Abstract:
The language which was used by the Buddha to preach dhamma for forty five years is known as Pali
or Pali language. As the Buddha was resident in the state of Kasala, some scholars say that the
Buddha preached dhamma in the Kosal language. Some scholars say that the Buddha preached
dhamma using the Magadi language, which was used in the state of Magadha. It is not clear how his
language was named in the time of the Buddha. However, in the present, it is introduced as Pali
language.
The word of Pali has been used for a long time. Examples can be found in the Visuddhimagga as
given below.
"Yasmā pana idan cariyāvibhāvanavidanan sabbakarena neva paliyan na atthakathāyan
agatan." "Imani tāva pāliyan āgatarupaneva"
The words of Pali, given in the sentences above, have not introduced a language. It introduces only
the teachings of the Buddha. The words of Pali have been used as a meaning of language in the book
of Rasāvahinī which was written in the 12th or 13th century as given below:
Mahāvihare tan gutta vankaparivena vasiko
Hitāya parivattesi pajānan pali Bhāsato.
The words of Pali language given in the verse above is the Magadhi language, or Tanti language. It is
the language, the Buddha's teachings have been recorded in. Otherwise it is not a special language.
Likewise, Pali is the language of the Buddha's preaching and other compositions such as
commentaries and sub commentaries related to it. The purpose of this study is to verify: what the
correct Ļ of the word "PAĻI" is. Some scholars use both cerebral Ļ and dental L. Baddegama
Vimalavansa Thero states that both are correct. Polwatte Buddhadatta Thero also states in the Pali-
Sinhala dictionary, that both cerebral Ļ and dental L are correct for the word ‘Pali’. The researcher
believes there should be a certain agreement about this matter, so this research is to point out with
reasons what the correct Ļ/L of the word "PAĻI" should be. That is the objective of this research
paper.
