The Desiderative

Also known as: sannanta ("suffixed by sa")

Introduction

Sanskrit gives us two ways to express what we want to do. First, we can use the verb iṣ with an infinitive:

• गन्तुम् इच्छामि

  gantum icchāmi

  I want to go.

Second, we can use a new verb form:

• जिगमिषामि

  jigamiṣāmi

  I want to go.

This verb form has many names. I will use the traditional English name and call this verb the desiderative (pronounced "duh-si-dur-a-tive"). The "desidera" in this term is from a Latin word; this same Latin word is the origin of the English word "desire."

Forming the desiderative root

The desiderative uses a special root. Let's call this root the desiderative root. To form the desiderative root, we perform doubling on the verb root and and add s to the end of the root. Some roots use the connecting i vowel, which combines with the s suffix to form iṣ.

• युध् → यु + युध् + स् → युयुत्स्

  yudh → yu + yudh + s → yuyuts

  fight → want to fight

• जीव् → जि + जीव् + इ + स् → जिजीविष्

  jīv → ji + jīv + i + s → jijīviṣ

  live → want to live

Generally, we need to do three things to create the desiderative root:

• Create the doubled sound
• Change the root
• Add the s suffix

Creating the doubled sound

The doubled sound follows the regular rules of reduplication. The vowel in the doubled sound is always either i or u, and it is determined by the vowel in the root:

Root vowel

Doubled vowel

u, ū

u

ṛ, ṝ

u if after a consonant in pavarga; i otherwise.

Other

i

• स्था → तिष्ठास्

  sthā → tiṣṭhās

  stand → wish to stand

• मृ → मुमूर्ष्

  mṛ → mumūrṣ

  die → wish to die

  Note that mṛ becomes mūr. We'll study this change further below.

If the root starts with a vowel, then it does not use a doubled sound. Instead, the s suffix is used with the connecting vowel i. (But, two similar vowels will not combine; see the example below.) āp irregularly forms a special desiderative root: īps.

• इ → इयिष्

  i → iyiṣ

  go → wish to go

  The result is iyiṣ, not īṣ.

• आस् → आसिष्

  ās → āsiṣ

  sit → wish to sit

• आप् → ईप्स्

  āp → īps

  obtain → wish to obtain

Changing the root

ṛ and ṝ become īr; but if they appear after a sound from pavarga, they become ūr instead.

• कृ → चिकीर्ष्

  kṛ → cikīrṣ

• तॄ → तितीर्ष्

  tṝ → titīrṣ

• मृ → मुमूर्ष्

  mṛ → mumūrṣ

• पॄ → पुपूर्ष्

  pṝ → pupūrṣ

A final short vowel usually becomes long.

• श्रु → शुश्रूष्

  śru → śuśrūṣ

  hear → want to hear

If the root is used with iṣ, then the following root vowels will strengthen:

• When final: ī, ū, ṝ
• When surrounded by consonants: ṛ
• The u of śubh

• नृत् → निनर्तिष्

  nṛt → ninartiṣ

• शुभ् → शुशोभिष्

  śubh → śuśobhiṣ

Using the desiderative root

If we have a desiderative root, we can make three different types of words: verbs, adjectives, and abstract nouns.

Verbs

We can form four different stems:

Stem Type

Suffix

ordinary stem

a

passive stem

ya

causal stem

aya

future stem

iṣya

All four of these stems are used normally, and they can be mixed and matched as you might expect. The causal stem, however, might be tricky at first. If the original verb means "to X," the causal stem means "cause somebody to want X." Note the order here carefully. The subject causes; he does not want.

• आप् → ईप्स् → ईप्सय → ईप्सयामि

  āp → īps → īpsaya → īpsayāmi

  obtain → want to obtain (root) → cause to want to obtain (stem) → I cause to want to obtain.

  (order: desiderative stem, causal suffix, verb ending)

Adjectives

The desiderative root is commonly used to create adjectives, especially in later Sanskrit works. To create the adjective, add u to the end of the root.

• युध् → युयुत्स् → युयुत्सु

  yudh → yuyuts → yuyutsu

  fight → want to fight (root) → wanting to fight (adjective)

Abstract Nouns

The desiderative root can also become an abstract noun. To turn the root into a noun, add ā to the end of the root.

• ज्ञा → जिज्ञास् → जिज्ञासा

  jñā → jijñās → jijñāsā

  know → want to know (root) → desire to know, investigation

• मन् → मीमांस् → मीमांसा

  man → mīmāṃs → mīmāṃsā

  think → want to think (root) → desire to think; analysis, profound investigation, Mimāṃsā

  (Note that the doubling here is irregular.)

Exceptions and other notes

The desiderative with causal stems

We can use the causal stem to create desiderative verbs as well. The last a of the stem is removed, and a connecting i is used. If the original verb means "to X" and the causal verb means "to cause somebody to X," then the desiderative verb means "to want to cause somebody to X." Note the order here carefully. The subject wants; he does not cause.

• धृ → धार् → धारय → दिधारयिष् → दिधारयिष → दिधारयिषति

  dhṛ → dhār → dhāraya → didhārayiṣ → didhārayiṣa → didhārayiṣati

  bear (root) → cause to bear (root) → cause to bear (stem) → want to cause to bear (root) → want to cause to bear (stem) → He wants to cause to bear.

  (order: doubled sound, causal stem, desiderative suffix, verb ending)

Odd meanings of the desiderative root

For some verb that means "X," the desiderative does not always mean "want to X." Sometimes, the desiderative may mean something else:

• श्रु → शुश्रूष्

  śru → śuśrūṣ

  hear → want to hear; attend, serve

• तिज् → तितिक्ष्

  tij → titikṣ

  become sharp → want to become sharp; endure, suffer patiently