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Rig Veda, popular dialects had developed by the in a sentence can hardly be explained by the side of the Vedic literary language, there is every samdhi rules of Classical Sanskrit. possibility that the former have influenced the (6) PAli and Prakṣit agree with Vedic Sanslatter.
krit in a whole series of sound and inflexion But are we, in fact, entitled to assume the forms,-in which they differ from Classical Sansexistence of Indo-Aryan popular dialects at 80 krit; e. g. the change in Pali of intervocalic d, dh early a period P
to !, th; the Aor. form dka= Ved. akar; the Infini. If, as it has been attempted to prove above, our tive tave beside tum ; the nom. pl. of a-stems in Rig Veda collection belongs to a late period of
dise, compared with Vedic Asus ; the Prakrit the oldest Indian lyric poetry, it must follow that Abstr. suff. ttana = Ved. -tvana. it belongs to a period long posterior to the time
If, moreover, we consider that Classical Sanskrit, when both the Aryan branches formed one peo
as the language of the learned and of literature, ple. This is borne out by other independent must have continually influenced the remaining considerations, such as the retrogression (and, in
Indian dialects, and also that in these dialects the case of Dyaus, the disappearance) of the older forms which stand specially near classical Sanskrit, divinities before the newer gods. But if we may may also be loan-words from that language, then assume that, between the separation of the Aryan
we shall be but slightly inclined to treat Classical brotherhood and the collection of the Rig Veda Sanskrit as the mother of the middle and modern hynins, a considerable period elapsed, it is à Indian languages. But does it therefore follow priori probable that during this period dialects that these languages are derived from Vedic were formed, closely related, it is true, to the
Sanskrit ? literary language, but still distinct from it. We find from the oldest literary records of the From these and other reasons, the possibility of Greeks, Germans, and so forth, that in their time the existence of popular dialects, clearly distinct the languages existed each in several dialects. from the Vedic language, before the final editing So, it is reasonable to suppose, was the case in of the Rig Veda as we have it now, must be un. India. This accounts for double forms like reservedly admitted. But only the possibility; abhis and ais, dsas and us, and the like. It is and not till clear traces of dialectic influence are difficult in many cases to separate the older proved to exist in the Rig Veda, or till we can portions of the Rig Veda from the now; for the point out in the later Indo-Aryan dialects forms of whole, as we have it, is presented to us in the Indo-Germanic origin which must necessarily be conventionally coined speech of one special period referred beyond the Rig Veda, shall we be in a of Indian lyric poetry. A great portion of the position to consider as proved, the simultaneous hymns were written already in that lyric language; existence of the Vedic language, and of other Indo.
and even such songs as were perhaps originally Aryan dialects. In that case we must look upon bung in purer dialect, have scarcely been able the former as a perfected literary language, and it fully to escape the influence of this literary is at least possible that it differed from the con- language. The language of the Rig Veda is temporary dialects not so much in its inflexions closely approached by that of the other Vedic or in its vocabulary. as in its being already in a writings. That of the more modern Vedic state of formalness and ossification."
writings gradually approaches that of Classical This brings us to the second question. Do we Sanskrit, in which the ancient literary speech of find clear traces of other Indo-Aryan dialects in India has preserved to the present day its final the Rig Veda as handed down to us'po Before answering this, it is necessary to consider gene.
hie itia necessary to consider gene. It would be no more reasonable to assume that rally the relationship which the middle and the mediaval and modern Indian dialects are modern Indian dialects bear to Classical and sprung from the Vedic literary language, than Vedic Sanskrit. The following is a brief outliae that the Grecian dialects are sprun from the of the considerations advanced by the author :- language of Homer. It would be much more
(1) Without doubt, Pali stands nearer to Vedic reasonable to search for the older stages of the than to Classical Sanskrit in many important modern Indo-Aryan dialects, in those dialect points
from which the Vedic literary language may (2) The same appears to be the fact in regard have sprung. But even such an assumption is to the middle and modern Indian dialects.
unnecessary. The probability is that the mediaval The following go to prove this :
and modern dialects are sprung from other (a) The manner in which words are dealt with ancient dialects, and that the dialecte from • The author in a subsequent communication refers to More fully given above. rof. A. Weber's Indische Studien. II., 110 ff; and 80€.
