Which word is the best fit for a particular meaning and context?
How do I express everyday ideas in colloquial language, avoiding the bookish style found in dictionaries?
What’s the actual difference in meaning between the ‘synonyms’ that dictionaries offer?
How do I build up phrases and sentences around a particular word?
The Hindi Thesaurus addresses such questions in a series of lively, unscripted Hindi-medium conversations about groups of words of related meaning. Concentrating on selected mainstream words and phrases, we help you to broaden your active vocabulary by encountering styles of language appropriate for everyday speech. The conversations are between Rupert Snell (Hindi teacher and perpetual Hindi learner) and Neha Ladha (mother-tongue speaker of Hindi).
Rupert Snell
Project Director, Podcast Host, Audio and Glossaries Editor
Rupert Snell is Professor Emeritus of Hindi in the Department of Asian Studies. Before moving to Texas he taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, for three decades. Snell is a recipient of the prestigious Sir George Grierson Hindi Sevi Sammaan Award given by the President of India in 1997 in recognition of his services to the Hindi language. Known worldwide for his textbooks in the ‘Teach Yourself‘ series, he teaches Hindi language at all levels. His research interests lie primarily in 16th and 17th century poetry; publications in the field include The Eighty-Four Hymns of Hita Harivamsha (a little-known devotional text) and The Hindi Classical Tradition: A Braj Bhasa Reader (an expanded edition of which is currently under preparation, together with a sister volume on the Awadhi Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas). His study Hindi and Urdu since 1800: a Common Reader, co-written with Christopher Shackle in 1990, is available in full under the Resources section of our website. A book that has received much acclaim is Snell’s translation of the autobiography of the 20th-century Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, published in 1998 under the title In the Afternoon of Time. Snell has also edited several volumes of papers, including According to Tradition: Hagiographical Writing in India (with Winand Callewaert) and Classics of Modern South Asian Literature (with Ian Raeside). Current projects include a volume of papers on ‘Hinglish’ (with Rita Kothari of MICA, Ahmedabad), and, in collaboration with Laura Brueck of the University of Colorado, a study of the stylistics of 20th-century Hindi writing.
Email: rupertsnell@mail.utexas.edu
Neha Ladha
Podcast co-host, Transcript Producer
I hail from the Pink City: Jaipur, Rajasthan. I am at home with both Hindi and English. Working on this thesaurus has been a wonderful opportunity for me. I have rediscovered many words and phrases and gained a fresh insight into their meanings. The company of Dr. Rupert Snell (an enthusiast for Hindi language and inspiration for his colleagues and students) made the experience even more rewarding. I am confident that you will benefit from this thesaurus, as much as I have in the course of it’s production.
Email: neha25.ladha@gmail.com
