Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v2.c4.s4.926

v2.c4.s4.926

Mleccha occurs in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa¹ in the sense of a barbarian in speech. The Brahmin is there forbidden to use barbarian speech. The example² given of such speech is he ’lavo, explained by Sāyaṇa as he ’rayaḥ, ‘ho, foes.’ If this is correct—the Kāṇva recension has a different reading³—the barbarians referred to were Āryan speakers, though not speakers of Sanskrit, but of a Prākṛta form of speech.⁴ Cf. Vāc.