Thank you for this excellent introduction! It is providing me with a very helpful overview of the structure of Sanskrit. It is so helpful to hear and try to emulate your pronunciation too!

Dear Anuradha,
I thought that the root form or dhatu of a word was always a verbal form... like yuj is the root form for yoga and its derivatives... ( ? )

Dear Kate, In Sanskrit we have two kinds of word forms that undergo changes - Noun roots (sup-anta or subanta also known as prAtipadika) which undergo declensions as the various cases; and the Verb roots (ting-anta also called dhatu) which get conjugated in the different tenses and moods. The Verb roots can also become nouns, adjectives etc by acquiring different suffixes. eg: the root 'gam' gets conjugated as 'gacchati' as a verb or can become 'gamanam' as a noun meaning 'the going' or the past participle 'gata' can act as an adjective.
Hope this helps to bring some clarity in your understanding. Shubhamastu

Thank you SO much for the answer!!! I haven't explored noun roots yet. I'm trying to learn to navigate the Monier-Williams Sanskrit dictionary. That in itself is a mission - ! - although it is certainly getting a bit easier : ) Thank you again for creating this wonderful resource.

Anuradha, would you ever consider presenting an introduction to Vedic chanting on the website?