after two weeks holiday nicely without computer I have now read this chain with much interest and like to add the Finnish history. When I started with Sanskrit in 1971 Prof. Aalto was used Stenzler. After his retirement in 1980 it was noted by Asko Parpola and me that the knowledge of German among Finnish students was so poor that Stenzler could not be used with profit. As the examples and texts are good, Asko prepared Finnish notes and vocabulary for them, while I wrote a short grammar in Finnish. It is no translation of Stenzler, but a new work for which I read about 15 grammars in several languages and also adapted much for Finnish speaking students. These works are still used, the grammar now as the (very small) 5th edition, appeared in 2012. After first year, Aalto did and I still do suggest that students start practising independent reading with Lanman, whose notes and vocabulary are very handy and explains things in a way that opens even to a beginner. So I did myself, although in the beginning it was not too easy even with Lanman. The recommendation is accompanied with the warning that the part concerned with the Rgveda in Lanman is wholly antiquated.

Best,

Klaus