Pali Literature and Language c5.10

c5.10

III. There is now on the whole a concensus of opinion that Pāli bears the clear stamp of a "Kunstsprache," *i.e.*, it is a compromise of various dialects. This has been most emphatically declared by H. Kern.¹ Minayeff's² opinion stands close to his. But already E. Kuhn³ rightly pointed out that the problem is not solved merely by defining Pāli as an artificial language—its solution is only deferred by it. "Even an artificial and literary language, which on occasions draws materials from all possible dialects, must have had as its foundation a particular dialect." For Pāli now arises the question, which region of India was the home of that language which was the basis of Pāli.