Sanskrit: one the most precise languages?

[Jeraru]

Hello. I have not studied Sanskrit-language but I read about its very rich and accurate vocabulary. I even heard that the people of India are very good computer programmers in relation of that. I'm very ignorant at this respect and I just wonder how much is it truthful. I also wonder if the hindi and urdu languages are more or less accurate. If someone could give me some details I would appreciate so much.

 

[tonyspeed]

Hello. I have not studied Sanskrit-language but I read about its very rich and accurate vocabulary. I even heard that the people of India are very good computer programmers in relation of that. I'm very ignorant at this respect and I just wonder how much is it truthful. I also wonder if the hindi and urdu languages are more or less accurate. If someone could give me some details I would appreciate so much.

This is not what was said at all. It was said that because of its regular nature, it could be used in such a way.


Firstly, most Indians don't even know Sanskrit.

Secondly, Classical Sanskrit as we know it was a language standardised by one man.

"Panini should be thought of as the forerunner of the modern formal language theory used to specify computer languages," say J J O'Connor and E F Robertson. Their article also quotes: "Sanskrit's potential for scientific use was greatly enhanced as a result of the thorough systemisation of its grammar by Panini. ... On the basis of just under 4000 sutras [rules expressed as aphorisms ], he built virtually the whole structure of the Sanskrit language, whose general 'shape' hardly changed for the next two thousand years."

He made it regular and deviated from Vedic Sanskrit quite a bit. Not all Sanskrit forms are as regular as the artificially refined Classical Sankskrit.
See: The Language of the Buddhist Sanskrit Texts, Brough


The truth is that because most people aren't programmers and know nothing about what a good programming language is,
and because most Indians are proud of Sanskrit as a religious language, this rumour has been allowed to spread to the ends of the earth.

 

[greatbear]

Hello. I have not studied Sanskrit-language but I read about its very rich and accurate vocabulary. I even heard that the people of India are very good computer programmers in relation of that. I'm very ignorant at this respect and I just wonder how much is it truthful. I also wonder if the hindi and urdu languages are more or less accurate. If someone could give me some details I would appreciate so much.

Well, most Indians being good programmers isn't because of Sanskrit: most Indians don't know Sanskrit! However, a case could be made that a certain fondness for mathematics and logic among Indians in general can be seen in the fact that most Indians are good in programming (and also in maths) and that Sanskrit flourished in ancient India (not to forget Vedic maths!). Indians are in general 'analytical' people, not that far from the Germans (It is not surprising that many great German writers and scientists have been influenced by the Vedanta.)

Modern-day Hindi is more related to Persian rather than Sanskrit, and both Hindi and Urdu don't share that so-called 'accuracy' of Sanskrit.

By the way, don't you think this discussion belongs more to the 'Cultural Discussions' forum, since we aren't discussing anything linguistic here?

 

[JaiHind]

The truth is that...

I don't agree with what you say. In fact you should not spread the "rumor" that Sanskrit is a religious language alone and just because you tag your personal opinion as "the truth" doesn't fortify your position.

Please update yourself with this article

Siddique Ahmed and Kysar Khan, both Standard IX students of Sharada Vilas School, recite shlokas effortlessly along with their classmates. Even after lessons, whether they are at play or back home, they slip into Sanskrit. Indeed, they are even teaching their parents the language. "Our elders began with a smattering hold over it but can now manage to talk," they say.

 

[JaiHind]

Hello. I have not studied Sanskrit-language but I read about its very rich and accurate vocabulary. I even heard that the people of India are very good computer programmers in relation of that. I'm very ignorant at this respect and I just wonder how much is it truthful. I also wonder if the hindi and urdu languages are more or less accurate. If someone could give me some details I would appreciate so much.

What you asked has been widely discussed and debated. It is true that Sanskrit grammar and the language makes a strong point to come closest to a high level computer language. There are many reasons to support this point.

Please go through the following references:

A Case for Sanskrit as Computer Programming Language

http://www.parankusa.org/SanskritAsProgramming.pdf

Next, here is an interesting page on the same:

Similarities between Sanskrit and Programming Languages

In this article, we are going to see how Sanskrit uses programming concepts similar to classes, objects and pointers to shorten the language. To do this, we will try to translate a sample Sanskrit sentence to English and dwell into the nitty-gritties of it. Along the way, you will get introduced to a very innovative sentence structure, totally different from the structure of the language you currently speak.

If I come across other better or simpler articles, I shall let you know.

It is better to do proper study and education on a subject. "Discussion threads" have limited help in this regard and can help best with specific queries instead of generalized ones. People here can post so much biased and distorted version of facts and yet can call them "the truth". So individual discretion is needed.

Also, from your post it is not clear if you are aware of differences between and distinct origins of Hindi and Urdu. Please again search to know more about it. Though there are many Urdu words which have Sanskrit origin, the language (which literally means "a military camp") is a hybrid of many other languages and has a historically distinct lineage. So my advice is to search, research and know more on this.

 

[panjabigator]

Out of scope for this forum. Thread closed.