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Reading Monier-Williams (with quizzes)

The Monier-Williams dictionary (MW) is arranged etymologically, not as a flat alphabetical list. That makes it a powerful tool — cognate words gather under their shared root — but it surprises first-time users. This page teaches the navigation skills and then lets you test yourself: 69 practice questions drawn from Lessons 12–14 of Charles Wikner's A Practical Sanskrit Introductory.

For how to look a word up in the online displays (input scheme, output script, the four search modes), see the Monier-Williams guide and Search & Display. This page is about the structure of the dictionary itself — equally true of the scanned print pages and the digital text.

Source

The questions and worked answers come from Charles Wikner, A Practical Sanskrit Introductory (1996), a freely distributable course (Lessons 12–14 are a hands-on MW manual). Each lookup answer shows the print page + column (e.g. 135a = page 135, column a) and links to the matching CDSL entry — its digital record id (lnum) and live display; the trace exercises link each cited dhātu the same way. The page numbers were verified against the digital MW source (csl-orig/v02/mw): all 40 print citations match the digital <pc> page,column exactly.

The four levels of alphabetical order​

MW reconciles its etymological grouping with alphabetical lookup using four nested levels of ordering. Internalising these is the single most important navigation skill:

  1. Devanāgarī entry words — the outermost level, alphabetised in Sanskrit order.
  2. Transliterated (Roman) derived words listed under each Devanāgarī entry — alphabetised independently of the outer order.
  3. Hyphen-led samāsa (compounds) within an entry's paragraph — e.g. -kalpa under Buddha means Buddhakalpa. Mentally replace the leading hyphen with the entry word.
  4. Sub-sub-entries listed under a third-level compound — the innermost level.

Because there can be several pages between two Devanāgarī entry words, the page-heading words (top of each page, in both scripts) only tell you the first and last entry words — not which level they sit at. They get you within ~10 pages; they can also mislead. When in doubt, turn back toward अ and follow the Devanāgarī entries.

Quiz · Lesson 12 — structure & navigation

11 questions

  1. Concept§12.3easy

    On what two organizing principles is the Monier-Williams dictionary built?

    Show answer
    Etymological (cognate words are gathered under the dhatu they share) AND alphabetical.
  2. Concept§12.3easy

    How many distinct levels of alphabetical ordering does MW use?

    Show answer
    Four.
  3. Concept§12.3medium

    What is the FIRST (outermost) level of alphabetical order in MW?

    Show answer
    The main entry words printed in Devanagari script, alphabetized in Sanskrit order.
  4. Concept§12.3medium

    What is the SECOND level of alphabetical order?

    Show answer
    Derived words listed under each Devanagari entry, printed in transliterated Roman and alphabetized independently of the outer Devanagari sequence.
  5. Concept§12.3medium

    What is the THIRD level of alphabetical order?

    Show answer
    Samasa (compounds) beginning with a hyphen, listed alphabetically within an entry's paragraph; mentally replace the leading hyphen with the entry word.
  6. Concept§12.3hard

    What is the FOURTH (innermost) level of alphabetical order?

    Show answer
    Sub-sub-entries listed in alphabetical order under a third-level hyphenated sub-entry (e.g. -parisodhaka and -varalocana under -kshetra under Buddhi).
  7. Concept§12.3medium

    What are the two main advantages of MW's etymological arrangement?

    Show answer
    (1) Cognate words from one dhatu are gathered together, giving breadth of understanding; (2) it is trivial to trace a word back to its dhatu, giving depth/insight.
  8. Multiple choice§12.3easy

    Under the entry 'Buddha', a bold sub-entry printed as '-kalpa' represents:

    • A cross-reference to another dictionary
    • A samasa formed by appending it to the entry word, i.e. Buddhakalpa
    • An alternate spelling of Buddha
    • A grammatical note about the entry
    Show answer
    A samasa formed by appending it to the entry word, i.e. Buddhakalpa
  9. Concept§12.4easy

    What do the page-heading (running-head) words at the top of each MW page indicate?

    Show answer
    The first and last entry words found on that page, given in both Devanagari and Roman transliteration.
  10. Concept§12.4hard

    Why can the page-heading words mislead you?

    Show answer
    They do not indicate which of the four alphabetical levels each word belongs to; the two may sit at different levels, or even appear in reverse alphabetical order because they derive from different Devanagari entries.
  11. Concept§12.3medium

    As you scan the derived words of a dhatu like budh, the first vowel strengthens Bu- to Bo- to Bau-. What are these two strengthened grades called?

    Show answer
    guna and vrddhi.

Symbols, hyphens, and abbreviations​

A handful of MW conventions unlock the entry body:

  • The little circle ° — abbreviates the part of a word supplied from context, and also abbreviates repeated English words to save space (con° = conscious, °ly = consciously, °ness = consciousness).
  • Caret/breve vowel accents — over a transliterated compound, they record the length of the two vowels that merged at the junction (short+short, short+long, long+short, long+long), so you can split the compound and look up each part.
  • A leading hyphen doesn't only append the word to the entry — it signals the element is itself separately findable in the dictionary.
  • Source abbreviations (Bhag. = Bhagavad-gītā, MBh. = Mahābhārata) are keyed in the List of Works and Authors on page xxxiii. Make a habit of looking them up.
  • Not in the main body? Check the Supplement ("Additions and Corrections", from page 1308).

Quiz · Lesson 13 — symbols & references

7 questions

  1. Concept§13.5medium

    What does the small raised circle ('the little circle') mean in MW?

    Show answer
    It is the standard Devanagari abbreviation symbol marking the first or last part of a word to be supplied from context; MW also uses it to abbreviate English words to save space (e.g. con° = conscious, °ly = consciously, °ness = consciousness).
  2. Concept§13.5hard

    What do the four caret/breve accent marks placed over transliterated vowels indicate?

    Show answer
    The length of the two vowels that merged at a compound's junction — short+short, short+long, long+short, or long+long — so that each component word can be split apart and looked up separately.
  3. Concept§13.6medium

    Besides showing that a word is appended to the entry word, what else does a leading hyphen on a sub-entry tell you?

    Show answer
    That the hyphenated element is itself a word you can look up separately in the dictionary.
  4. Concept§13.4easy

    Where in MW is the List of Works and Authors (the key to source abbreviations such as Bhag. and MBh.)?

    Show answer
    Page xxxiii of the Introduction.
  5. Multiple choice§13.4easy

    In MW, the abbreviation 'MBh.' stands for which text?

    • Bhagavad-gita
    • Mahabharata
    • Manu-bhashya
    • Mundaka
    Show answer
    Mahabharata. Bhag. abbreviates Bhagavad-gita; MBh. abbreviates Mahabharata.
  6. Concept§13.7easy

    If a word is not in the main body of MW, where should you look next?

    Show answer
    The Supplement — 'Additions and Corrections' — beginning on page 1308.
  7. Concept§13.2hard

    MW uniquely distinguishes two kinds of anusvara. What are they, and what should the student do about it?

    Show answer
    A 'true' anusvara (n-dot, inherent in the word from its dhatu, e.g. amsa, himsa) versus a 'substitute' anusvara (m-dot, produced by the rules of grammar, e.g. sam + sara = samsara). This distinction is peculiar to MW; the student may treat the two as synonymous — both simply the anusvara.

Tracing a word to its dhātu​

Because the arrangement is etymological, you trace a Roman entry to its root by following the entry words backwards until you reach a Devanāgarī (outermost-level) entry, then looking up its components. Two hard cases:

  • Short words (1–2 syllables) may not be listed at all — irregular pronoun declensions, for instance. Fall back on paradigm tables.
  • Long words (3+ syllables) — treat as a samāsa and split at every syllable with the sandhi rules, testing each candidate (this is how Yatātman resolves to root yam, and Svādhyāya to its two entries).

Quiz · Lesson 14 — finding & tracing words

5 questions

  1. Concept§14.1medium

    Because MW is etymologically arranged, how do you trace a transliterated (Roman) entry back to its dhatu?

    Show answer
    Follow the entry words backwards (toward the start of the alphabet) until you reach a Devanagari entry — the outermost level — then look up the component verb/prefix and continue back to the root.
  2. Concept§14.5medium

    You cannot find a short word of one or two syllables in MW. What is the likely reason and the recourse?

    Show answer
    It may not be listed at all (e.g. the irregular declensions of pronouns); the only recourse is to lists of paradigms.
  3. Concept§14.5medium

    What is the strategy for finding a difficult word of three or more syllables?

    Show answer
    Treat it as a samasa and use the sandhi rules to split it into parts at every syllable, looking up each candidate split until one is found.
  4. Multiple choice§14.4hard

    Why is 'Astanga' hard to find on the page its heading words suggest?

    • It is spelled differently in the dictionary
    • MW gives a separate entry word for a samasa whose adjoining word begins with 'a', so it sits on the next page (117)
    • It is only in the Supplement
    • The heading words are printed in reverse order
    Show answer
    MW gives a separate entry word for a samasa whose adjoining word begins with 'a', so it sits on the next page (117)
  5. Concept§14.4hard

    Looking up 'Vicara' or 'Sattva', the heading words do not lead you straight to the word. What general technique resolves this?

    Show answer
    Escape out of the current alphabetical level up to the next higher level (ultimately the outermost Devanagari entry) and search from there, following any cross-references.

Practice: find the headword​

Now use a copy of MW (the scans or the online displays). For each word, find it and note the page and column — reveal the answer to check, then click through to the live CDSL entry to confirm. Watch the diacritics: a and ā are different letters.

Lesson 12 lookups — simple headwords

20 questions

  1. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword in MW; give its page and column (e.g. 733b). → ātman

    Show answer
    MW 135a · CDSL entry #23455 (Atman)
  2. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → hetu

    Show answer
    MW 1303c · CDSL entry #264003 (hetu)
  3. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → yoga

    Show answer
    MW 856b · CDSL entry #172324 (yoga)
  4. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → prakṛti

    Show answer
    MW 654a · CDSL entry #130024 (prakfti)
  5. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → jñāna

    Show answer
    MW 426a · CDSL entry #80379 (jYAna)
  6. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → ānanda

    Show answer
    MW 139c · CDSL entry #24352 (Ananda)
  7. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → vyākaraṇa

    Show answer
    MW 1035c · CDSL entry #209444 (vyAkaraRa)
  8. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → brahman

    Show answer
    MW 737c · CDSL entry #146546 (brahman)
  9. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → guru

    Show answer
    MW 359b · CDSL entry #65987 (guru)
  10. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → rajas

    Show answer
    MW 863b · CDSL entry #173961 (rajas)
  11. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → citta

    Show answer
    MW 395c · CDSL entry #73536 (citta)
  12. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → ṛṣi

    Show answer
    MW 226c · CDSL entry #39047 (fzi)
  13. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → viṣṇu

    Show answer
    MW 999a · CDSL entry #202398 (vizRu)
  14. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → hṛdaya

    Show answer
    MW 1302c · CDSL entry #263742 (hfdaya)
  15. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → puruṣa

    Show answer
    MW 637a · CDSL entry #126438 (puruza)
  16. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → manas

    Show answer
    MW 783c · CDSL entry #156776 (manas)
  17. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → śarīra

    Show answer
    MW 1057c · CDSL entry #213830 (SarIra)
  18. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → bhakti

    Show answer
    MW 743a · CDSL entry #147660 (Bakti)
  19. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → ananta

    Show answer
    MW 25a · CDSL entry #4918 (ananta)
  20. Lookup§12.5

    Find the headword; give page and column. → kṛṣṇa

    Show answer
    MW 306b · CDSL entry #55142 (kfzRa) — Listed at 306b as krishna; also as Krishna at 308a.

Lesson 13 lookups — across all four levels

20 questions

  1. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word (it may be at any of the four levels, Devanagari or Roman, hyphenated); give page and column. → anvaya-vyatireka

    Show answer
    MW 46b · CDSL entry #8752 (anvayavyatireka)
  2. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → laghu-sattva-tā

    Show answer
    MW 894b · CDSL entry #180990 (laGusattvatA)
  3. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → vivāha-kāla

    Show answer
    MW 987b · CDSL entry #200058 (vivAhakAla)
  4. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → saṃskṛta

    Show answer
    MW 1120c · CDSL entry #227087 (saMskfta)
  5. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → kali-yuga

    Show answer
    MW 262a · CDSL entry #45962 (kaliyuga)
  6. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → mūḍha

    Show answer
    MW 825b · CDSL entry #166125 (mUQa)
  7. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → saṃgama-maṇi

    Show answer
    MW 1128c · CDSL entry #228510 (saMgamamaRi)
  8. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → kṣatriya-dharma

    Show answer
    MW 325b · CDSL entry #58875 (kzatriyaDarma)
  9. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → bāla-rūpa-dhṛk

    Show answer
    MW 729b · CDSL entry #144627 (bAlarUpaDfk)
  10. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → bhagavad-gītā

    Show answer
    MW 744a · CDSL entry #147853 (BagavadgItA)
  11. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → mano-bhava-śāsana

    Show answer
    MW 785b · CDSL entry #157080 (manoBavaSAsana)
  12. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → viveka

    Show answer
    MW 987c · CDSL entry #200139 (viveka)
  13. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → saṃyoga

    Show answer
    MW 1112b · CDSL entry #225750 (saMyoga)
  14. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → dhyāna-yoga

    Show answer
    MW 521a · CDSL entry #102223 (DyAnayoga)
  15. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → adhyāropa

    Show answer
    MW 23b · CDSL entry #4657 (aDyAropa)
  16. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → śraddhātṛ

    Show answer
    MW 1095c · CDSL entry #222368 (SradDAtf)
  17. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → hiraṇya-garbha

    Show answer
    MW 1299c · CDSL entry #263207 (hiraRyagarBa)
  18. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → pūrva-pakṣa-pāda

    Show answer
    MW 643c · CDSL entry #127970 (pUrvapakzapAda)
  19. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → mleccha-jāti

    Show answer
    MW 837c · CDSL entry #168917 (mlecCajAti)
  20. Lookup§13.8

    Find the word; give page and column. → agṛhīta

    Show answer
    MW 1309a · CDSL entry #873.1 (agfhIta) — Found in the Supplement (Additions and Corrections, from p. 1308), not the main body — see L13-C06.

Practice: trace to the dhātu​

Find each word, then trace it back to its root as above.

Lesson 14 — trace to dhātu

6 questions

  1. Trace to dhātu§14.6

    Look up the word and trace it to its dhatu (root). → abhaya (“fearlessness”)

    Show answer
    √bhī (CDSL #150969, MW 758a) — to fear, be afraid of. Analysis: a- (privative, mw1a) + bhaya (fear, mw747a) ← bhi
  2. Trace to dhātu§14.6

    Look up the word and trace it to its dhatu (root). → pūrṇa (“abundance”)

    Show answer
    √pṝ (CDSL #128909, MW 648a) — to fill; to sate, cherish, nourish. Analysis: purna (fulness, plenty, abundance, mw642a) ← pr
  3. Trace to dhātu§14.6

    Look up the word and trace it to its dhatu (root). → pratyāhāra (“withdrawal”)

    Show answer
    √hṛ (CDSL #263626, MW 1302a) — to take, bear, carry (1.hr, harati). Analysis: prati- (mw661b) + a- (mw126a) + hr; confirmed by the conjugational form harati given at 677b
  4. Trace to dhātu§14.6

    Look up the word and trace it to its dhatu (root). → acāpalya (“steadiness”)

    Show answer
    √kamp (CDSL #43913, MW 252b) — to tremble, shake. Analysis: a- (privative, mw1a) + capalya (unsteadiness, mw393a) ← capala ← kamp
  5. Trace to dhātu§14.6

    Look up the word and trace it to its dhatu(s). → citrakarmavid (“skilled in painting”)

    Show answer
    √kṛ (CDSL #54148, MW 300c) + √vid (CDSL #195626, MW 963b) — kr: to do, make, perform; vid: to know, understand. Analysis: citra (mw396a) + karman (mw396b) ← kr, + vid (knower, mw963c) ← vid; karman derives from 1.kr at 300c, not 2.kr at 304a
  6. Trace to dhātu§14.6

    Look up the word and trace it to its dhatu (root). → nātimānitā (“not too much pride”)

    Show answer
    √man (CDSL #156626, MW 783a) — to think, believe, imagine (cl. 8/4 Ā, manute/manyate). Analysis: na (mw523a) + ati (mw12b) + manita (mw809b) ← man

See also​