Sanskrit is a historical Indo-aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism and Buddhism. Today, it is listed as one of the 22 languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttrakhand.
Classical Sanskrit is the standard register as laid out in the grammar of Panini, around the 4th century BCE. Its position in the cultures of greater India is akin to that of latin and Greek in Europe and it has significantly influenced most modern languages of the Indian Subcontinent.
The pre-Classical form of Sanskrit is known as Vedic sanskrit, with the language of the Rigveda being the oldest and most archaic stage preserved, its oldest core dating back to as early as 1500 BCE. This qualifies Rigvedic Sanskrit as one of the oldest attestations of any Indo-Iranian language, and one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-Europeon language family which includes English and most European languages.
The term in the generic meaning of "made ready, prepared, completed, finished" is found in the Rigveda. Also in Vedic Sanskrit, as nominalized neuter saṃskṛtám, it means "preparation, prepared place" and thus "ritual enclosure, place for a sacrifice".
