{"id":796804,"date":"2024-03-29T17:23:39","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T11:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/?p=796804"},"modified":"2025-12-26T15:09:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T09:39:06","slug":"indian-history-ancient-indian-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the Ancient Indian Languages?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ancient Indian languages are the mothers of modern languages. These languages are classified as ancient because their original texts and vocabulary are not in use anymore and have evolved over time to become common dialects and multiple languages. The diversity of languages we have in India is attributed to these languages. Our history shows that these languages are divided into Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. Some communities in states that share borders with different countries also have Austroasiatic and Sino-Tibetan languages as their base languages.\u00a0In this blog, we will read about the ancient Indian languages that one must know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-ancient-languages\">What are Ancient Languages?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ancient languages are languages that were spoken and written in the distant past and are no longer used as everyday spoken languages today. They are mainly known through old texts, inscriptions, manuscripts, and historical records. A lot of these languages were only oral in the beginning, and very little written evidence of such languages. They were used to propagate culture and teachings orally. Here are some features of the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Indo-Aryan languages are primarily derived from the Indo-European language family. These languages are the basis of the majority of languages in India.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Indo-Aryan languages are also divided into old, middle and new categories.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sanskrit was the most important and dominant language in ancient India.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The evidence of some languages is very scarce and difficult to categorise as either language or script.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some of these languages were used during the same time by different communities, while others differ from each other based on their time period.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-languages-of-ancient-india\">Languages of Ancient India<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ancient Indian languages laid the foundation for India\u2019s cultural, literary, and religious evolution. Here&#8217;s a simple table to help you understand their timelines, scripts, and how they were used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Language<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Approximate Era<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Script Used<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Major Texts \/ Usage<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Sanskrit<\/strong><\/td><td>1500 BCE onwards<\/td><td>Devanagari &amp; Brahmi<\/td><td>Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Pali<\/strong><\/td><td>5th Century BCE<\/td><td>Brahmi<\/td><td>Theravada Buddhist scriptures like the Tipitaka<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Prakrit<\/strong><\/td><td>3rd Century BCE<\/td><td>Brahmi<\/td><td>Jain Agamas, early Indian stories and plays<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Tamil (Classical)<\/strong><\/td><td>500 BCE onwards<\/td><td>Tamil-Brahmi<\/td><td>Sangam literature, ancient poems and grammar<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Apabhramsha<\/strong><\/td><td>6th Century CE<\/td><td>Evolved from Prakrit<\/td><td>Early medieval poetry and regional literature<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Ardhamagadhi<\/strong><\/td><td>3rd Century BCE<\/td><td>Brahmi<\/td><td>Jain texts and inscriptions by Emperor Ashoka<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a short description of ancient Indian languages. One can go through the details of each to get an idea of their dominance and origin.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-harappan-language\">Harappan Language<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Harappan language, found during the Indus Valley Civilisation, is still unidentified and unclassified.\u00a0People often refer to it as the Bronze Age language or Harappan language, when it is actually difficult to classify whether it is a language or just a script.\u00a0It is also referred to as the Indus Script, and the language was both spoken and written to communicate.\u00a0The resources to decode this language are still unavailable. Some commonly accepted words and loanwords are used to draw references to the language.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(202,248,128) 69%,rgb(113,206,126) 100%)\"><strong>Also Read<\/strong> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/indian-exams\/exam-prep-buddhism-philosophy\/\"><strong>Buddhism Philosophy and Concepts<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sanskrit\">Sanskrit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sanskrit is the most ancient Indian language that has been decoded and has a proper grammar associated with it.\u00a0Sanskrit is also closest to the European languages that emerged during that era.\u00a0It became the first language to be spoken in many parts of India. The traditional Sanskrit language was used by the Aryans.\u00a0Pali and Prakrit are descendants of the Sanskrit language in India.\u00a0In the 4th century B.C. Sanskrit emerged in its classical form during the period that coincided with the era of the grammarian Panini. After Panini, the language was called Samskarta, meaning &#8220;perfected or refined.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tamil\">Tamil<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tamil is so old that a literary piece in the language has been left uninterrupted for more than 20 centuries.\u00a0It is the oldest language in South India and holds the oldest literature amongst all the Dravidian languages.\u00a0Manuscripts of Tamil literature are preserved on palm leaves in sections of India and Sri Lanka.\u00a0Dating the language is difficult due to the existence of multiple copies at different points in time and the long oral transmission of the language.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the earliest surviving works of the language date back to the 2nd century CE.\u00a0The origin of the language is believed to lie in the Sangam era literature. Tolkappiyam, the oldest Tamil book, is believed to have been written during the second Tamil Sangam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(202,248,128) 86%,rgb(113,206,126) 100%)\"><strong>Also Read &#8211;<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/blog\/history-of-english-literature\/\">History of English Literature PDF, Outline, Notes, Books<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-telugu\">Telugu<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Telugu is believed to have branched out from Proto-Dravidian between 1500 and 1000 BCE.\u00a0Today, it is the official language of the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.\u00a0Languages such as Gondi, Konda, Kui, Kuvi, Pengo and Manda are related to Telugu in origin.\u00a0In ancient times, the language was \u2018Telugu\u2019, and in the medieval era it was called \u2018Andhra\u2019. Telugu is also culturally similar to Tamil and Kannada, as these languages borrowed a lot of vocabulary and grammar from one another during the 5th century B.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-prakrit\">Prakrit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is actually a group of vernacular languages that were popular in India during the 3rd and 7th Centuries BCE.\u00a0The era of the middle Indo-Aryan languages saw Prakrit languages flourish.\u00a0As the language consists of a group of languages, they were classified by scholars as: Religious Prakrits, Literary Prakrits, Theatrical Prakrits, Grammarians&#8217; Prakrits, Extra-Indian Prakrits, Inscriptional Prakrits, as well as popular Sanskrit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These classifications have liquid borders as they collapse time and again into one another\u2019s territory. For instance, Maharashtri and Shaurasen lie in all the categories.\u00a0It was used for the longest time in history alongside Sanskrit as a side language.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  width=\"800\"  height=\"600\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\"wp-image-818232 pk-lazyload\"  style=\"width:580px;height:auto\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/cdnblogdiscover.leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Ancient_language.jpg\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogassets.leverageedu.com\/media\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/03\/14091318\/Ancient_language.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogassets.leverageedu.com\/media\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/03\/14091318\/Ancient_language-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogassets.leverageedu.com\/media\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/03\/14091318\/Ancient_language-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogassets.leverageedu.com\/media\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/03\/14091318\/Ancient_language-150x113.jpg 150w\" ><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-electric-grass-gradient-background has-background\"><strong>Also Read: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/questions-answers\/which-ruler-first-established-his-capital-at-delhi\/\"><strong>Which Ruler First Established his Capital at Delhi?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pali\">Pali<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pali also belongs to the middle Indo-European language category. It is further a mixture of Sanskrit and Prakrit.\u00a0It does not appear in any canonical texts or tantis.\u00a0The name Pali originated in Sri Lanka when the language was rediscovered as a court language.\u00a0It was also used as a literary language in the country. It was mainly used in Buddhist texts and literature.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Theravada Buddhists of India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia have been using the language for about 2000 years now.\u00a0These Buddhists believed that Pali was the language of the Buddha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-other-notable-ancient-indian-languages\">Other Notable Ancient Indian Languages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from the well-known ancient languages, India had several other important languages and dialects that shaped its rich linguistic heritage. Here\u2019s a quick look at some of these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Language<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Brief Overview<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Key Features \/ Usage<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Ardhamagadhi<\/strong><\/td><td>The basis for many North Indian languages<\/td><td>Language of early Jain scriptures<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Apabhramsha<\/strong><\/td><td>Literary bridge between Prakrit and modern Indo-Aryan languages<\/td><td>Important for medieval poetry and prose<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Sauraseni<\/strong><\/td><td>Early regional dialect<\/td><td>Spoken in the ancient Magadha region<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Magadhi<\/strong><\/td><td>Spoken in the ancient Magadha region<\/td><td>Associated with early Buddhist texts<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Others<\/strong><\/td><td>Various regional dialects<\/td><td>The Foundation of many local languages today<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ancient Indian languages form the foundation of India\u2019s rich cultural and literary heritage. Understanding them helps you appreciate the roots of many modern languages and the profound wisdom in timeless texts like the Vedas, Jain scriptures, and classical poetry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-faqs\">FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1747985352977\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What are the 6 ancient languages of India?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The Indian government recognises six languages as &#8220;Classical Languages.&#8221; These are Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014). This designation is based on their antiquity, literary heritage, and originality.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1747985354096\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Which are the oldest Indian languages?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Among the oldest Indian languages, Sanskrit and Tamil stand out significantly. Sanskrit, the language of ancient Vedic texts, has a rich literary tradition. Tamil, belonging to the Dravidian family, boasts a continuous literary history stretching back over two millennia.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1747985354892\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What language was spoken in ancient India?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">In ancient India, various languages were spoken. Sanskrit was prominent, particularly in religious, scholarly, and elite contexts. Prakrits (like Pali and Ardhamagadhi) were also widely used by common people. In the South, early forms of Dravidian languages such as Old Tamil were prevalent.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1747985355645\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What are the 7 classical languages of India?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Currently, the Indian government has designated six languages as &#8220;Classical Languages&#8221;: Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia. There isn&#8217;t a recognised list of seven classical languages by the government.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1747985356587\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What criteria make a language classical in India?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">To be declared a classical language in India, it needs high antiquity (1500-2000 years), a body of ancient literature\/texts considered a valuable heritage, a literary tradition that is original and not borrowed, and a distinct linguistic identity separate from modern forms.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related Reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/blog\/sudha-murthy\/\"><strong>Sudha Murthy Biography<\/strong><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/blog\/buddhist-education-system\/\"><strong>Everything You Must Know About the Buddhist Education System<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/blog\/best-direction-to-study\/\"><strong>Best Study Direction According to Vastu for Improved Concentration and Success<\/strong><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/blog\/indian-freedom-fighters\/\"><strong>Indian Freedom Fighters<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/blog\/largest-forests-in-the-world\/\"><strong>10 Largest Forests in the World in 2025<\/strong><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/blog\/famous-books-by-rabindranath-tagore\/\"><strong>Top 10 Famous Books by Rabindranath Tagore<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This was all about the ancient Indian languages. If you are interested in such content, then you can find more informative blogs on <strong>Indian History<\/strong> by staying tuned to our <a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/\"><strong>General Knowledge<\/strong><\/a> section on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/\">Leverage Edu<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ancient Indian languages are the mothers of modern languages. These languages are classified as ancient because their original&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":796805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[367,459],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-796804","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-knowledge","8":"category-indian-history-gk"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What are the Ancient Indian Languages? | Leverage Edu Discover<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here is the description of all ancient indian languages. 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Her past experiences in Josh Talks, Ferofly, Carrot Films and WWF as writer and film maker reflects in her observational content production.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/syedatahiraabidi"],"gender":"Female","url":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/author\/tahira\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985352977","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985352977","name":"What are the 6 ancient languages of India?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The Indian government recognises six languages as \"Classical Languages.\" These are Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014). This designation is based on their antiquity, literary heritage, and originality.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985354096","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985354096","name":"Which are the oldest Indian languages?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Among the oldest Indian languages, Sanskrit and Tamil stand out significantly. Sanskrit, the language of ancient Vedic texts, has a rich literary tradition. Tamil, belonging to the Dravidian family, boasts a continuous literary history stretching back over two millennia.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985354892","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985354892","name":"What language was spoken in ancient India?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In ancient India, various languages were spoken. Sanskrit was prominent, particularly in religious, scholarly, and elite contexts. Prakrits (like Pali and Ardhamagadhi) were also widely used by common people. In the South, early forms of Dravidian languages such as Old Tamil were prevalent.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985355645","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985355645","name":"What are the 7 classical languages of India?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Currently, the Indian government has designated six languages as \"Classical Languages\": Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia. There isn't a recognised list of seven classical languages by the government.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985356587","position":5,"url":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/general-knowledge\/indian-history-ancient-indian-languages\/#faq-question-1747985356587","name":"What criteria make a language classical in India?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"To be declared a classical language in India, it needs high antiquity (1500-2000 years), a body of ancient literature\/texts considered a valuable heritage, a literary tradition that is original and not borrowed, and a distinct linguistic identity separate from modern forms.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=796804"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":874391,"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796804\/revisions\/874391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/796805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=796804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=796804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=796804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}