musings 277

I am of the view that in mature languages like Sanskrit and modern Malayalam and of course English etc.. there are very strict rules for word formation and etymological construction..

And from Ashtadhyayi and Niruktham, through Amarakosham, Sabhda Kalpadrumam, Vachaspatyam, and many Nighantus and dictionaries up to the monumental works of Apte and Monier Williams, Sanskrit is rich in its exact sources..

English too. is like that, it goes without saying..

Malayalam is also more or less like that.

Tamil is doted on as a darling dame by those who have Her as the mother tongue.. The people love Tamil more than their lives.Lovers of Tamil would never think of any distortion in their beloved language.

So, the best way is to look up the texts .. and in Sanskrit often the combination of two words or stubs having some particular meaning might give an entirely different meaning in conjunction.. Like Hydrogen and Oxygen.. both violently active gases, giving rise to the cool and comforting product.. water..

And English, French, Arabic and many such languages are really beautiful in their structure..

However nothing need be left to the guesswork or opinion of the Individual, unless he is an advanced scholar and researcher whose views might be accepted by the universities and study centres world over and that view would get entry in the next edition of the dictionaries, thesauruses and other basic etymological and philological texts.

And language is a lifeline.. and not a game or plaything.. It is sacred

When I compose even a sentence in any language, I keep before me at least three or four dictionaries of the languages that I use.. readily accessible on desktop.

The only sin I commit is with spellings.. and that sin is not stemming out of my mind.. but from my fingertips.. and vagaries of word processing tools... and because of constant switch-over to US English, standard English, Indian English and so on.. and vagaries of Lipis and transliteration tools in Indian languages..

I treat every word I type or write as an archana to the Vagdevi.. no doubt about it..

If spelling errors occur, it is like some flowers getting spoiled by nature.. in spite of best care..