| Title | प्राकृतPrakrit (प्राकृत)Prākṛta Prakrit |
|---|---|
| Description | Prakrit (प्राकृत) refers to a group of Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were spoken in ancient and medieval India from approximately the 3rd century BCE to the 12th century CE. The term "Prakrit" means "natural" or "vernacular" in contrast to Sanskrit (संस्कृत - "refined" or "perfected"). Prakrit languages evolved from Vedic Sanskrit and served as the vernacular languages of ancient India, used in literature, drama, inscriptions, and religious texts. The major Prakrit varieties include Maharashtri (महाराष्ट्री), the literary Prakrit par excellence used in classical poetry like Gaha Sattasai; Shauraseni (शौरसेनी), used in classical Sanskrit dramas for female and common characters; Magadhi (मागधी), associated with the Magadha region and used in Buddhist and Jain texts; and Ardhamagadhi (अर्धमागधी), the canonical language of Jain scriptures. Prakrit languages were written primarily in Brahmi script and its regional variants, and later in Devanagari. They feature simplified grammar compared to Sanskrit, with three grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), SOV word order, case systems, and rich vocabulary. Prakrit literature includes the Gaha Sattasai (गाहा सत्तसई - "Seven Hundred Verses") by Hāla, the Setubandha epic, Jain canonical texts, and numerous inscriptions including the Ashokan edicts. Prakrit languages are the ancestors of modern Indo-Aryan languages like Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, and others, making them crucial for understanding the linguistic and cultural heritage of India. |
| Alternate Names & Variants | Native Names: प्राकृत प्राकृत भाषा Indic Names: प्राकृत प्राकृत भाषा English Names: Prakrit Prakrit language Middle Indo-Aryan Classical Prakrit Literary Prakrit Alternate Names: Prākṛta Prākrit Prakrta Prakrit languages Prakrit dialects |
| Language ID | INHF-LNG-9384752160-14:00:12:25:02:25-PARA |
| URI | |
| API URL | https://inheritage.foundation/api/v1/aat/languages/prakrit |
| Language Family | Indo-European(Indo-Iranian > Indo-Aryan > Middle Indo-Aryan) |
| Status | Historical / Classical |
| ISO Codes | ISO 639-2: praISO 639-3: pra |
| Glottolog Code | midd1350 |
| Wikidata URI | |
| Regions | Ancient India Magadha Maharashtra Gujarat Rajasthan Central India Northern India |
| Time Periods | 3rd century BCE - 12th century CE Early Prakrit Period (3rd century BCE - 1st century CE) Classical Prakrit Period (1st century CE - 6th century CE) Late Prakrit Period (6th century CE - 12th century CE) Ashokan Period (3rd century BCE) Classical Sanskrit Drama Period (1st-6th century CE) |
| Dynasties | Mauryan Empire Shunga Dynasty Satavahana Dynasty Gupta Empire Vakataka Dynasty Chalukya Dynasty Rashtrakuta Dynasty |
| Script Associations | Brahmi Devanagari Kharoshthi Regional Brahmi variants |
| Writing Systems | Brahmi script (historical, 3rd century BCE onwards) Devanagari script (modern representation) Kharoshthi script (Northwest India) Regional Brahmi variants (Kadamba, Pallava, etc.) |
| Dialects | Maharashtri Prakrit (महाराष्ट्री) - Literary Prakrit, used in Gaha Sattasai Shauraseni Prakrit (शौरसेनी) - Used in classical Sanskrit dramas Magadhi Prakrit (मागधी) - Associated with Magadha, used in Buddhist texts Ardhamagadhi Prakrit (अर्धमागधी) - Canonical language of Jain scriptures Paisaci Prakrit (पैशाची) - Northern variety Apabhramsha - Later stage of Prakrit (6th-12th century CE) |
| Related Languages | Sanskrit Pali Apabhramsha Hindi Marathi Gujarati Bengali Rajasthani Bhojpuri |
| Literary Works | Gaha Sattasai (गाहा सत्तसई) - Seven Hundred Verses by King Hāla (1st-3rd century CE) Setubandha - Epic poem by Pravarasena (5th-6th century CE) Ravana-vaho - Epic by Pravarasena Tarangavati - Narrative poem Jain Agamas - Canonical texts in Ardhamagadhi Prakrit Buddhist texts in Magadhi Prakrit Classical Sanskrit dramas (Prakrit portions) - Works by Kalidasa, Bhasa, Shudraka Vajjalagga - Collection of Prakrit verses Karpuramanjari - Drama by Rajasekhara |
| Inscription Types | Ashokan edicts (3rd century BCE) Mathura inscriptions (1st-3rd century CE) Nasik cave inscriptions (1st-2nd century CE) Buddhist inscriptions Jain inscriptions Temple inscriptions Administrative documents Literary manuscripts |
| Speaker Count | 0 |
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SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) is the basic word order in Prakrit, similar to Sanskrit. However, word order is relatively flexible due to case marking. Word order can vary for emphasis or poetic effect.
Prakrit verbs conjugate for person (first, second, third), number (singular, plural), tense (present, past, future), mood (indicative, imperative, optative), and voice (active, middle, passive). Verbs are formed using roots, stems, and endings. Prakrit shows simplification of Sanskrit verb forms.
Prakrit has a case system with nominative, accusative, instrumental, dative, ablative, genitive, locative, and vocative cases. Nouns decline for three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and two numbers (singular, plural). Case endings are simplified compared to Sanskrit.