Pali

Pali

Noun / Adjective · /ˈpɑː.li/

Definition

(Noun) an ancient Middle Indo-Aryan language in which the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism (the Pali Canon, also called the Tipitaka) are written; the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhist practice across Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. (Adjective) relating to this language or its literature.

Origin

From Pali pāli-bhāsā — the language of the texts — from pāli meaning row, line, or canonical text (from Sanskrit pāṃkti, a row, a series) and bhāsā meaning language. Pali being the liturgical language used to preserve and transmit the teachings of the Buddha in the Theravada tradition. While Sanskrit was the prestige language of Brahmanic Hindu tradition, Pali was used in the Theravada school partly because the Buddha is thought to have taught in a vernacular related to it. Pali being a classical language and not a native spoken language of any contemporary community.