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Glite Dictionary
📜 Early Buddhist texts 📜 Ancient Buddhist language
Pali language

Pali language

9.9
An ancient Indian language used to write Theravada Buddhist religious texts
  • noun
  • /ˈpɑːli ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
  • Literature
: idioma pali
  • She studied the Pali language in order to read ancient Buddhist scriptures in their original form.

Examples

  • The sacred texts of Theravada Buddhism are written in Pali language.

  • The Pali language is essential for studying Theravada Buddhism.

  • Several universities offer courses in Pali language for students of religious studies.

  • Many ancient texts are written in the Pali language.

  • Several universities offer courses in Pali language for students of religious studies.

  • She studied the Pali language in order to read ancient Buddhist scriptures in their original form.

  • The sacred texts of Theravada Buddhism are written in Pali language.

Synonyms

Pali
vsPali language
  • Specialized
2 9.9

An ancient language used in Theravada Buddhism for religious books and chants

is the same language but named as a two word descriptive phrase

Surface Forms

Pali language singular
Pali languages plural

Morphology

Pali + language

This is fully compositional: 'Pali' denotes the specific named scriptural language and 'language' denotes a linguistic system, so 'Pali language' straightforwardly means the language called Pali. There is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift and the 'X + language' pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the meaning.

Etymology

Pali language started as an old Indian language used by early Buddhist monks to speak and write the Buddha's teachings. Because monks copied and taught the sacred words in that language, Pali language came to mean the special language of those 'religious texts'.