Middle Indo-Aryan languages - Revision history

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			{{Distinguish\|Central Indo-Aryan languages}}
	{{short description\|Historical group of Indo-Aryan languages from 600 BCE to 1000 CE}}		{{short description\|Historical group of Indo-Aryan languages from 600 BCE to 1000 CE}}
	{{Infobox language family		{{Infobox language family
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	}}		}}

			[[File:Indoarische_Sprachen_Gruppen.png \| thumb \| right \| alt=1978 map showing Indo-Aryan languages, grouping according to SIL Ethnologue \| 1978 map showing Indo-Aryan languages, grouping according to SIL Ethnologue]]
	The '''Middle Indo-Aryan languages''' (or '''Middle Indic languages''', sometimes conflated with the [[Prakrit]]s, which are a stage of Middle Indic) are a historical group of languages of the [[Indo-Aryan languages\|Indo-Aryan family]]. They are the descendants of [[Indo-Aryan languages#Old Indo-Aryan\|Old Indo-Aryan]] (OIA; attested through [[Vedic Sanskrit]]) and the predecessors of the modern [[Indo-Aryan languages]], such as [[Hindustani language\|Hindustani]] (Hindi-Urdu), [[Bengali language\|Bengali]] and [[Punjabi language\|Punjabi]].		The '''Middle Indo-Aryan languages''' (or '''Middle Indic languages''', sometimes conflated with the [[Prakrit]]s, which are a stage of Middle Indic) are a historical group of languages of the [[Indo-Aryan languages\|Indo-Aryan family]]. They are the descendants of [[Indo-Aryan languages#Old Indo-Aryan\|Old Indo-Aryan]] (OIA; attested through [[Vedic Sanskrit]]) and the predecessors of the modern [[Indo-Aryan languages]], such as [[Hindustani language\|Hindustani]] (Hindi-Urdu), [[Bengali language\|Bengali]] and [[Punjabi language\|Punjabi]].

	The Middle Indo-Aryan (MIA) stage is thought to have spanned more than a millennium between 600 BC and 1000 AD, and is often divided into three major subdivisions.		The Middle Indo-Aryan (MIA) stage is thought to have spanned more than a millennium between 600 BCE and 1000 CE, and is often divided into three major subdivisions.

	* The early stage is represented by the [[Ardhamagadhi]] of the [[Edicts of Ashoka]] (c. 250 BC) and [[Jain Agamas]], and by the [[Pali]] of the [[Tripitaka]]s.		* The early stage is represented by the [[Ardhamagadhi]] of the [[Edicts of Ashoka]] (c. 250 BCE) and [[Jain Agamas]], and by the [[Pali]] of the [[Tripitaka]]s.
	* The middle stage is represented by the various literary [[Prakrit]]s, especially the [[Shauraseni language]] and the [[Maharashtri Prakrit\|Maharashtri]] and [[Magadhi Prakrit\|Magadhi]] Prakrits. The term Prakrit is also often applied to Middle Indo-Aryan languages (''prākṛta'' literally means 'natural' as opposed to ''saṃskṛta'', which literally means 'constructed' or 'refined'). Modern scholars such as Michael C. Shapiro follow this classification by including all Middle Indo-Aryan languages under the rubric of "Prakrits", while others emphasise the independent development of these languages, often separated from [[Sanskrit]] by social and geographic differences.<ref name="Shapiro, Hindi">Shapiro, Michael C. (2001), "Hindi", in: ''Facts About the World's Languages: An Encyclopedia of the World's Major Languages, Past and Present'', eds. Jane Garry and Carl Rubino: New England Publishing Associates.</ref>		* The middle stage is represented by the various literary [[Prakrit]]s, especially the [[Shauraseni language]] and the [[Maharashtri Prakrit\|Maharashtri]] and [[Magadhi Prakrit\|Magadhi]] Prakrits. The term Prakrit is also often applied to Middle Indo-Aryan languages (''prākṛta'' literally means 'natural' as opposed to ''saṃskṛta'', which literally means 'constructed' or 'refined'). Modern scholars such as Michael C. Shapiro follow this classification by including all Middle Indo-Aryan languages under the rubric of "Prakrits", while others emphasise the independent development of these languages, often separated from [[Sanskrit]] by social and geographic differences.<ref name="Shapiro, Hindi">Shapiro, Michael C. (2001), "Hindi", in: ''Facts About the World's Languages: An Encyclopedia of the World's Major Languages, Past and Present'', eds. Jane Garry and Carl Rubino: New England Publishing Associates.</ref>
	* The late stage is represented by the [[Apabhraṃśa]]s of the 6th century AD and later that preceded early [[Indo-Aryan languages#Modern Indo-Aryan\|Modern Indo-Aryan]] languages<ref>Bubenik, Vit (2007). [https://books.google.com/books?id=OtCPAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA204 "Chapter Six: Prākrits and Apabhraṃśa"]. In Jain, Danesh; Cardona, George. ''The Indo-Aryan Languages''. Routledge. p. 209. {{ISBN\|978-1-135-79711-9}}.</ref><ref name="Shapiro, Hindi"/> (such as [[Braj Bhasha]]).		* The late stage is represented by the [[Apabhraṃśa]]s of the 6th century CE and later that preceded early [[Indo-Aryan languages#Modern Indo-Aryan\|Modern Indo-Aryan]] languages<ref>Bubenik, Vit (2007). [https://books.google.com/books?id=OtCPAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA204 "Chapter Six: Prākrits and Apabhraṃśa"]. In Jain, Danesh; Cardona, George. ''The Indo-Aryan Languages''. Routledge. p. 209. {{ISBN\|978-1-135-79711-9}}.</ref><ref name="Shapiro, Hindi"/> (such as [[Braj Bhasha]]).

	==History==		==History==
	The [[Indo-Aryan languages]] are commonly assigned to three major groups: Old Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan languages and Early Modern and Modern Indo-Aryan languages. The classification reflects stages in linguistic development, rather than being strictly chronological.<ref name="Oberlies2007" /><ref>"...the MIA languages are not younger than ('classical') Sanskrit. And a number of their morphophonological and lexical features betray the fact that they are not direct descendants of Rigvedic Sanskrit, the main basis of 'Classical' Sanskrit; rather they descend from dialects which, despite many similarities, were different from Rigvedic and in some regards even more archaic." {{harvcol\|Oberlies\|2007\|p=163}}</ref>		The [[Indo-Aryan languages]] are commonly assigned to three major groups: [[Old Indo-Aryan languages]], Middle Indo-Aryan languages and Early Modern and Modern Indo-Aryan languages. The classification reflects stages in linguistic development, rather than being strictly chronological.<ref name="Oberlies2007" /><ref>"...the MIA languages are not younger than ('classical') Sanskrit. And a number of their [[morphophonology\|morphophonological]] and [[lexical semantics\|lexical]] features betray the fact that they are not direct descendants of [[Vedic Sanskrit\|Rigvedic Sanskrit]], the main basis of 'Classical' Sanskrit; rather they descend from dialects which, despite many similarities, were different from Rigvedic and in some regards even more archaic." {{harvcol\|Oberlies\|2007\|p=163}}</ref>

	The Middle Indo-Aryan languages are younger than the Old Indo-Aryan languages<ref>"The most archaic Old Indo-Aryan is found in Hindu sacred texts called the Vedas, which date to approximately 1500 BCE". Encyclopædia Britannica - Indo-Aryan languages. General characteristics.</ref> but were contemporaneous with the use of Classical Sanskrit, an Old Indo-Aryan language used for literary purposes.<ref>"If in "Sanskrit" we include the Vedic language and all dialects of the Old Indian period, then it is true to say that all the Prakrits are derived from Sanskrit. If on the other		The Middle Indo-Aryan languages are younger than the Old Indo-Aryan languages<ref>"The most archaic Old Indo-Aryan is found in Hindu sacred texts called the [[Vedas]], which date to approximately 1500 BCE". Encyclopædia Britannica - Indo-Aryan languages. General characteristics.</ref> but were contemporaneous with the use of [[Classical Sanskrit]], an Old Indo-Aryan language used for [[literary]] purposes.<ref>"If in "Sanskrit" we include the Vedic language and all dialects of the Old Indian period, then it is true to say that all the Prakrits are derived from Sanskrit. If on the other
	hand " Sanskrit " is used more strictly of the Panini-Patanjali language or "Classical Sanskrit," then it is untrue to say that any Prakrit is derived from Sanskrit, except that S'auraseni, the Midland Prakrit, is derived from the Old Indian dialect". Introduction to Prakrit, by Alfred C Woolner. Baptist Mission Press 1917</ref>		hand " Sanskrit " is used more strictly of the Panini-Patanjali language or "Classical Sanskrit," then it is untrue to say that any Prakrit is derived from Sanskrit, except that S'auraseni, the Midland Prakrit, is derived from the Old Indian dialect". Introduction to Prakrit, by Alfred C Woolner. Baptist Mission Press 1917</ref>

	According to Thomas Oberlies, a number of morphophonological and lexical features of Middle Indo-Aryan languages show that they are not direct continuations of [[Vedic Sanskrit]]. Instead they descend from other dialects similar to, but in some ways more archaic than Vedic Sanskrit.<ref name="Oberlies2007">{{Cite book\|last1=Jain\|first1=Danesh\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OtCPAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA163\|title=The Indo-Aryan Languages\|last2=Cardona\|first2=George\|date=2007-07-26\|publisher=Routledge\|isbn=978-1-135-79711-9\|pages=163\|language=en}}</ref>		According to Thomas Oberlies, a number of [[morphophonology\|morphophonological]] and [[lexical semantics\|lexical]] features of Middle Indo-Aryan languages show that they are not direct continuations of [[Vedic Sanskrit]]. Instead they descend from other dialects similar to, but in some ways more archaic than Vedic Sanskrit.<ref name="Oberlies2007">{{Cite book \|last=Oberlies \|first=James \|chapter=Aśolan Prakrit and Pāli \|editor-last1=Jain\|editor-first1=Danesh\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OtCPAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA163\|title=The Indo-Aryan Languages\|editor-last2=Cardona\|editor-first2=George\|date=2007-07-26\|publisher=Routledge\|isbn=978-1-135-79711-9\|pages=163\|language=en}}</ref>

	===Early phase (3rd century BC)===		===Early phase (3rd century BCE)===
	*[[Ashokan Prakrit\|Ashokan Prakrits]] (regional dialects of the 3rd century BC)		*[[Ashokan Prakrit\|Ashokan Prakrits]] (regional dialects of the 3rd century BCE)
	*[[Gāndhārī language\|Gandhari]] (a Buddhist canonical language)		*[[Gāndhārī language\|Gandhari]] (a Buddhist canonical language)
	*[[Pali language\|Pali]] (a Buddhist canonical language)		*[[Pali language\|Pali]] (a Buddhist canonical language)
	*~~early~~ [[Ardhamagadhi Prakrit\|Ardhamagadhi]] (language of the oldest Jain sutras)		*[[Ardhamagadhi Prakrit\|Early Ardhamagadhi]] (language of the oldest Jain sutras)
			*[[Elu]] (an ancient Sri Lankan Prakrit. It was ancestral to the [[Sinhala language\|Sinhalese]] and [[Dhivehi language\|Dhivehi]] languages.)

	===Middle phase (200 BC to 700 AD)===		===Middle phase (200 BCE to 700 CE)===
			*[[Monumental Prakrit]]
	*Niya Prakrit		*Niya Prakrit
	*Ardhamagadhi (later Jain canon)		*Ardhamagadhi (later Jain canon)
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	# Most final consonants delete except in [[sandhi]] junctions. Final ''m'' became ''ṃ'' instead, which was preserved.		# Most final consonants delete except in [[sandhi]] junctions. Final ''m'' became ''ṃ'' instead, which was preserved.

	Note that not all of these changes happened in all MIA languages. Archaisms persisted in northwestern Ashokan ~~prakrits~~ like the retention of all 3 OIA sibilants, for example, retentions that would remain in the later Dardic languages.		Note that not all of these changes happened in all MIA languages. Archaisms persisted in northwestern Ashokan Prakrits like the retention of all 3 OIA sibilants, for example, retentions that would remain in the later Dardic languages.

	The following morphological changes distinguish typical MIA languages from their OIA ancestors:		The following morphological changes distinguish typical MIA languages from their OIA ancestors:
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	# Many different case-endings could be used for one verbal paradigm.		# Many different case-endings could be used for one verbal paradigm.
	# The middle voice eventually disappeared.		# The middle voice eventually disappeared.
	# ''mahyaṃ'' and ''~~tubyaṃ~~'' became used for genitives and ''me'' and ''te'' for instrumentals.		# ''mahyaṃ'' and ''tuhyaṃ'' became used for genitives and ''me'' and ''te'' for instrumentals.
	# New verbal forms based on the present stem coexisted with ~~fossilized~~ forms from OIA.		# New verbal forms based on the present stem coexisted with fossilised forms from OIA.
	# Active endings replaced passive endings for the passive voice.		# Active endings replaced passive endings for the passive voice.

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	{{Main article\|Pali}}		{{Main article\|Pali}}

	Pali is the best attested of the Middle Indo-Aryan languages because of the extensive writings of early Buddhists. These include canonical texts, canonical developments such as [[Abhidhamma]], and a thriving commentarial tradition associated with figures such as [[Buddhaghosa]]. Early Pāli texts, such as the Sutta~~-nipāta~~ contain many "Magadhisms" (such as ''heke'' for ''eke''; or masculine nominative singular in ''-e''). Pāli continued to be a living [[second language]] until well into the second millennium. The [[Pali Text Society]] was founded in 1881 by [[Thomas William ~~Rhys Davids\|T. W.~~ Rhys Davids]] to preserve, edit, and publish texts in Pāli, as well as English translations.		Pali is the best attested of the Middle Indo-Aryan languages because of the extensive writings of early Buddhists. These include canonical texts, canonical developments such as [[Abhidhamma]], and a thriving commentarial tradition associated with figures such as [[Buddhaghosa]]. Early Pāli texts, such as the [[Sutta Nipata\|Sutta Nipāta]] contain many "Magadhisms" (such as ''heke'' for ''eke''; or masculine nominative singular in ''-e''). Pāli continued to be a living [[second language]] until well into the second millennium. The [[Pali Text Society]] was founded in 1881 by [[Thomas William Rhys Davids]] to preserve, edit, and publish texts in Pāli, as well as English translations.

	===Ardhamāgadhī===		===Ardhamāgadhī===
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	===Gāndhārī===		===Gāndhārī===
	{{main article\|Gandhari language}}		{{main article\|Gandhari language}}
	Many texts in [[Kharosthi\|Kharoṣṭhi]] script have been discovered in the area centred on the [[Khyber Pass]] in what was known in ancient times as [[Gandhara]] and the language of the texts came to be called Gāndhārī. These are largely Buddhist texts which parallel the Pāli Canon, but include Mahāyāna texts as well. The language is distinct from other MI dialects.		Many texts in [[Kharosthi\|Kharoṣṭhi]] script have been discovered in the area centred on the [[Khyber Pass]] in what was known in ancient times as [[Gandhara]] and the language of the texts came to be called Gāndhārī. These are largely Buddhist texts which parallel the Pāli Canon, but include Mahāyāna texts as well. The language is distinct from other MIA dialects.

			===Elu===
			{{main article\|Elu}}
			'''Elu''' (also '''Eḷa''', '''Hela''' or '''Helu Prakrit''') was a [[Sri Lanka]]n Prakrit of the 3rd century BCE. It was ancestral to the [[Sinhalese language\|Sinhalese]] and [[Maldivian language\|Dhivehi]] languages. One major source of sample is from [[Thonigala Rock Inscriptions, Anamaduwa]].

	==References==		==References==

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article

2023-08-23T07:04:29Z

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{{short description|Historical group of Indo-Aryan languages from 600 BCE to 1000 CE}}
{{Infobox language family
| name = Middle Indo-Aryan
| altname = Middle Indic
| region = Northern India
| familycolor = Indo-European
| fam2 = [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
| fam3 = [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]]
| glotto = midd1350
| glottorefname = Middle Indo-Aryan
}}

The '''Middle Indo-Aryan languages''' (or '''Middle Indic languages''', sometimes conflated with the [[Prakrit]]s, which are a stage of Middle Indic) are a historical group of languages of the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan family]]. They are the descendants of [[Indo-Aryan languages#Old Indo-Aryan|Old Indo-Aryan]] (OIA; attested through [[Vedic Sanskrit]]) and the predecessors of the modern [[Indo-Aryan languages]], such as [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] (Hindi-Urdu), [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]].

The Middle Indo-Aryan (MIA) stage is thought to have spanned more than a millennium between 600 BC and 1000 AD, and is often divided into three major subdivisions.

* The early stage is represented by the [[Ardhamagadhi]] of the [[Edicts of Ashoka]] (c. 250 BC) and [[Jain Agamas]], and by the [[Pali]] of the [[Tripitaka]]s.
* The middle stage is represented by the various literary [[Prakrit]]s, especially the [[Shauraseni language]] and the [[Maharashtri Prakrit|Maharashtri]] and [[Magadhi Prakrit|Magadhi]] Prakrits. The term Prakrit is also often applied to Middle Indo-Aryan languages (''prākṛta'' literally means 'natural' as opposed to ''saṃskṛta'', which literally means 'constructed' or 'refined'). Modern scholars such as Michael C. Shapiro follow this classification by including all Middle Indo-Aryan languages under the rubric of "Prakrits", while others emphasise the independent development of these languages, often separated from [[Sanskrit]] by social and geographic differences.<ref name="Shapiro, Hindi">Shapiro, Michael C. (2001), "Hindi", in: ''Facts About the World's Languages: An Encyclopedia of the World's Major Languages, Past and Present'', eds. Jane Garry and Carl Rubino: New England Publishing Associates.</ref>
* The late stage is represented by the [[Apabhraṃśa]]s of the 6th century AD and later that preceded early [[Indo-Aryan languages#Modern Indo-Aryan|Modern Indo-Aryan]] languages<ref>Bubenik, Vit (2007). [https://books.google.com/books?id=OtCPAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA204 "Chapter Six: Prākrits and Apabhraṃśa"]. In Jain, Danesh; Cardona, George. ''The Indo-Aryan Languages''. Routledge. p. 209. {{ISBN|978-1-135-79711-9}}.</ref><ref name="Shapiro, Hindi"/> (such as [[Braj Bhasha]]).

==History==
The [[Indo-Aryan languages]] are commonly assigned to three major groups: Old Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan languages and Early Modern and Modern Indo-Aryan languages. The classification reflects stages in linguistic development, rather than being strictly chronological.<ref name="Oberlies2007" /><ref>"...the MIA languages are not younger than ('classical') Sanskrit. And a number of their morphophonological and lexical features betray the fact that they are not direct descendants of Rigvedic Sanskrit, the main basis of 'Classical' Sanskrit; rather they descend from dialects which, despite many similarities, were different from Rigvedic and in some regards even more archaic." {{harvcol|Oberlies|2007|p=163}}</ref>

The Middle Indo-Aryan languages are younger than the Old Indo-Aryan languages<ref>"The most archaic Old Indo-Aryan is found in Hindu sacred texts called the Vedas, which date to approximately 1500 BCE". Encyclopædia Britannica - Indo-Aryan languages. General characteristics.</ref> but were contemporaneous with the use of Classical Sanskrit, an Old Indo-Aryan language used for literary purposes.<ref>"If in "Sanskrit" we include the Vedic language and all dialects of the Old Indian period, then it is true to say that all the Prakrits are derived from Sanskrit. If on the other
hand " Sanskrit " is used more strictly of the Panini-Patanjali language or "Classical Sanskrit," then it is untrue to say that any Prakrit is derived from Sanskrit, except that S'auraseni, the Midland Prakrit, is derived from the Old Indian dialect". Introduction to Prakrit, by Alfred C Woolner. Baptist Mission Press 1917</ref>

According to Thomas Oberlies, a number of morphophonological and lexical features of Middle Indo-Aryan languages show that they are not direct continuations of [[Vedic Sanskrit]]. Instead they descend from other dialects similar to, but in some ways more archaic than Vedic Sanskrit.<ref name="Oberlies2007">{{Cite book|last1=Jain|first1=Danesh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OtCPAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA163|title=The Indo-Aryan Languages|last2=Cardona|first2=George|date=2007-07-26|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-79711-9|pages=163|language=en}}</ref>

===Early phase (3rd century BC)===
*[[Ashokan Prakrit|Ashokan Prakrits]] (regional dialects of the 3rd century BC)
*[[Gāndhārī language|Gandhari]] (a Buddhist canonical language)
*[[Pali language|Pali]] (a Buddhist canonical language)
*early [[Ardhamagadhi Prakrit|Ardhamagadhi]] (language of the oldest Jain sutras)

===Middle phase (200 BC to 700 AD)===
*Niya Prakrit
*Ardhamagadhi (later Jain canon)
*[[Dramatic Prakrit]]s ([[Maurya Empire|Maurya period]])
**[[Magadhi Prakrit|Magadhi]]
**[[Maharashtri Prakrit|Maharashtri]]
**[[Shauraseni Prakrit|Shauraseni]]
*[[Elu|Sinhalese Prakrit]]
*[[Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit]] (later texts)

===Late phase: [[Apabhraṃśa]] (700–1500)===
*[[Abahatta]] (Magadhi Apabhraṃśa)

==General characteristics==
The following phonological changes distinguish typical MIA languages from their OIA ancestors:<ref>Jain, Danesh; Cardona, George (2007-07-26). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Routledge. p. 163-220.</ref>
# The replacement of vocalic liquids ''ṛ'' and ''ḷ'' by ''a'', ''i'' or ''u''
# The OIA diphthongs ''ai'' and ''au'' became the monophthongs ''e'' and ''o'' which were long in open syllables and short in closed syllables.
# Long vowels become short in overweight and later pre/post-tonic heavy syllables.
# The three sibilants of OIA are reduced to one, either ''ś'' (Magadhi) or ''s'' (elsewhere).
# OIA clusters either became geminates through assimilation (deletion if the output would violate phonotactics) or were split by vowel epenthesis.
# Initially, intervocalic aspirated stops spirantised. Later, all other intervocalic stops were deleted, weakened, or voiced.
# Dentals (and sometimes retroflexes) are palatalised if directly preceding /j/.
# Most final consonants delete except in [[sandhi]] junctions. Final ''m'' became ''ṃ'' instead, which was preserved.

Note that not all of these changes happened in all MIA languages. Archaisms persisted in northwestern Ashokan prakrits like the retention of all 3 OIA sibilants, for example, retentions that would remain in the later Dardic languages.

The following morphological changes distinguish typical MIA languages from their OIA ancestors:
# The dual number in nominal declensions was lost.
# Consonantal stems were thematicised.
# The ''i-/u-'' and ''ī-/ū-'' declensions were merged into one ''ī-/ū-'' declension.
# The dative was eliminated and the genitive took on its former functions.
# Many different case-endings could be used for one verbal paradigm.
# The middle voice eventually disappeared.
# ''mahyaṃ'' and ''tubyaṃ'' became used for genitives and ''me'' and ''te'' for instrumentals.
# New verbal forms based on the present stem coexisted with fossilized forms from OIA.
# Active endings replaced passive endings for the passive voice.

A Middle Indo-Aryan innovation are the [[serial verb construction]]s that have evolved into [[complex predicate]]s in modern north [[India]]n languages such as [[Hindi]] and [[Bengali language|Bengali]]. For example, भाग जा (bhāg jā) 'go run' means run away, पका ले (pakā le) 'take cook' means to cook for oneself, and पका दे (pakā de) 'give cook' means to cook for someone. The second verb restricts the meaning of the main verb or adds a shade of meaning to it.<ref name="Shapiro, Hindi"/> Subsequently, the second verb was [[grammaticalisation|grammaticalised]] further into what is known as a [[light verb]], mainly used to convey [[lexical aspect]] distinctions for the main verb.

The innovation is based on Sanskrit atmanepadi (fruit of the action accrues to the doer) and parasmaipadi verbs (fruit of the action accrues to some other than the doer). For example, पका दे (pakā de) 'give cook' has the result of the action (cooked food) going to someone else, and पका ले (pakā le) 'take cook' to the one who is doing the cooking.

==Attested languages==
===Pāli===
{{Main article|Pali}}

Pali is the best attested of the Middle Indo-Aryan languages because of the extensive writings of early Buddhists. These include canonical texts, canonical developments such as [[Abhidhamma]], and a thriving commentarial tradition associated with figures such as [[Buddhaghosa]]. Early Pāli texts, such as the Sutta-nipāta contain many "Magadhisms" (such as ''heke'' for ''eke''; or masculine nominative singular in ''-e''). Pāli continued to be a living [[second language]] until well into the second millennium. The [[Pali Text Society]] was founded in 1881 by [[Thomas William Rhys Davids|T. W. Rhys Davids]] to preserve, edit, and publish texts in Pāli, as well as English translations.

===Ardhamāgadhī===
{{main article|Jain Prakrit}}
Known from a few inscriptions, most importantly the pillars and edicts of [[Ashoka]] found in what is now [[Bihar]].<ref>South Asian folklore: an encyclopedia : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, By Peter J. Claus, Sarah Diamond, Margaret Ann Mills, Routledge, 2003, p. 203</ref>

===Gāndhārī===
{{main article|Gandhari language}}
Many texts in [[Kharosthi|Kharoṣṭhi]] script have been discovered in the area centred on the [[Khyber Pass]] in what was known in ancient times as [[Gandhara]] and the language of the texts came to be called Gāndhārī. These are largely Buddhist texts which parallel the Pāli Canon, but include Mahāyāna texts as well. The language is distinct from other MI dialects.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/gandhari-language Gāndhārī Language] entry in the Encyclopædia Iranica

{{Old and Middle Indo-Aryan}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:Middle Indo-Aryan Languages}}
[[Category:Medieval languages]]
[[Category:Languages of India]]
[[Category:Indo-Aryan languages]]
[[Category:Languages attested from the 6th century BC]]
[[Category:6th-century BC establishments]]
[[Category:Languages extinct in the 10th century]]
[[Category:10th-century disestablishments in Asia]]