karma n.

before vowels terat-, word-forming element meaning "marvel, monster," from combining form of Greek teras (genitive teratos) "marvel, sign, wonder, monster," from PIE *kewr-es-, from root *kwer- "to make, form" (source also of Sanskrit krta- "make, do, perform," Lithuanian keras "charm," Old Church Slavonic čaru "charm").

also Sanscrit, ancient sacred language of India, 1610s, from Sanskrit samskrtam "put together, well-formed, perfected," neuter of samskrta, from sam "together" (from PIE root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with") + krta- "to make, do, perform" (from PIE *kwer- "to make, form;" see terato-). "[S]o called as being the cultivated or literary language, distinguished from the vulgar dialects, or, some say, because regarded as a perfect language, the speech of the gods, formed by infallible rules" [Century Dictionary]. It continued as a learned tongue long after it ceased to exist as a vernacular.