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Book Cover
E-book
Author Ollett, Andrew, 1986- author.

Title Language of the snakes : Prakrit, Sanskrit, and the language order of premodern India / Andrew Ollett
Published Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2017]
©2017

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Description 1 online resource
Series South Asia across the disciplines
South Asia across the disciplines.
Contents Prakrit in the language order of India -- Inventing Prakrit: the languages of power -- Inventing Prakrit: the languages of literature -- The forms of Prakrit literature -- Figuring Prakrit -- Knowing Prakrit -- Forgetting Prakrit
Summary "Language of the Snakes traces the history of the Prakrit language as a literary phenomenon, starting from its cultivation in courts of the Deccan in the first few centuries of the common era. Although little studied today, Prakrit was an important vector of the 'kavya movement,' and once joined Sanskrit at the apex of classical Indian literary culture. The opposition--as well as underlying identity--between Prakrit and Sanskrit was at the center of an enduring 'language order' in India, a set of ways of thinking about, naming, classifying, representing, and ultimately using languages. As a language of classical literature that nevertheless retained its associations with more demotic language practices, Prakrit both embodies major cultural tensions--between high and low, transregional and regional, cosmopolitan and vernacular--and provides a unique perspective onto the history of literature and culture in South Asia."--Provided by publisher
Analysis asian history
asian literature
classical indian literary culture
classical literature
common era
cosmopolitan
creating a new language
cultural tensions
deccan
demotic language practices
first centuries
india
indian literary criticism
kava movement
language history
language order
language
literary phenomenon
old languages
prakrit
regional
sanskrit
south asia
transregional
vernacular
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes English
Print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed
Subject Prakrit literature -- History and criticism
Prakrit languages.
Sanskrit literature -- History and criticism
Language and culture -- India
Asian history.
History.
Humanities.
Regional and national history.
HISTORY -- Asia -- General.
Language and culture
Prakrit languages
Prakrit literature
Sanskrit literature
India
Genre/Form Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2017019745
ISBN 9780520968813
0520968816
0520296222
9780520296220