User talk:Neetaraina

Sanskrit etymologies
Hey there Neetaraina:

Please keep in mind the difference between a cognate and an actual etymology. Sanskrit is an Indo-European language, as are English, French, Russian, Latin, Greek, Persian, and many other languages, so many words in these languages have similar sounds and meanings. This does not mean (in most cases) that they are *derived* from Sanskrit, but rather that they ultimately come from the same distant ancestral language, spoken thousands of years before Sanskrit. For instance the English words wheel, cycle, and chakra all ultimately come from the same word - they are cognates - but only the word chakra is actually derived from Sanskrit (by borrowing).

Saying that English words come from Sanskrit is just like saying Hindi words come from Latin!

In the case of Nalanda and other such Indian word, Sanskrit etymologies are appropriate. But it is important to keep an encylopedic tone and include references for what you are saying.

In some other cases the resemblances are purely coincidental - for instance the words "Aral" or "Nile" are highly unlikely to have any relationship to Sanskrit.

So for this reason I am reverting most of your edits. Please don't be discouraged, there is nothing wrong with including Sanskrit etymologies, just make sure that they are true etymologies according to a reliable source. Megalophias (talk) 16:17, 14 July 2013 (UTC)