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Concept
Prakrit
Summary
The Prakrits (ˈprɑːkrɪt; प्राकृत, prākṛta; Tamil and Telugu: pāgadam; 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usually applied to the middle period of Middle Indo-Aryan languages, excluding earlier inscriptions and Pali.
Prākṛta has two meanings: one is "natural", as opposed to saṃskṛta, which literally means "constructed" or "refined". The other meaning, as quoted by A. Woolner, is that one is derived from Sanskrit, as Sanskrit is considered natural, and that all Prakrita are derived from Sanskrit. Prakrits were considered the regional spoken (informal) languages of people, official, and religious purposes across Indian kingdoms of the subcontinent. Literary registers of Prakrits were also used contemporaneously (predominantly by śramaṇa traditions) alongside higher social classes.
Almost all the native prākrit grammarians identify prākṛta to be named so because they originate in the source language (prakṛti) which is Sanskrit. Thus the name prākṛta indicates that they depend on sanskrit for their origin and are not themselves the prakṛti (or originary languages, originating independent of sanskrit):
According to the Prākrṭa Prakāśa, an ancient Prakrit grammar, "Saṃskṛtam is the prakṛti (source) - and the language that originates in, or comes from, that prakṛti, is therefore called prākṛtam."
Hemacandra (a Jain grammarian of the 10th century who lived in Gujarat) in his grammar of Sanskrit and Prākrit named Siddha-Hema-Śabdanuśāsana, defines prākṛt’s origin to be sanskṛt: “prakṛtiḥ saṃskṛtam, tatrabhavaṃ tata āgataṃ vā prākṛtaṃ” [Sanskrit is the prakṛti (source) - and Prākṛta is so called because it either ‘originates-in’ or ‘comes-from’ Sanskrit.]
Another prākṛt grammarian, Mārkaṇḍeya, writes in his grammar Prākṛtasarvasva - “prakṛtiḥ saṃskṛtaṃ, tatrabhavaṃ prākṛtam ucyate“ [Sanskrit is called the prakṛti (origin), and from there prākṛtam originates].
Official source
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