The Roots, Verb-Forms and Primary Derivatives of the Sanskrit Language: A Supplement to His Sanskrit Grammar

In the preface, Whitney explains that the work was intended especially as a supplement to his Sanskrit Grammar. His aim was to assemble the verbal material of the language systematically so that readers could examine the roots, their conjugational forms and their primary derivatives within a unified reference structure. Whitney also emphasizes the importance of distinguishing different historical layers of Sanskrit. He separates Vedic and later materials and discusses the classification of linguistic evidence drawn from the Vedas, Brāhmaṇas, Upaniṣads and subsequent Sanskrit literature. The main lexical section begins with the heading “Sanskrit Roots, Verb-Forms, and Primary Derivatives” and proceeds root by root, supplying meanings, grammatical formations, textual references and derivative forms.