Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c9.80.3

c9.80.3

The Bangâlî contains the largest number of pure Sanskrit words, and hence one who knows Sanskrit can master the language in but a few weeks. The old Tadbhava element is reduced to the smallest minimum in what is called the sâdhubhâshâ or the speech of the educated. According to the extent of the modern Tatsama or Tadbhava element, the other languages may be arranged in the following order:—Oriyâ, Marâṭhî, Hindî, Gujarâtî, Panjâbî, Sindhî. It must, however, be remarked that the modern Tatsamas appear in a pure or correct Sanskrit form only in the written language. The Bengalis in actually pronouncing these words corrupt them in a manner which renders them unrecognizable as Sanskrit words; and often in the same way as the old Prâkṛit speakers did. Thus आत्मा is pronounced अत्ता, ईश्वर इस्सर, मोक्ष मोक्ख, &c. The same is the case more or less with the speakers of the other languages, so that the pure Sanskrit words that we meet with in the written modern vernaculars may be considered modern Tadbhavas and in rare cases Prâkṛit Tadbhavas. The educated classes, however, in Mahârâṣṭra and Gujarât and to a certain extent in the Hindî provinces pronounce the Sanskrit words correctly. The Sindhî however contains but a few pure Sanskrit words; hence it is rich in the old Tadbhava element, while it draws largely upon the Persian and Arabic. This foreign element is used in our dialects, principally in political matters.