The term Prakrit , which includes Pali , is also used as a cover term for the vernaculars of North India that were spoken perhaps as late as the 4th to 8th centuries .
Some scholars use the term for the entire Middle Indo - Aryan period .
The term Prakrit , which includes Pali , is also used as a cover term for the vernaculars of North India that were spoken perhaps as late as the 4th to 8th centuries , but some scholars use the term for the entire Middle Indo - Aryan period .