Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary, Volume 2: Dictionary

Volume II should be read in conjunction with Edgerton’s Volume I: Grammar. Whereas the first volume establishes the phonological, morphological, and grammatical structure of Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, the Dictionary documents individual lexical items and their occurrence throughout the Buddhist Sanskrit corpus. Edgerton’s lexicographical method reflects his broader thesis that Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit is not simply corrupt or defective Classical Sanskrit. Many of its distinctive words, meanings, and forms preserve Middle Indo-Aryan characteristics or represent developments specific to Buddhist textual usage.

For this reason, dictionary entries frequently move beyond simple Sanskrit–English equivalence. They identify semantic developments particular to Buddhist texts, distinguish genuinely BHS usages from standard Sanskrit ones, compare cognate or parallel forms in Pāli and Prākrit, and evaluate textual variants where necessary. The dictionary thus provides an essential bridge between linguistic analysis and the actual interpretation of Buddhist Sanskrit literature, especially Mahāyāna texts and works transmitted through complex manuscript traditions.

Table of Contents

• Dictionary

• Partial Index of Middle Indic Words

  • Pāli

  • Ardhamāgadhī

  • Other Prākrit, Apabhraṃśa, and Deśī Words

• Addendum