Lost Sanskrit manuscript rediscovered in Italian library
By ANITuesday, June 29, 2010
BERLIN - A lost ancient manuscript detailing India’s old Sanskrit language was rediscovered in an Italian library.
According to a German news agency, Toon Van Haal of Belgium tracked down the Grammatica Grandonica in a Carmelite monastery library near Rome.
The manuscript compiled in Kerala, India by Johann Ernst Hanxleben, could provide insights into western grammarians’ thoughts about the ancient language of India - revered in the west as the oldest branch of the Indo-European family of languages, which include English, French and Persian, reports Earth Times.
Johann Ernst Hanxleben was a German Jesuit priest who spoke fluent Malayalam, compiled the document between 1701 and 1732.
The hunt for the manuscript began as part of plans to put digital copies of key online Renaissance grammar works on the Internet.
Van Haal’s University of Leuven said the book was found in the Convento di San Silvestro in Montecomprati. (ANI)
