Classical Sanskrit
| Sanskrit | |
|---|---|
| saṃskṛtam | |
| Pronunciation |
[sə̃skr̩t̪əm]  pronunciation
|
| Region | Greater India |
| Era | ca. 2nd millennium BCE – 600 BCE (Vedic Sanskrit), after which it gave rise to the Middle Indo-Aryan languages. Continues as a liturgical language (Classical Sanskrit). |
| Revival | Various attempts at revival. The number of Indians who claimed Sanskrit to be their mother tongue in the 2001 Census of India: 14,315 |
|
Indo-European
|
|
|
Early forms
|
Vedic Sanskrit
|
| No native script. Written in various Brahmic scripts. | |
| Official status | |
|
Official language in
|
India |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | sa |
| ISO 639-2 | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | sans1269 |
Sanskrit (IAST: Saṃskṛtam; IPA: [sə̃skr̩t̪əm]) is the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, a philosophical language of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, and a literary language of ancient and medieval South Asia that also served as a lingua franca. It is a standardised dialect of Old Indo-Aryan, originating as Vedic Sanskrit and tracing its linguistic ancestry back to Proto-Indo-Iranian and Proto-Indo-European. As one of the oldest Indo-European languages for which substantial written documentation exists, Sanskrit holds a prominent position in Indo-European studies.
Sanskrit is today one of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which mandates the Indian government to develop the language. The body of Sanskrit literature encompasses a rich tradition of poetry and drama as well as scientific, technical, philosophical and religious texts. Sanskrit continues to be widely used as a ceremonial language in Hindu religious rituals and Buddhist practice in the form of hymns and chants. Spoken Sanskrit has been revived in some villages with traditional institutions, and there are attempts to enhance its popularity.
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