On the Origin of the Neo Indo-Aryan Pahādī Language of Utarakhand and Western Nepal Himalaya

• Authors: Maheshwar Joshi
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Drawing on epigraphical sources the present paper purports to trace the origin and development of the neo Indo-Aryan Pahādī language of western Nepal, Kumaon and Garhwal. The methodology involves diachronic study of inscriptions found in the above-mentioned three regions, and their inter-area relationship with one another especially in terms of palaeography, orthography, contents, diction, syntax and vocabulary. Certain linguistic uses peculiar to the entire zone under reference were noticed in the very earliest inscriptions, some of which have survived to date. These records show the existence of proto Pahādī and proto Hindi (precursor of Avadhī, and Braja/Saurasenī) languages in the eleventh-thirteenth century AD and fully developed Pahādī from the fourteenth century AD onwards. In conclusion, epigraphy, can add considerably to our knowledge of history of language, and help us deconstruct myths related to philology.

Keywords

EN

New Indo Aryan; Pahari; reconstruction; diachrony

• Publisher: Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk
• Journal: Lingua Posnaniensis
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 51-65

Dates

published

2010-01-01

online

2011-02-16

Contributors

author

Maheshwar Joshi

• Doon Library & Research Centre, Dehradun, Kumaun University, Nainital, Sri Mallika Kunja, Malla Joshi Khola, Almora 263 601, Uttarakhand, India

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Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10122-010-0013-y