Shauraseni Prakrit

Shauraseni Prakrit
Śaurasenī Prākṛta
𑀰𑁅𑀭𑀲𑁂𑀦𑀻 (Brahmi)
RegionIndian subcontinent
Erac. 3rd to 10th centuries AD
Language codes
ISO 639-3psu
Glottologsaur1252

Shauraseni Prakrit (Sanskrit: शौरसेनी प्राकृत, romanized: Śaurasenī Prākṛta) was a Middle Indo-Aryan language and a Dramatic Prakrit. Shauraseni was the chief language used in drama in medieval northern India. Most of the material in this language originates from the 3rd to 10th centuries, and represented a regional language variety with minor modifications to the same linguistic substratum as other Dramatic Prakrit varieties.[1] It may be based on the spoken vernacular around the 2nd century BC in the ancient state of Surasena.

Among the Prakrits, Shauraseni is said to be the one most closely related to Classical Sanskrit in that it "is derived from the Old Indian Indo-Aryan dialect of the Madhyadeśa on which Classical Sanskrit was mainly based."[2]: 3–4  Its descendants include Punjabi, Lahnda, Sindhi[3] Gujarati, Rajasthani, and Western Hindi.[4]

  1. ^ Andrew Ollett (10 October 2017). "5". Figuring Prakrit. pp. 111–140. doi:10.1525/LUMINOS.37.E. ISBN 978-0-520-96881-3. Wikidata Q120550567. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Woolner, Alfred C. "Introduction to Prakrit". Calcutta: University of the Punjab. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  3. ^ Mesthrie, Rajend (14 September 2018). Language in Indenture: A Sociolinguistic History of Bhojpuri-Hindi in South Africa. Routledge. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-429-78579-5. The outer languages descend from various sources: The Eastern group from Magadhi Prakrit, Marathi from Maharastri Prakrit (which was a sub-division of Ardha-Māgadhi Prakrit, leaning more towards Māgadhi than Sauraseni), while Sindhi and Lahnda, whose early histories are not entirely clear, seem to be derived from Apabhramsas which show Sauraseni influence .
  4. ^ Joglekar, Satish (10 June 2023). Window to Ancient India : A Tryst with Ancient Science & Philosophy Part II : Languages, Linguistic Systems and Indian Logic System vis-a-vis the Greeks. StoryMirror Infotech Pvt. p. 68. ISBN 978-93-90267-91-0.