in the region which provided the political and cultural influence for the development of the Kamrupi apabhramsa. Xuanzang (or Hiuen Tsang), when he visited Kamarupa in 643 CE mentioned that the language spoken in Kamarupa was a 'little different' from the one spoken in mid-India is provided as evidence that this apabhramsa existed as early as the 5th century. Geographical vicinity Assamese, or more appropriately the old Kamarupi dialect entered into Kamrup or western Assam, where this speech was first characterized as Assamese. Golockchandra Goswami in his An introduction to Assamese phonology writes, "in early Assamese there seems to be one dominant dialect prevailing over the whole country, the Western Assamese dialect." Similarly Upendranath Goswami says, "Assamese entered into Kamarupa or western Assam where this speech was first characterised as Assamese. This is evident from the remarks of Hiuen Tsang who visited the Kingdom of Kamarupa in the first half of the seventh century A.D., during the reign of Bhaskaravarman" Works The sample of the old Kamrupi dialect are found in different inscriptions scattered around eastern and northern India, such as Bhaskar Varman's inscriptions. Daka, a native of Lehidangara village of Barpeta composed an authoritative work named Dakabhanita in the 8th century A.D. See also Apabhraṃśa Middle Indo-Aryan languages References Bibliography External links Assamese from Resource Center for Indian Language Technology Solutions, IIT, Guwahati Eastern Indo-Aryan languages Prakrit languages Kamrupi culture Kamarupa (former kingdom)