A History of Sanskrit Literature c7.s3.31

c7.s3.31

From foreign sources borrowings also occurred naturally enough in those cases where, as in the Dekhan or Further India, Sanskrit was used side by side with a native speech. Kumārila permits the incorporation of Dravidian terms, provided that they are given Sanskrit terminations, and names especially such as Sāyaṇa were freely thus Sanskritized. The *ḻ* which marks South Indian texts² in lieu of the *ḍ* and *l* of the north is doubtless in part due to Dravidian influence. On the other hand, invasions from the north brought early and late Iranian words such as *lipi*, writing, Old Persian *dipi*,³ *kṣatrapa*, satrap, and perhaps *mudrā*, seal,⁴ or *divira*, scribe, *mihira*, Mithra, *bahādura*, *sāha*, and *sāhi*. The Greek invasions in the north left little trace in the language, but probably later India borrowed *suruṅgā* from syrinx in the technical sense of an underground passage, and a large number of terms of astrology. Many of these they ingeniously altered to seem true Sanskrit, as when for hydrochoos we find *hṛdroga*, or *jāmitra* for diametron. With similar ingenuity the useful camel was metamorphosed into *kramela*,⁵ suggesting connexion with *kram*, go. The Mahomedan invasion brought with it Arabic and Turkish terms, and the European powers have contributed occasional additions to the modern Sanskrit vocabulary, testifying to its capacity of assimilation. The scientific literature in special has shown its willingness to appropriate the terms used by those from whom knowledge has been acquired, together with considerable skill in disguising the loan.