wrong with that? Please stop babbling about this Hindi corruption thing all the time.

Pranam.

[Anirudh]

Namaste,

I will repeat myself for the 100th time in this forum - Hindi and Hindustani are two different things

I never said Hindi and Urdu are one and the same.I don't want to get into the history of Hindi and Hindustani but in my post never used the word Hindustani.

Even if the teacher teaches a little corrupted Hindi and not in its pristine form, it will help her to communicate with other people at the mandir and become more friendly with them. So, what is wrong with that?

I said learning Sanskrit and Hindi at the same may confuse her. My comment was to highlight the possible difficulty that may arise in learning both the languages at the same time. In addition, I also wanted to silently point out that, learning Sanskrit prior to learning Hindi will improve her Hindi vocabulary. For eg, have observed people using the word imthhaan to mean pariksha.

stop babbling about this Hindi corruption thing all the time

As for as I can remember in my 180+ posts till today haven't spoken about Hindi leave alone Hindi corruption. If you expect that I should not consider that comment directed at me, then I will leave it. How ever thanks for taking the pain to educate me a new word "babbling". Honestly had to use wordweb software to get its meaning.

All I told her was she may end up learning Urdu words as Hindi is corrupted because of Islamic invasion, the statement no one can deny. Pick up Oxford Hindi dictionary, and you ll find out what I am talking about.

I have a natural love for Indian languages. Naturally won't suggest anyone to learn corrupted stuff. You may choose to tag me as a Hindi fanatic, but that's OK with me.

[Viraja]

I wish you learnt Tamil so I can offer atleast some help with your learning adventure. ('cause I neither know Hindi nor Sanskrit).

Other than that, shouldn't learning 2 languages be too taxing? Although Sanskrit is supposed to be the mother language of Hindi, still they are so vastly different... (memory from my 4th grade Hindi and Sanskrit learning..).

[Anirudh]

I wish you learnt Tamil so I can offer atleast some help with your learning adventure. ('cause I neither know Hindi nor Sanskrit).

Other than that, shouldn't learning 2 languages be too taxing? Although Sanskrit is supposed to be the mother language of Hindi, still they are so vastly different... (memory from my 4th grade Hindi and Sanskrit learning..).

May be I should sleep now, it s already 5 a.m in India!

Good night guys!!

[Believer]

Namaste,

All Indian native languages have borrowed words from other languages. Should we stop using/learning all of them? If most people use the corrupted form called Hindustani, in their everyday conversation, what is wrong with learning that? The objective is to be able to communicate with other people at the mandir, not to be a teacher of pure Hindi. If this corrupted thing bothers people so much, why don't they stop watching the bollywood movies and stop listening to the bollywood songs and start a campaign to insist on its use exclusively in its pure form? The fact of the matter is that we have to accept whatever prevalent form is being currently used. I am sorry to be a tad harsh on this point, but, I am getting a bit tired of this Hindi corruption thing coming up every so often. If it is so bad why does someone not do something to change the situation? India has been a free country for over 60 years, why is this muslim influence not gotten rid of? Let us just live with what we have instead of complaining about it all the time and blaming others for our language corruption. We are the ones who are choosing to retain this corruption.

Pranam.

[Jodhaa]

It seems I'm destined to cause a ruckus wherever I go. I didn't even mention the Ramayana this time.

I apologize if language is a sensitive subject. I will confess I'm ignorant of language politic as it pertains to Hindi/Urdu/Farsi/Arabic. Every language "borrows" from other languages. Virtually all of English is comprised of borrowed languages. Also, every language has slang and colloquial terminology. I would fully expect to be rather overwhelmed by the difference between "street" Hindi and "proper" Hindi. But I won't be courageously gallivanting through the streets of Mumbai any time soon (As exciting and amazing as that would be).

My motivations were to socialize in a different (and perhaps richer) way with people I know at the Temple. Sure, they can all speak English to me, but I feel like they should be able to engage in their native languages at a Temple of all places. Especially since English is absolutely the requirement everywhere else in the US. I know it might be many years before a complex conversation will be possible, but if I can manage simple things, I will feel more connected.

Viraja -

I should learn Tamil too. One thing at a time though, I think. I'm starting at the top of India and working my way down Perhaps you can PM me some survival phrases?

Shanti

[Anirudh]

Namaste Believer,

I don't agree with your views stated in this thread. Also feel it requires a lengthy reply which will be a new thread. But before creating a new thread as a reply, I must understand the rules clearly.

Till I don't understand the rules clearly and convinced about the absolute necessity to create a new thread which would also conform to rules, have decided to drift into sleep.
Good Night(s)

[ShriBala]

Namaskar. The question to be asked first is the purpose for learning either Hindi or Sanskrit.
Do you like to learn a language simply for its sake as some people are excellent at picking up languages? If yes, then sky is the limit for you to pick up languages as India's got plenty under the sun .
OR
Do you want to read the scriptures like Veda-s/Giitaa in the original language? If then, Sanskrit is essential. Of course, there are a whole lot of scriptures in other Indian languages as well. Sanskrit, to some extent, would be the set from which words have been borrowed by all Indian languages. OR

Do you want to learn to converse with the folks at the temple, so that you can get the cultural context and social drift, despite the language spoken by the majority speakers? If yes, Hindi would be the best bet.

Regarding learning both at the same time, we learnt both these at the same time in high school and then come home and talk in the mother tongue which could be different from either of these.

Edit: didn't read your 2nd post until after i'd posted my reply.

Looks like Hindi it is to begin with.