# DDSA Practical Sanskrit — Macdonell Sanskrit dictionary > Searchable Macdonell Sanskrit dictionary for online and offline use. (iPhone/iPad app by Charles Cooney.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ddsa-practical-sanskrit/id1519069120 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Charles Cooney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1368018437) - Category: Reference, Education - Price: Free - Rating: 3.67/5 from 3 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.0 · 22 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2020-06-18 - Data updated: 2026-06-04 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ddsa-practical-sanskrit/id1519069120/reviews.md ## What is DDSA Practical Sanskrit? The Macdonell Practical Sanskrit Dictionary app is a product of the Digital South Asia Library program (https://dsal.uchicago.edu) at the University of Chicago. The app offers a searchable version of Macdonell, Arthur Anthony, "A practical Sanskrit dictionary with transliteration, accentuation, and etymological analysis throughout," London: Oxford University Press, 1929. "The original edition of this dictionary was published by Messrs. Longmans, Green & co., and has been reproduced photographically with their consent." The Macdonell Practical Sanskrit Dictionary app can be used both online and offline. The online version interacts with a database that runs remotely on a server at the University of Chicago. The offline version uses a database that is created on the device upon first download. By default, the app operates in the online mode. The app allows users to conduct both headword and fulltext queries. The default mode for this app is to search headwords. To search for a headword, touch the search box at the top (magnifying glass icon) to expose the on-screen keyboard and begin searching. Headwords can be entered in Sanskrit, accented latin characters, and unaccented latin characters. After entering three characters in the search box, a scrollable list of search suggestions will pop up. Touch the word to search for and it will automatically fill in the search field. Or ignore suggestions and enter the search term completely. To execute the search, touch the return button on the keyboard. By default, headword searches expand off the end of the search term. In other words, searching for "kar" will generate results for headwords that begin with "kar" and have any number of trailing characters, like "karanda" (करण्ड), "karaṅka" (करङ्क), "karîra" (करीर), etc. To expand the front of a query, users can enter the "%" character at the beginning of search term. For example, "%kar" will find "á-karna" (अकर्ण), "a-kâraka" (अकारक), "agni-kârya" (अग्निकार्य), etc. The wildcard character at the front of a word also expands search suggestions. For fulltext searching, select the "Fulltext" search scope button and then enter the search term in the search box at the top. For example, the search "temple fire" returns 4 results where "temple" and "fire" can be found in the same definition. Multiword searches can be executed with the boolean operators "NOT" and "OR" as well. The search "temple OR fire" returns 319 fulltext results; "temple NOT fire" returns 93 fulltext results. To conduct substring matching, select an option from the "Search Options" sub-menu, enter a string in the search field, and touch return. The default for all searching is "Words beginning with." But for example, selecting "Words ending with," "Search all text," and then entering "sant" as the search string will find 96 examples of words that end in "sant." Search results come first in a numbered list that displays the Sanskrit headword, the accented latin transliteration of the headword, and a chunk of the definition. To see a full definition, touch the headword. In online mode, the full result page also has a page number link that the user can click to get the full page context of the definition. Link arrows at the top of the full page allow the user to click to previous and next pages in the dictionary. To select either online or offline mode, simply toggle the selector at the top of the screen. Note that on start up, the app will test to see whether the device has an internet connection and the remote server is available. Again, the app operates in online mode by default. The user should select the appropriate mode before conducting a search. ## Key features - Online and offline dictionary access - Headword and full-text search - Search suggestions - Wildcard and substring matching - Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) - Accented and unaccented Latin character input ## Frequently asked questions about DDSA Practical Sanskrit ### What is DDSA Practical Sanskrit? DDSA Practical Sanskrit is a mobile application that provides a searchable version of the Macdonell Practical Sanskrit Dictionary. It allows users to look up Sanskrit words and phrases both online and offline. ### Can I use DDSA Practical Sanskrit offline? Yes, the app offers an offline mode. A local database is created on your device upon the first download, allowing you to search the dictionary without an internet connection. ### How does searching work in DDSA Practical Sanskrit? You can perform headword searches by typing in Sanskrit, accented, or unaccented Latin characters. Full-text searches are also available, allowing you to find terms within definitions. Search suggestions appear as you type. ### What kind of search matching does DDSA Practical Sanskrit support? The app supports various search matching options, including words beginning with, words ending with, and searching all text. You can also use wildcard characters and boolean operators like 'NOT' and 'OR' for more complex queries. ### Is DDSA Practical Sanskrit free to use? Yes, DDSA Practical Sanskrit is available for free. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees associated with its use. ### What devices is DDSA Practical Sanskrit available on? DDSA Practical Sanskrit is supported on iPhone and iPad devices. It is designed for iOS users. ### How often is DDSA Practical Sanskrit updated? The app was last updated on August 13, 2024, indicating ongoing support and potential improvements. The latest version is 2.0. ### What is the user sentiment for DDSA Practical Sanskrit? Based on the available data, DDSA Practical Sanskrit has a rating of 3.7 stars from 3 ratings. This suggests a generally positive but mixed user reception. ## Version history (last 2 releases) ### 2.0 — 2024-08-13 This version of the DDSA Practical Sanskrit app can now be used in landscape mode on iPads. ### 1.0 — 2020-06-18 No release notes. ## Apps similar to DDSA Practical Sanskrit | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Sanskrit/English Dictionary](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sanskritenglish-dictionary/id6451035638) | 4.6 (16) | Free | Reference | ## More apps by Charles Cooney - [Encyclopédie](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/encyclopedie/id616158118) - [DDSA Platts Dictionary](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ddsa-platts-dictionary/id1464732015) - [DDSA Steingass Dictionary](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ddsa-steingass-dictionary/id1478425388) - [DDSA Tamil Lexicon](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ddsa-tamil-lexicon/id1478427004) - [DDSA Dictionary of Old Marathi](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ddsa-dictionary-of-old-marathi/id1518308880) - [DDSA Praharaj Oriya dictionary](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ddsa-praharaj-oriya-dictionary/id1518329624) All apps by Charles Cooney: https://appshunter.io/developer/1368018437 ## Related topics [ddsa practical sanskrit](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ddsa-practical-sanskrit) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-04.*