Akademik

   Ardhamagadhi is one of the Prakrit languages that immediately descended from ancient SAN-SKRIT. The canonical works of the Jains (see JAIN-ISM) were written in this language; the Jains only later began to write in Sanskrit. Stray records of Ardhamagadhi survive in the dialogue sections of Sanskrit high literature, and some Ardhamagadhi poetry is still extant.

   Further reading: Siegfried Lienhard, A History of Classical Poetry: Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit. Vol. 3, Fascicle 1, History of Indian Literature, edited by Jan Gonda (Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1984); Moriz Winternitz, History of Indian Literature (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1967).