SANSKRIT IS A LANGUAGE WITHOUT SPEAKERS !
WHAT ARE THE LINGUISTIC MYTHS OF INDIA ?
This is an interesting question indeed.
Many linguists do feel that linguistics as a subject in India was evolved more as an effective tool of political governance than as a science.The ruling British achieved their objective to subdue the people of the land and rule over them with ease,through linguistics.This is,in fact ,true of the British rule throughout the world.
The main objective behind the linguistics teaching is not knowing various languages ,history etc. but would be to perpetuate myths that would project the rulers as linguistically superior to the subjects,hence fit to rule.Ruler’s language will be projected as a superior language ,thus supplementing their projected image of physical superiority.Superior in complexion,superior in culture and superior in language they speak.Thus the languages of the subjects ruled by the British were shown in poor light.
In this linguistic strategy ,the British made the powerful Indian intelligentsia,especially the Brahmins,their willing allies by linking their English with Sanskrit,the favourite talk of the Brahmins.
In the circumstances,linguistics as a subject has myriad of inconsistent myths floating around unquestioned.A group of IE scholars who researched into this subject in 2016 threw up some interesting myths so far unknown.
Here are few of their findings:
1. MYTH About origin of Sanskrit !
For any language to ORIGINATE,there must be a NATIVE SPEAKER COMMUNITY.The Indo-European family of languages have 449 member languages.Among these,Sanskrit is the ONLY language which has NO NATIVE SPEAKER community.Linguists raise the question,’How did Sanskrit originate without a native speaker community?’ As no satisfactory answer for this question is available,they conclude that Sanskrit is a made-up or constructed code and not a natural language.Sanskrrit has been made up by people whose mother-tongue is a non-Sanskrit language,like,say Tamil.
2.MYTH Sanskrit as a mother-tongue!
Hindu scriptures and traditions prohibited women from chanting Sanskrit( words or verses.
(vide 'Women are not allowed to study or chant the Vedas.' - the lowdown Women are not allowed to study or chant the Vedas. Orthodoxy still does not permit girls to receive Vedic initiation )
So,mothers being naturally women, were prohibited from chanting Sanskrit.Hence ,Sanskrit could not become a mother-tongue for the children.
Linguists point out that this is the main reason for the lack of a native speaker community for Sanskrit.
3.MYTH Sanskrit is a CODE only!
Linguists specialising in language origination clarify that there cannot be any language THAT IS/WAS NEVER SPOKEN.If any thing is not spoken ,then it is termed as CODE and NOT LANGUAGE.
However,a language need not have a WRITING script as a must.
4 MYTH Indian sub-continent never had a language called Tamil !
Indian linguistics talk so much about lot of imaginary languages and scripts.Devanagari,Prakrit,Pali etc. are referred to quite often but the texts never refer to the existence of Tamil language in its historical linguistics.While Tamil was a pan-Indian language since or earlier to Indus Valley Civilization days circa 3300 B.C.,Indian linguistics do not refer to Tamil and its presence across India in its texts at all.If a search for the word Tamil is made in linguistic texts,the result turned out is likely to be dismal.
For example,a search for the word Tamil made in Sanskrit - Wikipedia turned out result as nil ! However,the very word Sanskrit itself is proved to be from Tamil vide Alvaro Hans's answer to Can you give a single evidence to support the fact that Tamil is an older language than Sanskrit?
For a list of proxy words used in linguistics to avoid the word Tamil,please refer to https://www.quora.com/Why-did-pr...
Indian linguistics also suppresses the major factor that every language has to have a native speakercommunity essentially.Here are a few languages of India without any kind of people linked to it:
Sanskrit,Prakrit,Pali,Devanagari etc. By repeated reference to these imaginary languages,readers are made to believe that such languages existed without people linked to it.
5.MYTH : Devanagari-A script without a language !
Sanskrit enthusiasts with the support of Govt. of India have perpetuated a myth that there is a script called Devanagari that is used by every Indian language including the great Tamil! Linguists confirm that NO SCRIPT CAN EVOLVE WITHOUT A SPOKEN LANGUAGE PRECEDING IT.That is SCRIPT evolves after a phase of SPOKEN LANGUAGE. They point out there was never a people or language called Devanagari at any point of time in Indian history.Then,how can a script originate on its own?they ask.
Some linguists feel that Devanagari script is nothing but Tamil script as great Tamil would not have or need not borrow a script from an unknown source called Devanagari.The significant resemblance between Tamil alphabets and Hindi alphabets prove this contention.Most of the Hindi letters are just altered Tamil letters only with a cap on.
6.MYTH: Many Indian Spoken languages originated from an unspoken script!
According to approved texts Sanskrit is the root of all north-Indian languages like Hindi,Gujarati,Marathi etc.Linguists are of the opinion that an unspoken code cannot be the source of any spoken language.Then,how can sterile Sanskrit be the mother of so many live spoken tongues?they ask.
7.MYTH:Sanskrit is not related to Indian neighbour Tamil but to far-off European languages!
Sanskrit in India is generally linked to the Aryans who are reputed to have entered India sometime in the B.C.era.It’s generally believed that the Aryans brought Sanskrit when they entered India.But history is that when they entered India,they did not bring with them any developed language.They seem to have spoken some crude language bordering the Vedic language.The language didn’t have any script or developed literature when they entered India. Later,the Vedas were composed in India and the name Sanskrit itself was assigned much later ,say by B.C. 450 or so by Panini,the grammarian.
Sanskrit,thus was born in India clearly.When a language is born in India,the influence of the then ruling/mass language of India,i.e.Tamil cannot be http://avoided.In the circumstances,the chances of far-off European languages influencing Sanskrit(or vice versa ) is ruled out.
Some may raise a doubt that if Sanskrit and IE languages are not connected,how do we explain the similar words between Sanskrit and some IE languages? Please read Alvaro Hans's answer to If Tamil is believed to be the oldest language, then why is English vocabulary largely derived from ancient Greek and not from Tamil? for an insight. Linguists point out that many Sanskrit words are rooted in Tamil diction.
8.MYTH: Sanskrit is the ONLY Deva Bhasha!
Alvaro Hans's answer to Why is Tamil not considered as 'Deva bhasha'?
‘Deva bhasha’ means ‘language of Gods’.
Following are the languages reportedly or believed to have been spoken by various major known Gods,among themselves or to ‘man’.
· Yahweh -God of Old Testament Bible-Hebrew Language
· Jesus Christ-Son of God-Aramaic Language
· Greek Gods-Zeus,Apollos,Eros,etc.-Greek Language
· Tamil Gods-Sivan,Murugan,Pillayar etc.-Tamil Language .Sivan and Murugan loved Tamil Language.Sivan was head of one Tamil Sangam,taking the name’Irayanar’ meaning’God
· ’Non-Tamil Indian Gods-Language spoken,not clear.Sanskrit?
So’Deva Basha’is ‘not language used by ‘man’ to speak/pray to God ’ as given to understand.The Gods listed above spoke ‘human languages’ only,which can be understood by ‘man’ as well.Tamil has also an ocean of ‘Bhakthi literature’ in praise of some Gods including Jesus Christ.The Tamil anthology’Thembavani’ is in praise of Joseph,the earthly father of Jesus Christ.
So,the fore-going points make it clear that Tamil should be considered as ‘Deva Basha’ along with other similar languages.
9. MYTH Sanskrit is a classical language !
A classical language needs to be a LANGUAGE first of all to qualify for Classical Language status. It is now proved that Sanskrit IS NOT A LANGUAGE BUT A CODE ONLY.Linguists have raised a question ,’How can a CODE be declared as a Classical Language?
Thus,the myth of Indian linguistics that Sanskrit is the ONLY Deva Bhasha of India has been busted now.
There are many more ancillary myths floating around to supplement these major myths.However,since the internet is now open to every one,these myths have been busted and we know what is true now.
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