Jinamanjari 1995 09 No 12

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

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It would be appropriate to consider the mutual aspect of influence between Prakrit and Kannada. There are some suggestions confirming the influence of Kannad on Prakrit.
One of the words occuring in an Asokan inscription at Brahmmagiri in Karnataka is 'Isila' (3rd century). This word has been interpreted earlier as Prakrit ‘risi', whose derivation was doubtful. Later in 1958, Prof. D.L. Narasimhachari in his lecture on 'The Oldest Datable Word in Kannada' has pointed out 'isila' as a Prakritised Kannada word. It is derived from Kannada. esil ("a fort): eyil is a cognate word in Tamil. Kannada esil, Tamil eyil both come from a common Dravidian veteran base ec-eccu- (to shoot an arrow): eccu and esu - are the variant forms of the same meaning. Therefore the Prakrit word 'isila' from Kannada language signifies only as a 'place for shooting (arrows)'. i.e., a fort from where arrows were shot. Prof. T.N. Shamarao has also endorsed this suggestion.
Scholars have discussed about some Kannada words used in Gaha-Satta-Sai of Hala, who has styled himself as a chief of the people of Karnataka (Kuntalajanapadesvara). Kannada nouns such as potta (stomach) tuppa ('ghee') and verbs like pettu (to strike) tir (to become possible) are freely used in this Prakrit work.
Dr. A.N. Upadhye's paper ‘Kanarese Words in Desi Lexicons' exclusively deals with this aspect where he has very positively affirmed Kannada influence. It is but expected that Kanada must have influenced Prakrit because of the closer contacts of these two languages for nearly ten centuries. Apart from linguistic findings, a study on literary impact of Kannada literature on Prakrit is still a desideratum.
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