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70
LILAVAT
signified a literary language. Still, now and then, the earlier meaning is seen even in later usages in which Prākrit indicates Marathi and Kannada', to be distinguished from Sanskrit. When certain regional types of Prakrit were fossilised and given an artistic form in literature, side by side with them the Middle Indo-Aryan was further evolving in the mouth of the masses, and it was given later a literary form which we now call by the name Apabhraíša. In the beginning Apabhramsa also meant, like Prākrit, any deviation from Sanskrit, but it later stands for a literary language. Even when Prākrit and Apabhramsa were cultivated side by side in literature, the common man's speech was further evolving towards the New Indo-Aryan stage, somewhat differently in different regions. The terms Desisabda and Deśi-bhāsā will have to be distinguished: the former refers to those words the etymology of which cannot be traced back to Sanskrit directly or indirectly, and the latter in general signifies regional languages of the masses. The word Desi-bhāsā could change its sense-content from time to time. The author of the Līlāvati uses it for Prakrit; Dr. Hiralal has shown how in certain passages it means Apabhraíba; and Professor Kolate has collected some references from the Jñanesvart where it signifies Marāthī. As a name of speech to be distinguished from Sanskrit, all these terms, namely Prakrit, Apabhramsa and Desi, had nearly the same meaning in the beginning; but when they assumed literary status their sense-content and what form of language they signified went on changing. In a sense Apabhramsa is Prākrit, and the author of the Lilävati uses the word desz-bhāsā for Prakrit. Further, the term desi-bhāsă indicates Apabhramsa as well as a Modern Indian language. The term bhāṣā also has shifted its sense content from time to time: once it stood for classical Sanskrit as distinguished from the Vedic Sanskrit; later it meant Prakrit and Apabhraíba and any modern Indian language with the lapse of time. It only means that the basic meanings of these words are being expressed side by side with those attached to them as literary languages. One has
1 A.N. Upadhye: Kamsavaho, Intro., Bombay 1940, p. xl.
Hiralal Jain : Apabhramsa bhasa aura Sahitya, Nagari Pracàriņi Patrika, Samvat 2002; G. V. Tagare : Historical Grammar of Apabhransa, Poona
1948. 3 Pahuda-doha, Intro., Karanja 1937. 4 Vikramasmrti, pp. 479-96, Ujjain Samvat 2003. 5 Namisådhu remarks: 74 91VÅRT: etc. Kavyalamkara p. 15, Bombay
1928. 6 Grierson: On the Modern Indo-Aryan Vernaculars, Indian Antiquary
1931-33, para 66.
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