The Language of the Harappans: From Akkadian to Sanskrit
Shendge, Malati J.
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PRODUCT DETAILS
Book ID : 6198
ISBN-10 : 81-7017-325-6 / 8170173256
Place
of Publication :
Delhi
Year
of Publication :
1997
Edition :
Language :
xx, 308p., 54 B/W Illus., Bib., Index, 25 cm.
CONTENTS
CONTENTS:- I. Introductory; II. The Background: 1. The problem of the Harappan language and the script; 2. The ethnic identity of the Harappans; III. The Formative Elements Of The Harappan Culture: 1. Current hypothesis; 2. Current evidence; 3. Discussion; 4. An alternative hypothesis and evidence for it; IV. The Harappan And The Akkadian Chronology: 1. The arrival of the Harappans in the Indus valley; 2. The antecedents of the Harappans in West Asia; V. The Language Of The Harappan Script: 1. The Harappan script and the present hypothesis; 2. The proto-Dravidian hypothesis examined; 3. The problem of retroflex consonants; 4. The checks on the hypothesis; 5. The invalidity of the formation of proto-Aryan in West Asia; VI. The Emergence Of The Rgvedic Language: 1. The authorship of the Rgveda; 2. Did the Asura language survive?; 3. The name of the Asura language; 4. The nature of linguistic change; 5. Why are these words not considered loans?; VII. The Present Material And Its Relevance To Indo-European Studies: 1. The Indo-European linguistics; 2. The influence on the dialects; 3. The comparison with Greek and Akkadian words; 4. The biblical tradition; 5. Observations on comparisons; VIII. Patterns Of Phonological Change: 1. The identifiable phonological and semantic features of Rgvedic lexemes; 2. The change from Akkadian to Sanskrit; 3. The basis for a genetic relationship; 4. Sumerian, Akkadian and Sanskrit phonologies; 5. Phonological changes; 6. Phonological analysis; IX. The List Of Sanskrit And Akkadian Correspondences: 1. Names of deities; 2. Names of Asuras killed by Indra; 3. Names of the Rgvedic poets, grammarians, and clans; 4. Names (or titles) of the Asura functionaries; 5. General words; X. Some Additional Words: 1. Kinship terms; 2. Names of body parts; 3. Names of animals; 4. Food items; 5. Miscellaneous; 6. Some Marathi words with Akkadian and Sumerian correspondences; XI. Conclusion.
DESCRIPTION
Since the formulation of Indo-European theory in the 19th c., Sanskrit has been considered the language brought over by the Aryas. This raised the question after the discovery of the Harappan culture: what was the language of the Harappans? This book tries to answer this question. Since the 19th c. Sanskrit has been considered the language of the Aryas. This book questions this formulation and after critically reviewing the evidence of the Indo-Europeanists offers an alternative, viz. that Akkadian, as the language of the Asuras, the original inhabitants of the land, is the parent of Vedic and classical Sanskrit.
