Proto-Indo-Aryan (sometimes Proto-Indic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Indo-Aryan languages. It is intended to reconstruct the language of the Indo-Aryans, who had migrated into the Indian subcontinent. Being descended from Proto-Indo-Iranian (which in turn is descended from Proto-Indo-European), it has the characteristics of a satem language.
History
Proto-Indo-Aryan is meant to be the predecessor of Old Indo-Aryan (1500–300 BCE), which is directly attested as Vedic and Classical Sanskrit, as well as by the Indo-Aryan superstrate in Mitanni. Indeed, Vedic Sanskrit is very close to Proto-Indo-Aryan.see e.g. ; Witzel, Michael, "Vedas and ", in: ; ; Sanskrit literature (2003) in Philip's Encyclopedia. Accessed 2007-08-09
This language is usually associated with the Fedorovo Culture, in the Andronovo Horizon.
Some of the Prakrits display a few minor features derived from Proto-Indo-Aryan that had already disappeared in Vedic Sanskrit.
Today, numerous modern Indo-Aryan languages are extant.
Differences from Vedic Despite the great archaicity of Vedic, the other Indo-Aryan languages preserve a small number of conservative features lost in Vedic.
One of these is the representation of Proto-Indo-European *l and *r. Vedic (as also most Iranic languages) merges both as . Later, however, some instances of Indo-European again surface in Classical Sanskrit, indicating that the contrast survived in an early Indo-Aryan dialect parallel to Vedic. (A dialect with only is additionally posited to underlie Magadhi Prakrit.) However, it is not clear that the contrast actually survived anywhere in Indo-Iranian, not even in Proto-Indo-Iranian, as is also found in place of original *r in Indo-Iranian languages.
The common consonant cluster kṣ of Vedic and later Sanskrit has a particularly wide range of Proto-Indo-European (PIE) and Proto-Indo-Iranian (PII) sources, which partly remain distinct in later Indo-Aryan languages: PIE *ks, *kʷs, *gs, *gʷs > PII *kš > Middle Indo-Aryan kh-, -kkh- PIE *dʰgʷʰ, *gʰs, *gʷʰs > PII *gʱžʱ > Middle Indo-Aryan gh-, -ggh- PIE *tḱ; *ǵs, *ḱs > PII *tć, *ćš > Middle Indo-Aryan ch-, -cch- PIE *dʰǵʰ, *ǵʰs > PII *ȷ́ʱžʱ > Middle Indo-Aryan jh-, -jh-
Personal pronouns (nominative case) Most personal pronouns are identical between Proto-Indo-Iranian and Proto-Indo-Aryan and show modest differences between Proto-Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit +PronounPIEPII and PIAI*éǵ > *eǵHóm*aȷ́Hám > *aȷ́ʰám > PIA *aźʰám > Skr अहम् (ahám)You*túh₂*túH > PIA *tuHám > Skr त्वम् (tvám)He*ey- (*eyóm?) *só*sáShe*séh₂*sáH > Skr सा (sā́)It*tód*tád > Skr तद् (tad)We*wéy > *weyóm*wayámYou (all)*yū́*yúH > Skr यूयम् (yūyám)They (m.)*tóy*táy > Skr ते (te) /tai/They (f.)*téh₂es*tā́s (or *táHas?) > Skr ताः (tāḥ)They (n.)*téh₂*tá > Skr तानि (tāni)
Numerals Most numerals are identical between Proto-Indo-Iranian and Proto-Indo-Aryan. Most number show minimal differences between Proto-Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit (e.g., the loss of the fricative sound *H). +NumeralPIEPII and PIAOne (1)*h₁óynos > *h₁óykos*Háykas > Skr एक (éka) /aika/Two (2)*dwóh₁*dwáH > Skr द्व (dvá) Three (3)*tréyes*tráyas > Skr त्रयः (tráyaḥ) [nom. plur.]Four (4)*kʷetwóres*čatwā́ras > Skr चत्वारः (catvā́raḥ) [nom.]Five (5)*pénkʷe*pánčaSix (6)*swéḱs*šwáćš > PIA *ṣwáṭṣ > Skr षट् (ṣáṭ)Seven (7)*septḿ̥*saptá Eight (8)*oḱtṓw*Haštā́ > PIA *Haṣṭā́ > Skr अष्ट (aṣṭá)Nine (9)*h₁néwn̥*Hnáwa > Skr नव (náva)Ten (10)*déḱm̥*dáća > PIA *dáśa
Notes
References
Works cited
Further reading Morgenstierne, Georg. "Early Iranic Influence upon Indo-Aryan." Acta Iranica, I. série, Commemoration Cyrus. Vol. I. Hommage universel (1974): 271–279.
External links Category:Proto-Indo-Aryan language on Wiktionary