Khasa Prakrit language

Not to be confused with the Khāṣi language of Jammu Kashmir or the Khasi language of Meghalaya.

Khasa Prakrit (also known as Khas Prakrit, Sanskrit Khasa, Himalayan Prakrit, Northern Prakrit, Khas Kura) is a Prakrit language of medieval India, predominantly spoken in the Nepal.^[1] It is considered to be an ancestor of Pahari languages, which includes Nepali, Kumaoni, and Garhwali languages.^[2][3] Khasa Prakrit's dialects includes Doteli and Jumli language.

Khasa Prakrit
Geographic distribution	Indian subcontinent
Linguistic classification	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Prakrit Khasa Prakrit
Glottolog	None

Indian linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterji suggests that Nepali language developed from Khasa Prakrit, however, some linguist disagree with Chatterji.^[1] Khas Prakrit is named after the speakers of language, Khas people, who live in the Himalayas.^[4]

Language comparison

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

See also

• Apabhraṃśa
• Prakrit
• Nepali language

References

1. Subba, Tanka Bahadur (2009). Indian Nepalis: Issues and Perspectives. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 325–337. ISBN 978-81-8069-446-2.
2. Pradhan, Kumar (1991). The Gorkha Conquests: The Process and Consequences of the Unification of Nepal, with Particular Reference to Eastern Nepal. Oxford University Press. pp. 30–40. ISBN 978-0-19-562723-7.
3. Schmidt, Ruth Laila (1993). व्यावहारिक नेपाली-अङ्ग्रेजी शब्दकोश. Ratna Sagar. pp. ix. ISBN 978-81-7070-172-9.
4. Ray, Dinesh Chandra; Chowdhury, Srikanta Roy (2022-12-22). Darjeeling: In Search of People's History of the Hills. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-82880-1.