Pāli Literature and Language

The work is divided into two principal parts. The opening section explains the nature of Pāli, including its linguistic strata, its status as an artificial literary language, its probable place of origin, and the question of whether it should be connected with Māgadhī. Part I: Pāli Literature surveys the canonical and non-canonical traditions. The canonical section discusses the origin and authenticity of the canon, its classification, the Vinaya Piṭaka, Sutta Piṭaka, Nikāyas, Khuddaka texts, Abhidhamma Piṭaka, individual works, and the Paritta collection. The non-canonical section treats post-canonical literature from the completion of the canon to later periods, including commentaries, chronicles, poetic works, grammatical writings, and later literary productions. Part II: Grammar of Pāli gives a systematic linguistic analysis of the language. It covers phonology, accent, mora, vowels, diphthongs, consonantal changes, sandhi, nominal and adjectival forms, declension, pronouns, numerals, verbal conjugation, aorist, passive, causative, desiderative, intensive and denominative formations, participles, infinitives, and gerunds.