The Sanskrit language (संस्कृतं saṃskṛtam, संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. Sanskrit is also known as "The Mother of all Languages", although it, like Latin, Greek and Persian, actually descends from Proto-Indo-European (PIE). It has a position in India and Southeast Asia similar to that of Latin and Greek in Europe. The oldest type of Sanskrit, called Vedic Sanskrit, is the language of the Vedas, the oldest known scriptures in Hinduism.