Khasa Prakrit (also known as Khas Prakrit, Sanskrit Khasa, Himalayan Prakrit, Northern Prakrit, Khas Kura) is a Prakrit language of medieval South Asia and a common ancestor language of the Pahari languages, which includes Nepali, Kumaoni, Jaunsari, Mandeali, Kangri and Garhwali languages.[1][2] It was commonly referred to as खश (Khaśa), खष (Khaṣa), and खशीर ( khaśīra) in the Sanskrit texts.
| Khasa Prakrit | |
|---|---|
| खश, खष, खशीर | |
 Copper Inscription by Baise King of Doti, Raika Mandhata Shahi at Saka Era 1612 (शाके १६१२) (or 1747 Bikram Samvat),(= AD 1690 or 1691) in old Khas language using Devanagari script | |
| Native to | Khasa Kingdom |
| Region | Indian subcontinent |
| Ethnicity | Khasas |
Indo-European
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | None |
Indian linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterji suggests that Nepali language developed from Khasa Prakrit.[3] Khas Prakrit is named after the speakers of language, Khas people, who live in the Himalayas.[4]
History
Origin and development
Khasa belongs to the Indo-European family of languages. Like other Indo-Aryan languages, Khasa is a direct descendant of an early form of Vedic Sanskrit, through Shauraseni Prakrit and Śauraseni Apabhraṃśa (from Sanskrit apabhraṃśa "corrupt").[5]
Language comparison
| Nepali | Kumauni | Kashmiri | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masc | Fem | Masc | Fem | Masc | Fem | |
| I am | chu | chu | chic | chu | thus | ches |
| You are | chas | ches | chai | chi | chukh | chekh |
| He is | cha | che | ch | chi | chuh | cheh |