Michael Heyd, age 12, of Williamsport,PA for his question:

What is Sanskrit?

One of the first civilizations grew up in the rich river valleys of India. Sanskrit was the language spoken and written by these people at lease 3,000 years ago. Later, the cultures of India mingled with centers of civilization in Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece. Customs were traded and words were exchanged.

Many of our English words were borrowed from Sanskrit and handed down. Our words for mother, brother, sister, son and daughter can be traced back to similar words in the old Sanskrit language.