collective name for the popular dialects of ancient northern and central India (distinguished from and succeeding Sanskrit), sometimes also applied to modern languages (Hindi, Bengali, etc.), 1766, from Sanskrit prakrta- "natural, original" (opposed to samskrta- "prepared, refined"), from pra- "before, forward, forth" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "before") + krta- "to make, do, perform," from PIE root *k(w)er- "to make, form" (related to karma). Related: Prakritic.
