ProtoIndoAryan

Proto-Indo-Aryan is a hypothetical language reconstructed from the common ancestor of the Indo-IIranian branch of the Indo-European language family. It is assumed to have been spoken around 1500-500 BCE in the Near East or South Asia.

The term "Proto-Indo-Aryan" was coined by Indian scholar Macdonell in the late 19th century, with the aim of distinguishing it from the earlier stage of Proto-Indo-Iranian. The distinction is not universally accepted, and some scholars consider the terms interchangeable.

Scholars have used a variety of methods to reconstruct Proto-Indo-Aryan, including comparative linguistics and the study of old Indo-Aryan texts such as the Rigveda. These methods have allowed researchers to identify features of the language, such as its grammar, phonology, and vocabulary.

One of the key features of Proto-Indo-Aryan is its complex system of case endings, which distinguished a nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, and ablative case. The language also had a system of verb conjugation that marked tense, aspect, and mood. The vocabulary of Proto-Indo-Aryan is not well understood, with estimates suggesting that the language may have had around 300 basic vocabulary items.

The spread of Proto-Indo-Aryan from its original homeland is thought to have occurred through a complex process involving migration, conquest, and cultural exchange. The language eventually gave rise to a number of Indo-Aryan languages, including Sanskrit and the modern Indo-Aryan languages of Northern India and Pakistan.