About the Book: India : A Linguistic Civilization
Indias spectacular linguistic diversity is one of its most defining
characteristics as a civilization. The complex trajectory of our languages is
intertwined with the evolution of the Indian identity, imagination, and
intellectual history. Our languages are a repository of human ideas and
experiences across millennia and remain at the core of intense deliberations on
what constitutes the 'idea of India. Yet to map their evolution is a monumental
endeavour—the number of languages to have existed and the ones that continue to
be in use are far too many to determine a particular point of origin or
reconstruct the story in