Here is a simple overview about Agamas and Ardhamagadhi in Jainism:

• Ardhamagadhi language

- Ardhamagadhi is a Prakrit language that the Jain scriptures (Agamas) were originally spoken in. - It is the language used for many early Jain sermons and texts, especially in the Svetambara tradition. - It is distinct from Sanskrit and from the later Gujarati/Surat languages that some Jain works use.

• Agamas (canonical teachings)

- In Jainism, “Agama” means a collection of teachings of the Tirthankaras. - The core Jain scriptures are traditionally grouped into Angas (primary) and Upangas (supplementary), many of which are preserved or interpreted in Ardhamagadhi. - The Svetambara tradition recognizes a large corpus of Agamas largely based on Ardhamagadhi texts. - The Digambara tradition has a different canonical framework and emphasizes that some Agama texts were originally taught by Mahavira but are preserved and interpreted differently; they place greater emphasis on monastic Bhashyas and other texts rather than Ardhamagadhi translations of all Agamas.

• Key idea to remember

- Ardhamagadhi is the language in which many early Jain discourses were recorded. - The concept and organization of Agamas differ slightly between Digambara and Svetambara traditions, especially in what counts as canonical text and how it is preserved.

If you’d like, I can share more details about specific Angas or give you a simple gloss of a famous Ardhamagadhi sutra (with its Digambara vs. Svetambara nuances) in plain language.

You can read more on this topic here