English Grammar:
- ME: 1st Person
- You: 2nd Person
- Others: 3rd Person
Sanskrit Grammar:
- Others: प्रथम पुरुष (Prathama Purush). Prathama is the Sanskrit word for First – i.e, Others are considered as 1st person
- You: मध्यम पुरुष (Madhyam Purush). Madhyama stands for Middle – i.e, You are considered as middle person
- Me: उत्तम पुरुष (Uttam Purush)- Although Uttam literally means superlative or ultimate, in this context, the word could be interpreted as final, or last person.
Is this difference in grammar reflective of the big gap in cultures (well, maybe not today – but say half a millennium back)?
And, on a slightly tangential thought, could this more-importance-on-others attitude have anything to do with our forefathers allowing ourselves to be colonised?
I think the answer to the first question is Yes; while the second one .. I'm not really sure.
What say?
