Pre-Intermediate

Pre-Intermediate Sanskrit

Pre-Intermediate Sanskrit is the third of four levels, comprised of three courses.  Pre-Intermediate Sanskrit 1 leads on from Elementary Sanskrit 3 and opens with The Story of Sagara and His Sons, involving further conjugation (the perfect and the imperative) and declension (stems in -ṛ). The IAST is still used to explain grammatical points, whilst texts presented in the Devanāgarī and fully sandhified assist the learner to make the transition from simplified Sanskrit to the language encountered in authentic texts. The emphasis is strongly on developing confidence in reading and comprehension. 

Pre-Intermediate Sanskrit 2 focuses on non-thematic conjugation - one of the more challenging aspects of the language. The Story of Sagara and His Sons allows the learner to gain increasing confidence with non-thematic conjugation whilst acquiring a greater vocabulary. Pre-Intermediate Sanskrit 3 introduces the learner to authentic Sanskrit from the Bhagavadgītā, a work of supreme importance in the tradition of both ancient and modern India. Further aspects of the verbal system are studied (such as the passive system) and, since the Bhagavadgītā is in verse, metre is explored.  

Pre-Intermediate Sanskrit 1

Textbook:

Maurer, W. H. (2009) The Sanskrit Language.

Weekly topics:

1.       Review of Elementary 3

2.       The perfect and the imperative

3.       Word building

4.       Adjectives in -añc

5.       Further declension: stems in -ṛ

6.       Midterm summary

7.       Detailed grammatical analysis

8.       Residual sandhi rules

9.       Reading and translation

10.     Overview and consolidation

Pre-Intermediate Sanskrit 2

Textbook:

Maurer, W. H. (2009) The Sanskrit Language.

Weekly topics:

1.       Review of Pre-Intermediate 1

2.       Non-thematic conjugation

3.       Investigating Classes II, III and VIII

4.       Investigating Classes V, VII and IX

5.       More on non-thematic conjugation

6.       Midterm summary

7.       Reading and translation

8.       Practice in non-thematic conjugation

9.       Detailed grammatical analysis

10.     Overview and consolidation

Pre-Intermediate Sanskrit 3

Textbook:

Maurer, W. H. (2009) The Sanskrit Language.

Weekly topics:

1.       Review of Pre-Intermediate 2

2.       The passive system investigated

3.       Sanskrit verse: the śloka metre

4.       Reading the Bhagavadgītā (i)

5.       Reading the Bhagavadgītā (ii)

6.       Midterm summary

7.       Causative and denominative verbs

8.       The desiderative and the gerundive

9.       Reading the Bhagavadgītā (iii)

10.     Overview and consolidation