Question

Sanskrit is part of the _______ family of languages.

Answer 1

Hint: The verbal adjective sá'skta- is a compound word in Sanskrit consisting of sam (together, fine, well, perfect) and krta— (made, formed, work). It represents a work that was "well prepared, pure and perfect, polished, holy.

Complete answer: Sanskrit belongs to the language class of the Indo-European family. It is one of the three earliest recorded ancient languages which emerged from a common root language now known as the Proto-Indo-European language. It originated in South Asia in the late Bronze Age after its predecessor languages had migrated there from the northwest. The holy language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of Buddhist and Jainist historical texts, is Sanskrit. In ancient and mediaeval South Asia, it was a connection language, and in the early mediaeval period, after transmission of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central Asia, it became a language of religion and high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions. As a result, Sanskrit had a lasting effect, especially in its formal and learned vocabulary, on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia.
Therefore, the correct answer is ‘Sanskrit is part of the Indo-European family of languages’.

Note: The role, purpose, and position of Sanskrit in India's cultural heritage are recognised by its inclusion in the languages of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. There are no first-language speakers of Sanskrit in India, however, despite attempts at revival.