Sanskritsanskritsanskrit

Got up at nine as the cat walked over me. Oof. Fourteen pounds of wake-up-now-I'm-hungry kitty.

Pulled out the Sanskrit homework and started reading, copying, testing myself, writing, reading.

wildernessguru brought in a yogurt, happy to have a shot at the computer for a change. I mumbled something incoherent, digging a spoon into it without tasting it.

Sanskritsanskritsanskrit...

...if the visarga (":") is the absolute final, the end of a sentence, then it remains unchanged. If it's followed by the unvoiced palatal, retroflex, or dental consonants, and preceded by the vowel AH, the visarga transforms to the sibilant of that varga (i.e. the palatal, retroflex, or dental varga) and combines with the following consonant. If it's followed by the unvoiced labial and gutteral consonants then the visarga remains. If the visarga is preceded by the vowel AH and followed by voiced consonants (and vowels which are also voiced) it changes to O plus that consonant. If the visarga is preceded by the vowel AH and followed by the vowel AH, it transforms to O, but the consonant is dropped and replaced by an avagraha squiggle. If the visarga is preceded by the vowel AH and followed by a vowel other than AH, the visarga is dropped and the two morphemes are not written in the same string of Devanagri letters.

Sanskritsanskritsanskrit...

...if the visarga is preceded by AAH, and followed by a voiced consonant (or a vowel; all vowels are voiced), the visarga is simply dropped and the two morphemes are not written in the same string of Devanagri leters. If the visarga is preceded by any other vowel (besides AH or AAH) and followed by a voiced consonant (other than R), it turns into that vowel plus R (example "UR" or "IR") plus that voiced consonant (example "NUR" or "NIR"). If the visarga is preceded by any other vowel (besides the AH/AAH twins) and followed by the voiced consonant R (technically a semi-vowel in Sanskrit), then drop the visarga and make whatever vowel it is Long, as double RR is illegal -- do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Vanna, can we buy a vowel?

Sanskritsanskritsanskrit...

wilderness, finally bored with his rare opportunity to have the computer on the weekend, poked his head in. "Are you still studying that Sanskrit stuff?"

"Wha-? Yeah." I blinked up. It was three thirty. Holy cow.

"It's that hard?"

I realize that I usually don't have to study much and this is a big change. I don't think he's seen me work except on finals.

"Yes." Then I correct myself. "Well, I got distracted last week, so I fell behind."

To take a break I worked on a very satisfying beta project. Then I was back at the books. Sanskritsanskritsanskrit...

Surfacing again. It's nine pm and I'm about halfway through what I need for the quiz tomorrow.

• Break


• Write out consonant combo review


• Move on to consonant sandhi (other than visarga)


• Rewrite last week's homework to test if I've improved over Friday


• Write sandhi rules sheet

It's fun. Sort of like a 2,000-piece puzzle only on a deadline.

Beta Appreciation Day, Week, Month?

Yesterday while glancing nervously at the pile of homework I had for Monday morning I ran across the Beta Appreciation week meme. I had hoped to do a rec-list of my betas' stories, but while that's a good idea, I'll have to put it on hold for now as I slip this in under the deadline (and then dive back into homework).


My betas have taught me how to write.

My first beta was Gabby Hope, who patiently trained me in pacing and coaxed me to cut those long, meandering Tolkein-esque sentences.

Connie (CLS) worked with me all the way through Primer to the Dark Arts, masterfully asking open-ended questions that drew much more out of the characters and story (including entire chapters). I miss you, Connie, and have been thinking about you the last few weeks.

wildernessguru has an eagle-eye for plot holes and real life understanding of men and gay sex. ;)

stellahobbit and teaphile are willing to bounce ideas around half-formed, and Stella's put me through three re-writes on one story, challenging me (gently) until I realized she was correct. enname is like a director, megaphone in hand, "Give us more detail, make it more vivid!"

electricandroid has always been there when I'm down on a story and ready to throw it in the trash, while lizardspots has turned story-writing into a spectator sport in chat. Some of you have even beta'd stories and pairings you didn't like.

cursive as well as several others (hi Maud!) have been willing to beta my original fic, too.

I try not to rely too heavily on one or another beta, and I'm usually waving a story at the last-minute at my friends list. So this list is long. In no particular order, thank you to:

tboy, switchknife, adred, hijja, Velveteen Thestral, cordelia_v isiscolo, rosesanguina, Grey Bard, lerah99, Faerie Mistress, underlucius, cheshyre, dphearson, angeluzion, Sue Barrett, cyanei, Fiona, Thalia, Read300300, Mike-the-geologist, sharp_tongue, wordwitch, theemdash, fairestcat, springwoof, libitina, salix_babylon, goseaward, mad_maudlin, 20th Century Vole, Anuanu, sparrowhawk, A. L. deSauveterre, Hainu, Fachel, Favrielle, Kat, Desiree, Belfrage, millefiori, Carmudgeon, Saar, Blackstone, Erin, and amothea.

Your advice, observations, and comments stay with me. I listen, not just for the one story, but let them sink into the bedrock slowly and change the way I write. Thank you.


ETA: I forgot four people. Gosh, I hope I didn't forget anyone else.

Quizquizquiz

Sanskrit quiz done. *Icarus deflates like a limp balloon.*

You know it's going to be rough when the professor apologizes as she hands out the quiz and says, "Now remember, this is primarily diagnostic. Just do the best that you can."

It still wasn't as bad as I feared.

I'm useless at the moment. And hungry. But I might sneak a snack in the library and make myself study more Sanskrit before I go home. Tomorrow we start finite verb conjugations.

My textbook for this section reads (I'm serious): Don't Panic. Ha.

Raining today. The blue skies and sparkling leaves are gone and Seattle has turned back into Seattle.