Series | Antiquity Studies
Edited book | Wine Cultures
Chapter | In Search of Regional/Local (deśī) Words for ‘Intoxicant’ in First-Millennium India
In Search of Regional/Local (deśī) Words for ‘Intoxicant’ in First-Millennium India
Abstract
While, as a consequence of recent studies, we can now have a good image of ‘intoxicant’ in Sanskrit literature, the same is not true for Middle Indo-Aryan literature, except perhaps for Pāli. In this paper two texts written in Prakrit and Ardha-Māgadhī respectively will be taken into examination, focusing especially on those words not linked to Sanskrit tradition, and normally known as deśī, ‘regional’, words. In particular, the second text analysed, which is part of the Jain Śvetāmbara Canon, will give me the opportunity to look at the use of deśī words meaning ‘intoxicant’ and/or concerning ‘drinking culture’ in the Deśīnāmamālā, Hemacandra’s lexicon of Prakrit deśī words. The result of the analysis reveals that local, regional ‘drinking traditions’, in some cases part of non-Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic groups, can be found beside the pan-indian, cosmopolitan Sanskrit culture.
Submitted: Feb. 19, 2024 | Accepted: April 16, 2024 | Published Oct. 8, 2024 | Language: en
Keywords Middle Indo-Aryan • Deśī • Kuvalayamālā • Wine • Prakrit
Copyright © 2024 Andrea Drocco. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-816-3/003
