Apabhramsa

noun

Apa·​bhram·​sa
ˌəpəˈbrəmshə
plural -s
: a stage of an Indic language characterized by linguistic changes not found in a more conservative stage that serves as a standard of correctness:
a
: non-Sanskrit linguistic forms in Indic speech prior to approximately the 3d century a.d.
b
: an Indic language spoken in approximately the 3d to the 5th centuries a.d. and differing from the literary Prakrit
c
: an Indic language that was used as a vehicle for poetry from approximately the 6th to the 12th centuries and that shows linguistic changes not found in Prakrit

Word History

Etymology

Sanskrit apabhraṁśa, literally, fall

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Dictionary Entries Near Apabhramsa

Cite this Entry

“Apabhramsa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Apabhramsa. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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