Sama learning, worldview and religion were greatly shaped by speakers of Sanskrit, teachers originally from South Asia who reached Southeast Asia prior to Arab or Western influence. Many Sanskrit words remain a part of important conversations in Sinama. We have been able to identify over 60 words in Sinama that originate from Sanskrit and we suspect that number to be much higher. We welcome any feedback you may be able to contribute about Sanskrit influence on the Sinama language or Sama culture in the comments.
No. | Language Sinama | Language Sanskrit | Language English |
1 | agama | āgama आगम | tradition, that which has come down, religion |
2 | altaꞌ | artha अर्थ | assets, wealth |
3 | anughalaꞌ | anugraha अनुग्रह | award, blessing, favor |
4 | astanaꞌ | āsthāna आस्थान | assembly room, an audience hall (palace in Sinama) |
5 | bahasa | bhāṣā भाषा | speech, language |
6 | baktiꞌ | bhakti भक्ति | devotion (in Sinama appreciation shown to a religious teacher) |
7 | baliyu | vāyu वायु | wind |
8 | bangsa | vaṃśa वंश | metaphorically the family tree in how it resembles bamboo joints, race, stock, lineage (in Sinama one’s race or nation) |
9 | banyagaꞌ | vaṇijaka वणिजक | a merchant, trader (in other Philippine languages this is used to describe a foreigner, while in Sulu it is used to describe a slave of status lower than an ‘ata‘.) |
10 | bassa / batsa | vācā वाचा | speech, word, a holy word, a sacred text (in Sinama the word for reading which gives the interesting connection that the reason for reading was connected to the sacred) |
11 | biddaꞌ | bheda भेद | distinction, difference, |
12 | bigi | bīja बीज | a seed, a grain, semen |
13 | biraddali | vidyādharī विद्याधरी | a female of the above class of supernatural beings, fairy, sprite, angel |
14 | bissala / bissara | vicāra विचार | discussion, dispute |
15 | biyasa / biyaksa | abhyāsa अभ्यास | a habit, to repeat an act (in Sinama accustomed to, familiar with; kabiyasahan is a custom or habit) |
16 | diwata / duwata | devatā देवता | a supernatural being (in Sinama a being that lives in a person or is summoned in order to possess a person) |
17 | dukkaꞌ | duḥkha दुःख | uneasiness, pain, sorrow, trouble, difficulty (in Sinama grief) |
18 | dusa | doṣa दोष | offence, transgression, guilt, crime |
19 | gadja | gaja गज | elephant |
20 | guna | guṇa गुण | a quality, property, or characteristic of something (in Sinama the use, value or utility of something) |
21 | guru | guru गुरु | a teacher of religion, especially a religious text, as well as esoteric skill |
22 | halgaꞌ | argha अर्घ | worth, value, price |
23 | jaga | jāgṛ जागृ | alert, awake, watchful (in Sinama to guard or watch) |
24 | kalnaꞌ | kāraṇa कारण | cause or reason |
25 | kassaꞌ (katsaꞌ) | kāca काच | glass (in Sinama a glass bottle) |
26 | kata-kata | kathā कथा | a tale, fable, feigned story, often of poetical composition (in Sinama often sung or chanted) |
27 | kawasa | vaśa वश | authority, power, control |
28 | kutaꞌ | koṭa कोट | a fort or stronghold |
29 | lagundiꞌ | nirguṇḍi निर्गुण्डि | the Chinese or five-leaved chaste tree; known traditionally for its medicinal properties |
30 | lahuꞌ | rāhuḥ राहु | an eclipse (related to the story of a demon who opposes the sun and the moon) |
31 | masa / musim | māsa मास | refers to a month and can refer to a months time in the past (two words in Sinama seem to link to this word: masa a long period of time in the past, an era and musim which refers to a season) |
32 | maha- | mahā महा | of highest degree |
33 | mahaldikaꞌ | maharddhika महर्द्धिक | prosperous (in Sinama to treat someone with utmost respect or honor, to honor) |
34 | manusiyaꞌ | manuṣyá मनुष्य | mankind |
35 | mulliya | mūlya मूल्य | worth (in Sinama to give special honor or worth) |
36 | mussaꞌ | mutya मुत्य | pearl |
37 | naga | naga नग | a serpent (in Sinama possibly a dragon or maybe the Sama concept of dragon more closely resembles a serpent; when a snake grows legs it is said to be turning into a naga) |
38 | nalkaꞌ | nārakaḥ नारक | hell |
39 | pahalaꞌ | phala फल | fruit and metaphorically reward or punishment (in Sinama blessing; especially reward in the afterlife) |
40 | paratsaya / parassaya | paricaya परिचय | to know intimately (in Sinama to believe in) |
41 | paliksaꞌ / pariksaꞌ | parīkṣā परीक्षा | to investigate |
42 | palkalaꞌ | prakāra प्रकार | a variation of something or type/kind of something (in Sinama it refers to major common events like weddings, funerals etc.) |
43 | puwasa | upavāsaḥ उपवास | fasting |
44 | pudji | pūjā पूजा | to praise, revere, honor, worship |
45 | pasalupa | sārūpya सारूप्य (also rūpa रूप) | resemblance, likeness (in Sinama for a spiritual being to appear in the form of a human) |
46 | patulaꞌ | paṭola पटोल | the dish-rag gourd |
47 | saksiꞌ | sākṣin साक्षिन् | eye-witness |
48 | Sama | śama शम sama सम | (it is often asserted that the origin of the Sama name comes from the Malay word ‘sama-sama’ for togetherness, but the Malay word originates from Sanskrit and Sanskrit has two words that sound similar: ‘sama’ for equality and ‘shama’ for peace; being that it is second nature for the Sama to tell others that they are a peace-loving people, is it possible that the origin of their name itself asserts the Sama cultural value of peace?) |
49 | sama | sama सम | equal (in Sinama can be used as a prefix e.g. Samaheya du kami.) |
50 | samantalaꞌ | samāntara समान्तर | parallel (in Sinama to consider two related things; since that is so; in view of) |
51 | sampakaꞌ | campaka चम्पक | the frangipani tree (in India it is considered a variety of the champak flower, that which is found in home of Sri Krishna, a god residing in the highest realm of heaven) |
52 | sampulnaꞌ | sampūrṇa संपूर्ण | complete, filled (a combination of root words sama + pūrṇa) |
53 | sandanaꞌ | candana चन्दन | sandalwood (used for incense and perfume) |
54 | sahaya | chāya छाय | play of light, luster, light (in Sinama brilliance of a light or the shine of a light) |
55 | sangkakala | śaṅkha शङ्ख + kālaḥ काल | śaṅkha is a conch shell literally and can be a trumpet and kālaḥ means time, this is the trumpet to be blown upon the end of time |
56 | sattuwa | sattva सत्त्व | creature, animal (in Sinama used often for larger wild animals) |
57 | saupama | upamā उपमा | comparison, similarity (in Sinama to give an example) |
58 | sukaꞌ | cukra चुक्र | vinegar |
59 | sulgaꞌ | svarga स्वर्ग | heaven |
60 | sussi | śuci शुचि | completely clean, pure, holy |
61 | sutlaꞌ | sūtra सूत्र | a thread, yarn, string, cord, wire (in Sinama it refers to silk) |
62 | suwala | svara स्वर | voice |
63 | tiksaꞌ / siksaꞌ | śikṣā शिक्षा | punishment (in Sinama hardship and suffering) |
64 | usaha | utsāha उत्साह | effort, perseverance, exertion (in Sinama what one does for a living, usually referring to various forms of fishing) |
65 | uttalaꞌ | uttara उत्तर | north (in Sinama the name of the north wind) |
66 | tinggaꞌ | tīvra तीव्र | iron, steel, tin, lead (in Sinama this especially refers to weights used for diving) |
67 | walnaꞌ | varṇa वर्ण | color |
The word hina in Tagalog is often used by Sama speakers to mean ‘weak’. It is not included in the Sinama dictionary and readily identified as being borrowed from Tagalog. Its Sanskrit origin (hīna हीन) makes me question whether it should be included as a Sinama word as well.