Even from the known period of history, probably from prehistoric times, India was a multilingual, multicultural country. It is happy to see that even today we keep that proud heritage intact. The contact of different ethnic groups speaking different languages has resulted in the mutual sharing of many linguistic and cultural features. Common characteristics can be noticed in religious beliefs, festivals, rituals, customs and practices while maintaining their identities. Among the four major language families viz. Indo-European (Indo-Aryan sub branch), Dravidian, Astro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman found in India, it is the Indo-Aryan, the sub branch of Indo-European spoken in the Indian subcontinent, together with the Dravidian constitute the large chunk of the population. Among the Indo-Aryan languages, Sanskrit and its related languages Prakrit and Pali possess valuable ancient records and many scientific and literary works. Same is the case with Tamil, one among the four major Dravidian languages. The spread of religious philosophies and preachings of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism and different types of literature written in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Pali had definitely influenced the languages belonging to other families. Dravidian languages too had exerted influence on Aryan languages like Saskrit, Prakrit and Pali. Because of these friendly co-existence for thousands of years many lexical items have been borrowed from the above said ancient Indo-Aryan languages to Dravidian and vice-versa.
The present work 'A Dictionary of Sanskrit, Prakrit and Pali Words in Tamil and Malayalam' is a product of an indepth study undertaken by Late N. Gopinathan Nair. Sanskrit loan words in Tamil and Malayalam have been pointed out by many earlier authors. But the investigations on Prakrit and Pali loanwords in Dravidian languages like Tamil and Malayalam are relatively less. Hence this work stands distinct from most of the earlier works in this field. Even from the very beginning of the International School of Dravidian Linguistics, Prof. Gopinathan Nair had close association with this institution and might be due to that, as destined, he submitted this work to ISDL for publication just before his demise. Thus through the publication of this valuable dictionary, ISDL fulfills the last wish of an eminent Professor. We hope that this dictionary will be wholeheartedly received by the entire academic community.
Language is mainly a communication system. It also carries the ingredients of the language users' culture as well as life situations. Analyses of a language can indicate the past contacts the language users had maintained with other language users as well as with places and cultures. The cultural heritage of a people and the external influences on the culture of that people are best revealed when their language which is the data, is subjected to analytical studies. Words from other languages which enter them through constant interaction, leave historical markers as to their cultural influences in the language and serves as the best medium for historians, linguists and archaeologists seeking linguistic leverage for the cultural contacts of the people.
India is a land of diversity with innumerable tribes and languages.
Their languages grew by enriching one another even from the Vedic period. Though this cultural exchange was initially on an egalitarian basis, soon we find traces of domination of one culture by the other. Language can be analysed from this angle too. It is not difficult to trace how comparatively the weaker Dravidians and the Mundas were forced to bow down before the mighty Aryans. Even then, they were able to leave their influence on Sanskrit language through exchanging lexical items. Thus we can come to a conclusion that India maintained a pan Indian identity as well as integrity even in the remote past, even before history began to get shaped or even from the Harappa and Mohanjo Daro period. Dravidian languages in Northern India and Indo Aryan languages in Southern India worked as one of the main forces of cultural integration.
The Dravidian languages gradually confined themselves to the Southern part of India. Sanskrit began to influence the greater part of Northern India giving birth to a number of Prakrits.
Present stody is a highly relevant work in cultural studies. It is an accepted fact that a good number of Sanskrit words are in Dravidian. Some scholars identified and attested the presence of Dravidian words even in Rg Veda. Kuiper, a well known Indologist, enumerated more than 300 Dravidian words in Rg Veda. Dr. Caldwell gives a list of 36 Dravidian words, while Dr. Gundert appended another list of Dravidian words in Sanskrit. Kittel gives a long list of 420 Dravidian loan words in Sanskrit. Turner also gives a long list of Non Indo-Aryan words present in Sanskrit in his A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo Aryan Languages. Dravidian Etymological Dictionary enumerated about 460 words, the origin of which is under dispute. In short we cannot distinguish, at least in some cases, Dravidian and Sanskrit words with accuracy.
Hemachandra's Desinamamala has identified the use of regional words in Prakrit coming out with an analysis of 3978 Desi words which cannot be found its way into Sanskrit. Similarly, the presence of Sanskrit words in the Dravidian languages has also been found in plenty.
Indian writers of Grammar and Lexicography adopted a threefold division of words. They are Tatsamas, Tatbhavas and Desi. First portion of the first two divisions are 'tat' which means Sanskrit. (1). Words borrowed from Sanskrit without any change are called Tatsama. (2). Words borrowed from Sanskrit with changes of form are known Tatbhava.(3). The words which cannot be derived from Sanskrit and are supposed to belong to different provinces are Desi.
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