Legacy of The Indo-Greeks - Linguistic Legacy

Linguistic Legacy

A few common Greek words were adopted in Sanskrit, such as words related to writing and warfare:

• "ink" (Sankrit: melā, Greek: μέλαν "melan")
• "pen" (Sanskrit:kalamo, Greek: κάλαμος "kalamos")
• "book" (Sanskrit: pustaka, Greek: πύξινον "puksinon")
• "bridle", a horse's bit (Sanskrit: khalina, Greek: χαλινός "khalinos")
• "center" (Sanskrit: kendram, Greek: κέντρον "kentron")
• "siege mining", (Greek: υπόνομος "hyponomos", with the meaning of undermining fortifications, in order to enter behind an enemy line, or, just to pull down the enemy's wall)
• "syringe" (Sanskrit: surungā, Greek: σύριγξ-σύριγγα "syrinx-syringa")
• "barbarian, blockhead, stupid" (Sanskrit: barbara, Greek: βάρβαρος "barbaros")
  also: "a shell" cambuka from σαμβύκη, "flour" samita from σεμίδαλις.

The "Avaca" Kharosthi inscription, found on a Buddhist relic casket, indicates that the old Greek military title of strategos ("commander") had apparently endured the Indo-Scythian invasion and was being used by the Apracarajas of Bajaur during the 1st century CE (the inscription mentions the dedication date of the casket as "the year 63 of the late Maharaja Aya", Aya being the Indo-Scythian ruler Azes I, who started the Vikrama era in 58 BCE, therefore suggesting a date around 5 CE). The dedication mentions "vaga stratego puyaite viyayamitro ya" i.e. "The Lord Commander (Stratego) Viyayamitra is honored too".

The Greek philosopher Apollonius of Tyana is related by Philostratus in Life of Apollonius Tyana to have visited India, and specifically the city of Taxila around 46 CE. He describes constructions of the Greek type, probably referring to Sirkap, and explains that the Indo-Parthian king of Taxila, named Phraotes, received a Greek education at the court of his father and spoke Greek fluently:

"Tell me, O King, how you acquired such a command of the Greek tongue, and whence you derived all your philosophical attainments in this place?"

-"My father, after a Greek education, brought me to the sages at an age somewhat too early perhaps, for I was only twelve at the time, but they brought me up like their own son; for any that they admit knowing the Greek tongue they are especially fond of, because they consider that in virtue of the similarity of his disposition he already belongs to themselves."

Lastly, from the Rabatak inscription we have the following information, tending to indicate that Greek was still in official use until the time of Kanishka (c. 120 CE):

"He (Kanishka) issued(?) an edict(?) in Greek and then he put it into the Aryan language". …but when Kanishka refers to "the Aryan language" he surely means Bactrian, …"By the grace of Auramazda, I made another text in Aryan, which previously did not exist". It is difficult not to associate Kanishka's emphasis here on the use of the "Aryan language" with the replacement of Greek by Bactrian on his coinage. The numismatic evidence shows that this must have taken place very early in Kanishka's reign, …" — Prof. Nicholas Sims-Williams (University of London).

The Greek language was probably still "alive" during the time of Kanishka, as this king introduced a new title in Greek on his early coins (Βασιλευς Βασιλεων, "King of Kings" in the nominative), as well as the name of Greek deities such as Ηλιος (Sun god Helios), Ηφαηστος (Fire god Hephaistos), and Σαληνη (Moon goddess Selene).

The Greek script was used not only on coins, but also in manuscripts and stone inscriptions as late as the period of Islamic invasions in the 7th-8th century.