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Why did Sinhalese Assamese and Kashmiri lose different Indo-Aryan consonant sounds?
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Indo-Aryan languages
Devanagari script from a section of the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana, c. 1880–c. 1900; in the British Library.
The reduction of the sound systems in Sinhalese, Assamese, and Kashmiri is primarily attributed to their specific geographic positions and the influence of neighboring, non-Indo-Aryan languages.1
- Sinhalese: The language lacks aspirated stops, a development likely influenced by its long-standing coexistence with Tamil, a Dravidian language.1
- Assamese: This language has lost retroflex sounds. Its development has been significantly affected by its location, as it is surrounded by Tibeto-Burman languages, which have shaped its phonetics and structure.12
- Kashmiri: This language lacks voiced aspirates. Its geographic position on the border of the Iranian area has contributed to this distinct phonological reduction.1
In these outlying areas of the New Indo-Aryan linguistic region, the sound systems have been simplified compared to the core Indo-Aryan languages, reflecting the historical impact of cross-linguistic contact and regional isolation.1