The term ‘Apabhramsa’ was used in medieval Sanskrit texts to denote:

Answer: (c) Early forms of some of the modern Indian language

Apabhramsa is the language stage between Prakrit and the modern Indo-Aryan languages. It was used for literature, including Jain teachings, and its forms led to Hindi, Gujarati and others.

• ✓ (c) Apabhramsa gave early forms of several modern North Indian languages.
• ✗ (a) It is a language term, not a social group.
• ✗ (b) It is not about ritual deviation.
• ✗ (d) It is not a metre.

Remember · Sanskrit, then Prakrit, then Apabhramsa, then modern Indo-Aryan languages.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Ch 1 (practise this chapter)

Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 1996, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 1996: the answer shown is the one the sources above support. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). · Report an error