Organic Chemicals in Sanskrit
Organic Chemicals in Sanskrit
This is the first part in a prospective series of blog posts where I coin some chemical names in Sanskrit. This may be sugars, acids, proteins, etc. In this blog, I will be naming the sugars and the some of the Amines, Alcohols, and Alkanes. The idea is to move away from English words in Indian langauges, while not sacrificing unity. However, I do recomend trying to translate these words into vernacular languages as much as possible, because ultimately we want people to understand science and not get tripped up by jargon.
Element Roots
In oder to say sutuff like "hydro-" pr "chloro-" or "carbo-". it is necessary that we have short hand froms of the elements. This is so we can make words that are less syllables. Here is a short list. I will make a longer one later:
Hydrogen (उद्रजन): उदक्य
Carbon (अङ्गर): अङ्गर
Chlorine (हरित-द्रव्य): हरि
Oxygen (प्राणजन): प्रान्य
Nitrogen (सोरजन): सोर्य
Phosphorous: (भास्वर): भास्वर
OH pair: प्राण्योदक्य
Sugars
These are small sweet Carbohydrates. I use one Sanskrit word for Sugar and Carbohydrate and that is शर्करा, which is Sanskrit for sugar. Table Sugar or Sucrose being the most famous of the sugars (and the origin of the word itself) will be formally called सुशर्करा or "good sugar".Sucrose is a disaccharide (द्विशर्करिका) made of two molecules, monomers, called Glucose and Fructose. Glucose is famous as it is the sugar that is the primary sugar used by many organisms. Glucose was first extracted from rasins and is colloquially known as :grape sugar: as a result. In fact the word "glucose" from the Greek word for grape wine. We are not going to call it that; rather we will give it a name that reflects its importance, so something like "foremost of sugars" so अग्रशर्करा or "truest sugar", सच्छर्करा?? I will probably return to this.
Fructose is the other molecule in Sucrose, and it is famous for its abudance in fruits. Thus the naming is quite striaghtforward: फलशर्करा.
.The next set of sugars I want to name are the ones found in milk: Lactose and Galactose. Both roughly mean "milk sugar" and that is what we shall name it in Sanskrit. Lactose is क्षिरशर्करा, and Galactose is दुग्धशर्करा.
The next is Arabinose, which is named after Gum-Arabic, from which it was first isolated. Gum-Arabic in Sanskrit is वव्वोल. Thus the sugar should be called वव्वोलशर्करा. Ribose is an steroisomer of Arabinose, and is found in RNA. I should call it "similar to Aranose" and thus "निभवव्वोलशर्करा". I will probably rename this, and for that reason, I will refrain from renaming Deoxyribose-- the sugar found in DNA.
Maltose is another famous sugar. It is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules. Thus I could name it द्वयग्रशर्करिका ("having two glucoses"). However, I could name it after malt, from which it was discovered. Malt in Sanskrit is तोक्मन्, and thus Maltose could be तोक्मशर्करा. Isomaltose is the isomer of Maltose, and thus it could be समद्वयग्रशर्करिका or समतोक्मशर्करा. For isomers, just add the word "सम" to the begining of the molecule in question.
As you may have seen, all these names of sugars end in शर्करा or something like that. This is in contrast to the English convention where we add the suffix "-ose". I want to make sure people know without a doubt that a word is refering to sugar when it does. To name the associated enzyme, just add आवेजक, which the online dictionaries translates as "catylist", though I would suggest using any exisiting word for enzyme.
Cellulose is the the polysaccharide (बहुशर्करिका) sugar that makes of the cell wall of plants and algae and some other organism. I can name it "Plant Cell Wall Sugar" or सस्यकोशाभित्तिशर्कर्का. Short hand forms could be: सस्यकोशाशर्करा, कोशाशर्करा,कोशाभित्तिशर्करा, सस्यभित्तिशर्कर्का.
The other Polysaccharide I can think of is Starch. Starch is found in flour of grains like wheat. Hence I will name starch as "sugar of wheat" or गोधूमशर्करा.
Summary:
Carbohydates/Sugar: सुशर्करा
Disaccharide: द्विशर्करिका
Polysaccharide: बहुशर्करिका
Sucrose: सुशर्करा
Glucose: अग्रशर्करा?, सच्छर्करा?
Fructose: फलशर्करा
Lactose: क्षिरशर्करा
Galactose: दुग्धशर्करा
Arabinose: वव्वोलशर्करा
Ribose: निभवव्वोलशर्करा
Maltose: द्वयग्रशर्करिका or तोक्मशर्करा
Isomaltose: समद्वयग्रशर्करिका or समतोक्मशर्करा
Cellulose: सस्यकोशाशर्करा, कोशाशर्करा,कोशाभित्तिशर्करा, सस्यभित्तिशर्कर्का, or सस्यभित्तिशर्कर्का.
Starch: गोधूमशर्करा
Amines
Amines are defined by the fact that they have nitrogen atoms as lone pair and are often flanked by hydrogen. So a molecule might have NH2 group, and that is an Amine. The word Amine is derived from Ammonia (which as as Amine as you can get). So we first have to make a Sanskrit word for Ammonia.
Ammonia is so called because it comes from Sal-Ammoniac, which in Sanskrit is नरसार. Thus, Ammonia could be नारसार. And thus Amine could be नारसार्य. A Polyamine, molecules having multiple Amine groups, is thus बहुनारसार्यक. Thus Amino Acid would thus be नारसार्य-अम्ल.
We can use नारसार्य as a suffix to name all Amines.
Dopamine is an example of an amine. This is a horomone that makes you feel good. This can be called "Amine of Happiness" or सुखनारसार्य. A short hand could be "Chemical of Happiness" or "सुखद्रव्य".
Seratonine is another Amine, and this one is resposible for general wellfare. Hence I can call it "Welfare Amine" or सुधानारसार्य or सुधाद्रव्य ("Welfare Chemical) as a short hand.
Putracine, Spermadine, Spermine are Polyamines that play very vital roles in practically all living organisms. They are the most important polyamines in my opinion. From Putracine there is Spermadine, and from that there is Spermine. Putracine is responsuble for the putrid smell of rotting flesh. Thus, I will call it "Putrid Amine" which is पूतिनारसार्य or पूतनारसार्य. A short hand colloquial may be to replace the नारसार्य with द्रव्य ("Chemical").
Because Spermadine comes from Putracine, it will be उपपूतनारसार्य. Spermine comes from Spermidine, so it will be उपोपपूतनारसार्य. I may rename these in the future. In any case, these three should be called the "Great Triad of Polyamines" or बहुनारसार्यक-महात्रायकम्.
Summary:
Sal-Ammoniac: नरसार
Ammonia: नारसार
Amine: नारसार्य (or सार्य??)
Polyamine: बहुनारसार्यक
Amino Acid: नारसार्य-आम्ल.
Dopamine: सुखनारसार्य or सुखद्रव्य
Seratonine: सुधानारसार्य or सुधाद्रव्य
Putracine: पूतिनारसार्य or पूतनारसार्य
Spermadine: उपपूतनारसार्य or उपपूतिनारसार्य
Spermine: उपोपपूतनारसार्य or उपोपपूतिनारसार्य
Great Triad of Polyamines: बहुनारसार्यक-महात्रायकम्
Alcohols
The next class of molecules are Alcohols or मद्य. Ethanol is the main alcohol, as in it is the alcohol found in alcoholic drinks. Thus it will be सुमद्य. The next is Methanol which is "wood alcohol" as it was origianlly made from wood. Thus it will be द्रुमद्य.
Butanol is ultimately related to Butyric Acid, which I have named as नवनीतीय-अम्ल. Thus Butanol is नावनीतीयकमद्य.
Glycerol is another important alcohol as it is a key componant in fats. In fact, this molecule is part of the phospholipid molecules that makes up cell membranes. Thus I can call it "Fat alcohol", वसामद्य or वसामद्य. However, Glycerol was named because it was sweet like sugar, so I can call it "Sweet Alcohol" or मधुरमद्य.
Another way is to classify it by number of carbon atoms of the main molecule. For exmaple, Ethanol has the Ethy group, which is of two carbons. Thus द्व्यङगरिमद्य
Summary:
Alcohol: मद्य
Ethanol: सुमद्य
Methanol: द्रुमद्य
Butanol: नावनीतीयकमद्य
Glycerol: वसामद्य or वसामद्य or मधुरमद्य
Alkanes
Alkanes are moelcules consistng entirely of carbons and hydrogens, so a good name would be "fully hydrogens carbons" or "पूर्णोदक्याङ्गर".
To name the Alkane classify it by number of carbon atoms of the main molecule. For example, Ethane has two carbons. Thus द्व्यङ्गरिन्. The simple form of "6 + carbon+ possessive suffix" will denote an alkane.This system is the better one to use.
Summary:
Alkane: पूर्णोदक्याङ्गर
Ethane: द्व्यङ्गरिन्
Alkenes
Alkenes are also moelcules consistng entirely of carbons and hydrogens, but one carbon has a double bond, so it is not saturated. so a good name would be "mostly hydrocarbons" or "बहूदक्याङ्गर".
To name the Alkene classify it by number of carbon atoms of the main molecule and add "मत्". For exmaple, Ethene has two carbons. Thus "द्व्यङ्गरमत्". Again, this system is the better one to use.
Summary:
Alkene: बहूदक्याङ्गरEthene: द्व्यङ्गरमत्
Alkene: बहूदक्याङ्गर
Ethene: द्व्यङ्गरमत्
Alkynes
Alkanes are also moelcules consistng entirely of carbons and hydrogens, but one carbon has a triple bond, so it is not saturated. so a good name would be "many hydrocarbons" or "पुलूदक्याङ्गर".
To name a Alkene, classify it by number of carbon atoms of the main molecule and add "वत्". For exmaple, Ethyne has two carbons. Thus "द्व्यङ्गरवत्".
Summary:
Alkyne: पुलूदक्याङ्गरEthyne: द्व्यङ्गरवत्
Types of Functional Groups
Through my Organic chemistry class (sophomore second semester) I have to memorize the functional groups. One trick is to know that some functional groups stick out the ends of molecules, like Alcohols and Carboxyls, while others are located inside the molecule, basically as infixes.
Branching functional groups: शखInfixed Functional Groups: अनतरित
Our main Branching functional group of focus are the Carbonyls. Carbonyls are a class of branching functional groups that have oxygen double bonded to the carbon. I will call Branching Carbonyl groups “सप्राण्यपल्लविन” or “पल्लविन” for short.
The regular Carbony, group, i.e C=O, is "प्राण्यशङ्कु", or "Oxygen as a spike".
Through my Organic chemistry class (sophomore second semester) I have to memorize the functional groups. One trick is to know that some functional groups stick out the ends of molecules, like Alcohols and Carboxyls, while others are located inside the molecule, basically as infixes.
Branching functional groups: शख
Infixed Functional Groups: अनतरित
Carboxyls
A Carboxyl group is a Carbon double bonded to an Oxygen plus and OH group. Molecules with carboxyl groups are acids.
I will call it “Hydroxy Carbonyl” which is “प्राण्योदक्यपल्लव”. We will actually use the colloquial names for the Carboxylic Acid, but know that the formal name for such acid is the "number of root carbons" + "प्राण्योदक्यपल्लवीय-आम्ल".
Aldehydes
These are molecules who have a Carbon attached to an oxygen and hydrogen:
The name Aldehyde means "alcohol that is dehydrogenated" since you have to take out a couple of hydrogens from an alcohol to make an Aldehyde. However, I will call them "Hydrogen Carbonyl" or "उदक्यपल्लव"
To name an Aldehyde, take the corresponding alcohol, gunate it, and add "-उदक्यपल्लदिन्". So Ethylaldehyde is "सौमाद्योदक्यपल्लविन्". We can also do it by the number of carbon atoms, and since Ethylaldehyde has two acarbon atoms, "द्व्यङ्गरोदक्यपल्लविन्".
We can also name them after what they smell like or where they are found. So Cinnamaldehyde has the smell of cinnomon, which in Sanskrit is "दारुचिनी". So Cinnamaldehyde is "दारुचिन्युदक्यपल्लविन्".
Primary Amides
This is a Carbonyl plus an NH2.
Nitrile
These are molecules that have Carbon triple bonded to a Nitrogen.
I will call Nitrile as अङ्गरसोर्य(शाखा) or सोर्याङ्गर(शाखा).
Curoiusly, Nitirile Gloves would be सोर्याङ्गर(शाखि)-हस्तपौ.
____
Now onto the infixed function group, which is what a Ketone and Esters would be. Esters, Thioesters, and Amids are longer than Ketones so they would be "दीर्घान्तरित". This Sanskrit name only applies to those of the Carbonyl class.
Ketone
This is an infixed functional group, where it is an oxygen sticking out like a thorn. I will thus call it “Oxygen Thorn” or प्राण्यकण्टक.
Ether
An Ether is a simple inffix of Oxygen.
I will call it प्राण्यान्तरित. An Tertiary Amine can also be called सोर्यान्तरित.
Regular Ester
An Ester in the regular usage is Oxygen bonded to a Carbonyl and a side chain:
I will call this "Oxygen Long Infix" or प्राण्यदीर्घान्तरित.
Thioester
A Thioster is like an ester but with Sulfur instead of Oxygen.
I will call "Sulfur Long-Inffix" or गन्धदीर्घान्तरित
Amide
An Amide is like an ester but with Nitrogen instead of Oxygen.
I will call "Nitrogen Long Infix" or सोर्यदीर्घन्तरित.
This name is for only Secondary and Tertiary Amides though. All Amides, primary to tertiary is सोर्यद्विशाक्किपल्लव (Carbonyls with bifurications (R and R') from the Nitrogen) or नारसार्यपल्लविन् (Carbonyl plus an amine group), but I see both these as colloquial as for example Primary Amides behave Differently from Secondary Amides.
Alkene Rings:
Rings that are fully conjugated will be called "प्रवलय".
So a fully square shaped fully conjugated alkene ring (cyclobutadiene) is प्रवलयचतुरङ्गारवत्.
Benzene is technically प्रवलयषडङारवत् , but given its special nature, I will call it प्रचक्र, and as a phenyl, it will be प्रचक्रिन्.
Naming System
The Naming system here will follow the IUPAC more or less.
The following numbers will be the "Methy, Ethyl, etc" Prefixes:
Methyl: एकि-Ethyl: द्वयि-Propyl: त्रयीButlyl: चतुष्टय-Pentyl: पञ्चि-Hexyl: षट्क-Heptyl: सप्ति-Octly: अष्टि-Nonyl: नवि-Decyl: दशि
Cyclo: वलय/चक्र
Let us practice! Consider the following molecule, 2,3,4 trimethyl-Heptane:
There are 7 Carbons on the longest chain, and it is an Alkane. Thus the core name is सप्ताङ्गरिन्. There are 3 Methyl groups (एकि), thus त्रि-एकि. This occurs On the second, third, and fourth carbon, so we add "प्रथम,द्वितिय,तृतिय" to the begining, So this molecule would be "द्वितिय-तृतिय-चरुर्थ-त्र्येकिसप्ताङ्गरिन्" or "२,३,४-त्र्येकिसप्ताङ्गरिन्"
If the Methyl-group on the first carbon was replaced with a Chlorine, then it would be: "द्वितिय-हरि- तृतिय-चरुर्थ-त्र्येकिसप्ताङ्गरिन्" or "२-हरि-३,४-त्र्येकिसप्ताङ्गरिन्".
If we have a ring say in the case of Cyclopentane, then we would a say "वलयपञ्चाङ्गरिन्" or "चक्रपञ्चाङ्गरिन्"
Famous Molecules
Ethylenediamine: द्व्यङ्गरद्विनारसार्य
Tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED): चतुरेकि-द्व्यङ्गरद्विनारसार्य
Trimethylamine: त्र्येकिनारसार्य or त्र्येकिसोर्यान्तरित or मीनगन्धिद्रव्य (Fish smell substance)
Benzene: (शिलेय) प्रचक्रक
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