Richard Gombrich's new book,
Buddhism and Pali (Mud Pie Slices, 2018), puts the richness of the Pali language on display. He introduces the reader to the origins of Pali, its linguistic character, and the style of Pali literature. Far more than just an introductory book, Richard argues not only that the Pali Canon records the words of the Buddha, but that the Buddha himself is responsible for the Pali language. Richard shows that by learning about Pali, we learn about the spirit of Buddhism itself.
For more information about the book, read
this article from the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies
Richard Gombrich is the Emeritus Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University and a member of the Oriental Institute and Balliol College. He is the Founder and Director of the
Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies as well as the General Editor of the Clay Sanskrit Library.
Alex Carroll studies Buddhist Studies at the University of South Wales and is primarily interested in Theravāda and early Buddhism. He lives in Oslo, Norway and can be reached via his website here.