position, and variously modified by collision with the primitive dialects of different localities.
It must not, however, be supposed that in taking this view of the formation of Sanskrit, I mean to imply that it does not also stand in a kind of parental relation to the spoken dialects. Sanskrit, when too highly elaborated by the Pandits, became in one sense dead, but in another sense it still breathes, and lives in the speech of the people, infusing fresh life and vigour into all their dialects l. For, independent of Sanskrit as the vernaculars probably were in their first origin, they all now draw largely from it, for the enrichment of their vocabulary2.
1 The Sanskrit colleges founded at Benares, Calcutta, and other places, for the cultivation of the learned language and literature of the Hindus, are doing a good work; but, after all, the bearing of Sanskrit upon the vernaculars constitutes a point of primary importance. For we must not forget that the general diffusion of education throughout India must he chiefly effected through the medium of theveruacular dialects, and not merely through English. A knowledge of this fact has led to the establishment of Sir Wiliiam Muir's new college at Allahabad (the ' Muir University College'), to which numerous vernacular schools will be affiliated. With reference to the study of the vernaculars and the spread of education by their means, let me recommend a perusal of Sir Charles Treve- lyan's ' Original Papers on the Application of the Roman Alphabet to the Languages of India,' edited by me in 1859 (Longmans).
2 This applies even to the South-Indian languages—Tamil, Telugu, Kanarese, Halayalam, and Tulu ; although these are not Aryan in structure, but belong rather to the Turanian or agglutinating family.
