Prakrit (/ ˈprɑːkrɪt / [a]) is a group of vernacular classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 5th century BCE to the 12th century CE. [2][3][4] The term Prakrit is usually applied to the middle period of …

普拉克里特诸语言 （梵語： प्राकृत, 梵語：prākṛta； 泰卢固语： prākrutam； 卡纳达语： pagada ； 泰米尔语： pāgadam; 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, pāuda; pāua），或称为 古印度土语，是对公元前3世纪到公元8世纪 印度 使用的一系列 印度-雅利安语支 语言中的 土语 的统称。 [3][4] “普拉克里特”一词通常指中古印度-雅利安语，不含早期的碑文和 巴利语。 [5] “普拉克里特”一词在 梵语 中原意是“天然的”，引申为“俗语”，与上流社会的 梵语 相对。 [5] 普拉克里特诸语言一般认为是人们所 …

Prakrit languages, Middle Indo-Aryan languages known from inscriptions, literary works, and grammarians’ descriptions. Prakrit languages are related to Sanskrit but differ from and are contrasted with it in several ways.

The best known of this group is Pali, which still serves as the canonical language of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Other Prakrit languages such as Sauraseni, Maharastri, Magadhi and Gandhari embody various facets of the literatures of both the Brahmanical/Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

The Prakrits were Middle Indo-Aryan languages spoken between about 500 B.C. and 500 A.D. The name Prakrit (prākṛta) means ‘derived’, a name contrasting with Sanskrit (saṃskṛta) ‘complete, perfected’, reflecting the fact that the Prakrit languages were considered historically secondary to, and less prestigious than, Sanskrit.

This course is an introduction to Prakrit, the literary language that was cultivated from the beginning of the first millennium ce, and continued to occupy an important place in the imagination of language, and the practice of literature, in South Asia for many centuries afterwards.

As a language of classical literature that nevertheless retained its associations with more demotic language practices, Prakrit both embodies major cultural tensions—between high and low, transregional and regional, cosmopolitan and vernacular—and provides a unique perspective onto the history of literature and culture in South Asia.

Prakrit, a group of Middle Indo-Aryan languages, occupies a significant place in the linguistic and cultural history of India. It served as a bridge between the ancient Sanskrit and the modern Indo-Aryan languages spoken today, such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, and Gujarati. The word “Prakrit” is …

Prakrit, meaning “natural” or “unadorned”, refers to a collection of Middle Indo-Aryan vernaculars. Unlike Sanskrit, the language of the elite and sacred texts, Prakrits were the everyday languages of the common people.

Rooted in the 3rd century BCE, Prakrit provides intriguing insights into ancient India's linguistic landscape. This in-depth exploration of Prakrit not only unveils its compelling history but also dives deep into its major groups, illuminates famous literary works penned in Prakrit, and elaborates on its enduring relevance for UPSC aspirants.