The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

All about language programs, courses, websites and other learning resources
aravinda
Green Belt
Posts: 287
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 12:27 pm
Languages: .
x 616

The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

Postby aravinda » Fri Sep 01, 2017 3:41 am

If anyone has been thinking of studying Sanskrit, now is the time!
Recently published textbook, The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit by Antonia. M. Ruppel is unlike many other Sanskrit textbooks. First, it has a clean and attractive page layout and a very clear nāgarī font. I am not new to Sanskrit but the book appears to be a gentle introduction to the language. Most importantly, the complete answer key is available from the author. As far as I know, this is the first Sanskrit textbook to have a dedicated website. The website has links to vocabulary flash cards, a video series on youtube and some other resources. You can download the first two chapters of the book free. There is a Facebook group for the book. She will be starting a kind of course (free) based on the book soon.
CUP page:
http://www.cambridge.org/au/academic/su ... 1107088283
Companion site:
http://cambridge-sanskrit.org
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Cambrid ... 9987360580
(Her Facebook name is Antonia Clicquot)
Note:I know the author through email and Facebook and think her to be a very nice person. Other than that I have no interest in the book.
Edited to include the link to CUP product page
Last edited by aravinda on Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
14 x

User avatar
Josquin
Blue Belt
Posts: 646
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 2:38 pm
Location: Germany
Languages: German (native); English (advanced fluency); French (basic fluency); Italian, Swedish, Russian, Irish (intermediate); Dutch, Icelandic, Japanese, Portuguese, Scottish Gaelic (beginner); Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Sanskrit (reading only)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=737
x 1764

Re: The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

Postby Josquin » Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:40 am

Funny you should mention that! I just bought The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit last week. It looks like a very good textbook, especially compared to other Sanskrit courses that I've come across. I can't wait to get started on it!
6 x
Oró, sé do bheatha abhaile! Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.

aravinda
Green Belt
Posts: 287
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 12:27 pm
Languages: .
x 616

Re: The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

Postby aravinda » Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:43 pm

Josquin wrote:I can't wait to get started on it!

I have been toying with the book since March. Let's start now! :D
P.S.
I actually pre-ordered it August, last year. I bought it planning to brush up my rusty (beginner level) Sanskrit but also out of curiosity. By the way, pre-ordering from the Book Depository usually saves a lot of money: I bought it for AU$ 30 and now it is AU$ 53! ;)
1 x

User avatar
Josquin
Blue Belt
Posts: 646
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 2:38 pm
Location: Germany
Languages: German (native); English (advanced fluency); French (basic fluency); Italian, Swedish, Russian, Irish (intermediate); Dutch, Icelandic, Japanese, Portuguese, Scottish Gaelic (beginner); Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Sanskrit (reading only)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=737
x 1764

Re: The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

Postby Josquin » Fri Sep 01, 2017 3:53 pm

aravinda wrote:I have been toying with the book since March. Let's start now! :D

Oh, I'd love to! Unfortunately, my plate is quite full as it is with Irish, Ancient Greek, and Biblical Hebrew. Another language would be the straw that broke the camel's back. :cry: I could possibly start Sanskrit after completing my Hebrew textbook though.

aravinda wrote:I actually pre-ordered it August, last year. I bought it planning to brush up my rusty (beginner level) Sanskrit but also out of curiosity. By the way, pre-ordering from the Book Depository usually saves a lot of money: I bought it for AU$ 30 and now it is AU$ 53! ;)

Thanks for the tip! I've got to check it out. I bought my copy on Amazon for about € 35, which apparently equals AU$ 53... :? Would have been cool to get it for less.
1 x
Oró, sé do bheatha abhaile! Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.

User avatar
n_j_f
Orange Belt
Posts: 120
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 11:41 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Languages: English (N)

Studying:
French (B1), German (A2)

Up Next:
Persian, Russian

Flirting With:
Sanskrit

On the back-burner:
Turkish, Irish

Bucket List:
Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish, Hindi/Urdu, Ancient Greek, Latin, Old Church Slavonic, Modern Greek, Tamil, Sinhalese, Malayalam, Welsh, Arabic
x 170

Re: The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

Postby n_j_f » Sat Sep 16, 2017 2:07 pm

aravinda wrote:
Josquin wrote:I can't wait to get started on it!

I have been toying with the book since March. Let's start now! :D
P.S.
I actually pre-ordered it August, last year. I bought it planning to brush up my rusty (beginner level) Sanskrit but also out of curiosity. By the way, pre-ordering from the Book Depository usually saves a lot of money: I bought it for AU$ 30 and now it is AU$ 53! ;)


There are so many reasons I can't study Sanskrit: too many language projects on the go, too many abandoned because of time constraints, starting a new job and having to obtain my professional qualifications, etc. . . . as much as I would love to start learning Sanskrit . . . I really shouldn't . . . oh, go on, then. I'm in! :roll:
4 x

User avatar
Josquin
Blue Belt
Posts: 646
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 2:38 pm
Location: Germany
Languages: German (native); English (advanced fluency); French (basic fluency); Italian, Swedish, Russian, Irish (intermediate); Dutch, Icelandic, Japanese, Portuguese, Scottish Gaelic (beginner); Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Sanskrit (reading only)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=737
x 1764

Re: The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

Postby Josquin » Thu Nov 16, 2017 6:02 pm

I started studying Sanskrit with the Ruppel textbook today! Who wants to join in? :D

First of all, I'll have to learn the Devanagari script though, which is only touched comparably briefly in the book.
2 x
Oró, sé do bheatha abhaile! Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.

aravinda
Green Belt
Posts: 287
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 12:27 pm
Languages: .
x 616

Re: The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

Postby aravinda » Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:57 pm

Josquin wrote:I started studying Sanskrit with the Ruppel textbook today! Who wants to join in? :D

First of all, I'll have to learn the Devanagari script though, which is only touched comparably briefly in the book.
Excellent! I'll join you but don't count on me to study regularly like you do. :)
I am planning to post a list of Sanskrit resources. (Actually, n_j_f and I were thinking of starting a Sanskrit Group) Until I get round to doing that here are two suggestions to start with:
There are two workbooks by Medha Michika to practice the script.
Sanskrit (Devanagari) Alphabet Study Book Volume 1 – Single Letters
Sanskrit (Devanagari) Alphabet Study Book Volume 2 – Conjunct Consonants

You can download the PDFs free (legally, of course) here:
http://arshaavinash.in/index.php/books- ... t-grammar/
If you don't like printing them yourself (I don't), paper copies are available from Amazon to buy.
Another book that might come handy during the initial stages is Charles Wikner's introductory booklet (again free).
https://sanskritdocuments.org/learning_ ... ner-rm.pdf
If you have any problems with locating or downloading them, just let me know.
2 x

User avatar
n_j_f
Orange Belt
Posts: 120
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 11:41 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Languages: English (N)

Studying:
French (B1), German (A2)

Up Next:
Persian, Russian

Flirting With:
Sanskrit

On the back-burner:
Turkish, Irish

Bucket List:
Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish, Hindi/Urdu, Ancient Greek, Latin, Old Church Slavonic, Modern Greek, Tamil, Sinhalese, Malayalam, Welsh, Arabic
x 170

Re: The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

Postby n_j_f » Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:33 am

aravinda wrote:
Josquin wrote:I started studying Sanskrit with the Ruppel textbook today! Who wants to join in? :D

First of all, I'll have to learn the Devanagari script though, which is only touched comparably briefly in the book.
Excellent! I'll join you but don't count on me to study regularly like you do. :)
I am planning to post a list of Sanskrit resources. (Actually, n_j_f and I were thinking of starting a Sanskrit Group) Until I get round to doing that here are two suggestions to start with:

I'll totally be up for this . . . although, I couldn't bear to be apart anymore from Irish so I've started learning again so now I have even less time. So if you don't mind two slow coaches, we should start a study group!

As for learning Devanagari script, I learnt through a combination of Read and Write Hindi Script by Teach Yourself, along with Anki flashcards and alphabet blocks (admittedly, the latter was just on a whim, but I think the tactile nature of blocks help).

Teach Yourself:
https://www.amazon.com/write-Hindi-scri ... b_title_bk

Alphabet Blocks
https://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Goose-Hind ... oose+hindi

I also found reading along with audio material like the Assimil course was a great way of internalising the alphabet. I'm sure you could use Hindi audio material as well although there are some differences which Aravinda would be better placed to explain.

Having said all of that, this was several years ago and I never really learnt the ligatures, so I'll be starting from the beginning as well.
2 x

User avatar
Josquin
Blue Belt
Posts: 646
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 2:38 pm
Location: Germany
Languages: German (native); English (advanced fluency); French (basic fluency); Italian, Swedish, Russian, Irish (intermediate); Dutch, Icelandic, Japanese, Portuguese, Scottish Gaelic (beginner); Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Sanskrit (reading only)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=737
x 1764

Re: The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit

Postby Josquin » Fri Nov 17, 2017 1:38 pm

Thanks, guys! I'll have to check all these resources out. There are also some German books I could use like Einführung in die indischen Schriften from Buske, so learning the script hopefully won't take that long.

It would be great if we could form a study group! :)
1 x
Oró, sé do bheatha abhaile! Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.

Dipguiter
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2020 1:06 am
Languages: "English(N)"

Need the answer keys of the book

Postby Dipguiter » Tue Sep 08, 2020 1:14 am

Can anyone send me the answer key of the book?
0 x


Return to “Language Programs and Resources”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests