OUTLINES OF THE HISTORY OF SANSKRIT 47 A number of words with IE etymology appear first in the later stages of Indo-Aryan: e.g. Kharosthl Prakrit ala s flour Hindis 1 id ’ , cf. Pers. drd from the root in Gk.aAca) ‘ togrind ' ; Pa* latnaka- ‘ inferior, WTetched V Pj. lava ‘ maimed cf, Engl. lame, Russ, lorn, etc., Pkt. (Apabhramsa) tilra- 1 cheese cf. Gk. TVpOS. From evidence such as this we can form some idea, fragmen- tary though it is, of the dialectal variety of Old Indo-Aryan. It is necessary to bear this in mind so that the evolution of Sanskrit can be seen in its proper perspective. The form- ation of a standard language implies a rigorous process of selec- tion and exclusion. In all spoken language there is continuous variation from area to area and from class to class. Sanskrit was based on the spoken language of the higher classes of Madhyadesa, influenced by the older sacred language of the Rgveda which had originated further West. This was the centre of propagation of Brahmin religion, in its orthodox form, and of a fixed standard language which was the property of the Brahmin community in whatever part of Aryavarta they re- sided. Panini speaks occasionally of differences in speech be- tween the Easterners and the Northerners. But these are always trivialities. Sanskrit as a spoken language was essenti- ally the same over the whole of North India, and from an early period also in the Deccan. Under the surface there were dialectal differences which for the earliest period can be dimly perceived, and which come out into the light of day during the next stage of the language. Middle Indo-Aryan. §3*' The Grammarians The importance of the grammarians in the history of Sanskrit is unequalled anywhere in the world. Also the accuracy of their linguistic analysis is unequalled until comparatively modern times. The whole of the classical literature of Sanskrit is written in a form of language which is regulated to the last de- tail by the work of Panini and his successors. Grammatical interest in India arose in the first place in con- nection with the necessity of preserving intact the sacred texts of the Veda. It was of the utmost ritual significance that every word used in the recitals at the sacrifices should be pronounced absolutely correctly. Among the means by which the correct
