Where does “Prakrit” come from?
Prakrit (English) comes from Sanskrit प्राकृत, from Sanskrit प्रकृति, from Sanskrit प्र-, from Proto-Indo-Aryan pra-, from Proto-Indo-Iranian pra-, from Proto-Indo-European pro-, from Proto-Indo-European por-, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “Prakrit”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | प्राकृत | natural, original, unaltered, unrefined |
| 2 | Sanskrit | प्रकृति | nature , literally meaning "as created/done",... |
| 3 | Sanskrit | प्र- | forward, before; forward, forth; in front of |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | pra- | forth |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | pra- | toward, forward |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |