Sanskrit

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A language of India

ISO 639-3
san
Autonym
संस्कृतम्‎ (Saṃskṛtam)
User Population

5,024,800 in India, all users. L1 users: 24,800 in India (2011 census). L2 users: 5,000,000 (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 5,027,800 (as L1: 24,800; as L2: 5,003,000).

Location

Uttar Pradesh state: Allahabad, Jaunpur, Kaushambi, and Pratagarh districts; Delhi and other urban areas; revival efforts in villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational). Statutory language of national identity (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII).

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan
Typology

SOV; both prepositions and postpositions; noun head final; 3 genders; content q-word in situ; up to 3 prefixes, up to 5 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person, number and genders of subject and object; dual number; non-ergative; tense and aspect; passives and voice; comparatives; non-tonal; 34 consonant, 8 vowels, 2 diphthongs.

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 60%–100%. Literacy rate in L2: 15%–25%. Taught as subject in primary and secondary schools. Taught as subject in tertiary schools. Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 1822.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Sanskrit
Writing

Devanagari script [Deva]. Grantha script [Gran]. Kawi script [Kawi]. Myanmar (Burmese) script [Mymr]. Newa script [Newa]. Sharada script [Shrd]. Siddham script [Sidd], no longer in use. Sinhala script [Sinh].

Other Comments

Classical language of learning and liturgical language.

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