Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

Author(s): K R Chandra, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 95

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later years than in the early period) and Prakrit languages. We come across a larger number of Prakrit words in its stock. Kannada has been influenced by Sanskrit and Prakrit since its beginning. Kannada has borrowed many more words from Sanskrit in order to express the thoughts contained in the śāstras and Vedas, becauses it did not possess such a vocabulary that could correctly express them. Such a need compelled to make use of Sanskrit words with phonological and morphological changes. This tendency resulted in the abundant use of Sanskrit words in the early writings of Kannada
With the advent of Jainism in Karnatak, Kannada came in close contact with Prakrit. The Jaina saints began to preach their religion in Kannada, They were compelled to use their technical vocabulary in course of their preaching. Thus in the early writing of Jaina poets in Kannada, a vast number of Prakrit words occupied permanent place. Besides, the ancient Kannada poets and writers were expert in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Kannada, They used both Sanskrit and Prakrit words in Kannada; The regional languages were naturally influenced by the Prakrit because it was a language of the common people and secondly, the writers used abundantly Prakrit words due to their phonetic feasibility. Moreover the Prakritic pronunciation better suited the Kannada phonetic tendencies. Thus the Kannada grammarians devoted a separate section in their works for such borrowed or loan-words under the title of Tadbhavas. These Tadbhavas in Kannada can be classified into three groups : phonologically modified Sanskrit words, Prakrit words and those Prakrit words which appear as if Kannada original words. Examples : bavi “well”, kavadi, "coweree” and guddali "pick-axe's etc. These are supposed to be Kannada words. These can not be given up because they can not be substituted with other equivalents. It seems that the Sanskrit words of this type entered into Kannada through Prakrit. Similarly, we find the flow of words from Telagu, Tamil, Marathi, Parsi, Hindustani, Urdu and English into Kannada.
Kesiraja (1260 A.D.) has written a grammar of Kannada Language, known as “Šabdamanidar pana". After describing grammatical features, he has made an attempt to describe the Tadbhavas in the seventh chapter called "Apabhrasa-prakarana”. He uses the Apabhramśa in a general sense of the term like Patanjali. A close study of these Tadbhavas discloses a fact that he has put the Prakrit words in the name of Tadbhavas. These Tad. bhavas seem to have undergone the vocalic and consonantal changes so as to fit the native phonetic habits. The study of Prakrit Grammer enables to know how the Prakrit words are borrowed into Kannada,
I have given beolw the vocalic and consonantal changes in Prakrit which correspond to those of Tadbhava words in Kannada :