Bihari languages

Last updated

Bihari
Geographic
distribution		 India and Nepal
Linguistic classification Indo-European
Subdivisions
ISO 639-1 bh (deprecated)
ISO 639-2 / 5 bih
Glottolog biha1245

Bihari languages are a group of the Indo-Aryan languages. [1] [2] The Bihari languages are mainly spoken in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, and also in Nepal. [3] [4] The most widely spoken languages of the Bihari group are Bhojpuri, Magahi and Maithili.

Contents

Despite the large number of speakers of these languages, only Maithili has been constitutionally recognised in India, which gained constitutional status via the 92nd amendment to the Constitution of India, of 2003 (gaining assent in 2004). [5] Both Maithili and Bhojpuri have constitutional recognition in Nepal. [6] Bhojpuri is also official in Fiji as Fiji Baat. There are demands for including Bhojpuri in the 8th schedule of Indian constitution.

In Bihar, Hindi is the language used for educational and official matters. [7] These languages were legally absorbed under the overarching label Hindi in the 1961 Census. Such state and national politics are creating conditions for language endangerments. [8] After independence Hindi was given the sole official status through the Bihar Official Language Act, 1950. [9] Hindi was displaced as the sole official language of Bihar in 1981, when Urdu was accorded the status of the second official language. [10]

Speakers

The number of speakers of Bihari languages is difficult to indicate because of unreliable sources. In the urban region most educated speakers of the language name Hindi as their language because this is what they use in formal contexts and believe it to be the appropriate response because of unawareness.[ clarification needed ] The educated and the urban population of the region return Hindi as the generic name for their language. [11]

British linguist Grierson also mentioned that Bajjika, Angika and Surjapuri are also spoken in particular districts of Bihar. These languages are mostly spoken in rural areas. [12]

Classification

The Bihari languages fall into four language subgroups:

Languages and dialects

Language [13] ISO 639-3 ScriptsNo. of speakers [11] Geographical distribution
Angika anp Devanagari; previously Kaithi; Anga Lipi 743,600 [14] Eastern Bihar, North-eastern Jharkhand and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal
Bajjika – Devanagari; previously Tirhuta; Kaithi 8,738,000[ citation needed ]North-Central Bihar and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal
Bhojpuri bho Devanagari; previously Kaithi 52,245,300 [15] Recognized language in Nepal, Official language in Fiji (as the Fiji Hindi) and Jharkhand (additional)

In India  : Western Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Western Jharkhand, Northern Chhattisgarh, Northeastern Madhya Pradesh

Terai region of Central Nepal

Khortha – Devanagari; previously Tirhuta 8,040,000 [16] South Bihar, North-eastern and North central Jharkhand
Kudmali (Panchpargania) kyw, tdb Devanagari; sometimes Bengali, Kaithi 556,809 [16] South-Eastern Jharkhand, Southern West Bengal, [17] northern Odisha, Assam
Magahi mah Devanagari; previously Tirhuta; Kaithi, Siddham script 14,035,600 [18] South Bihar, North Jharkhand and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal
Maithili mai Devanagari; previously Tirhuta, Kaithi 33,890,000 [18] Northern and eastern Bihar, Jharkhand [19] and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal
Nagpuri (Sadri) sck Devanagari; previously Kaithi 5,100,000 [16] West-central Jharkhand, North-eastern Chhattisgarh, Northwestern Odisha
Tharu thl, tkt, thr, the, thq, tkb, soi Devanagari 1,900,000 [16] [20] Terai regions of Nepal and some parts of border side areas of Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Bihar
Danuwar dhw Devanagari 46,000 [16] [20] Nepal
Bote-Darai bmj, dry Devanagari 30,000 [16] [20] Nepal
Kumhali kra Devanagari 12,000 [16] [20] Nepal
Majhi mjz Devanagari 24,000 [16] [20] Nepal

References and footnotes

  1. ↑ Masica, Colin P. (1991). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Cambridge University Press. pp. 12, 26, 446–462.
  2. ↑ Bihari at Ethnologue (23rd ed., 2020).
  3. ↑ Yadava, Y. P. (2013). Linguistic context and language endangerment in Nepal. Nepalese Linguistics 28: 262–274.
  4. ↑ Brass, Paul R. (1974). Language, Religion and Politics in North India. Cambridge University Press.
  5. ↑ "The Constitution (Ninety-Second Amendment) Act, 2003". National Portal of India. 7 January 2004. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  6. ↑ Kumayaa, Harshitha (6 September 2018). "Nepal". The Hindu.
  7. ↑ Damani, Guarang (2015). "History of Indian Languages". Die-hard Indian. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  8. ↑ Verma, Mahandra K. (2001). "Language Endangerment and Indian languages : An exploration and a critique". Linguistic Structure and Language Dynamics in South Asia. ISBN   9788120817654.
  9. ↑ Brass, Paul R. (8 September 1994). The Politics of India Since Independence (Second ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 183. ISBN   9780521459709 . Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  10. ↑ Benedikter, Thomas (2009). Language Policy and Linguistic Minorities in India: An Appraisal of the Linguistic Rights of Minorities in India. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 89. ISBN   978-3-643-10231-7.
  11. 1 2 Cardona, George; Jain, Dhanesh, eds. (11 September 2003). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Routledge Language Family Series. Routledge. p. 500. ISBN   978-0415772945.
  12. ↑ "बिहार में कितनी भाषाएं बोली जाती है? जानिए किन इलाकों में कौन सी भाषा बोली जाती है". Main Media (in Hindi). 2 October 2020.
  13. ↑ "Browse by Language Family". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  14. ↑ "Angika". Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "Bhojpuri". Ethnologue. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2011". censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  17. ↑ "Kudmali". Ethnologue. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  18. 1 2 "India". Ethnologue. 2016. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017.
  19. ↑ Praveen (6 March 2018). "मैथिली को भी मिलेगा दूसरी राजभाषा का दर्जा". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "National Population and Housing census 2021 of Nepal" (PDF).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Aryan languages</span> Branch of the Indo-Iranian languages

The Indo-Aryan languages are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily concentrated in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives. Moreover, apart from the Indian subcontinent, large immigrant and expatriate Indo-Aryan–speaking communities live in Northwestern Europe, Western Asia, North America, the Caribbean, Southeast Africa, Polynesia and Australia, along with several million speakers of Romani languages primarily concentrated in Southeastern Europe. There are over 200 known Indo-Aryan languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maithili language</span> Indo-Aryan language spoken in India and Nepal

Maithili is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in parts of India and Nepal. It is native to the Mithila region, which encompasses parts of the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand as well as the Nepalese Koshi and Madhesh Provinces. It is one of the 22 official languages of India. It is the second most commonly spoken language of Nepal. It is also one of the fourteen provincial official languages of Nepal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhojpuri language</span> Indo-Aryan language native to India and Nepal

Bhojpuri is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Bhojpur-Purvanchal region of India and the Terai region of Nepal. It is chiefly spoken in eastern Uttar Pradesh, and western Bihar. It is an eastern Indo Aryan language and as of 2000 is spoken by about 5% of India's population. Bhojpuri is a descendant of Magadhi Prakrit and is closely related to Maithili, Magahi, Bangla, Odia, Assamese, etc. languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magahi language</span> Indo-Aryan language spoken in India

Magahi, also known as Magadhi, is a Indo-Aryan language spoken in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states of eastern India, and in the Terai of Nepal. Magadhi Prakrit was the ancestor of Magahi, from which the latter's name derives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awadhi language</span> Indo-Aryan language spoken in Northern India

Awadhi, also known as Audhi (औधी), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh in northern India and in Terai region of western Nepal. The name Awadh is connected to Ayodhya, the ancient city, which is regarded as the homeland of the Hindu god Rama. It was, along with Braj, used widely as a literary vehicle before being displaced by Hindi in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindi Belt</span> Linguistic region of India

The Hindi Belt, also known as the Hindi Heartland, is a linguistic region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India where various Northern, Central, Eastern and Western Indo-Aryan languages are spoken, which in a broader sense is termed as Hindi languages, with Standard Hindi serving as the lingua franca of the region.

Bihari is a demonym given to the inhabitants of the Indian state of Bihar. Bihari people can be separated into three main Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic groups, Bhojpuris, Maithils and Magadhis. They are also further divided into a variety of hereditary caste groups. In Bihar today, the Bihari identity is seen as secondary to caste/clan, linguistic and religious identity but nonetheless is a subset of the larger Indian identity. Biharis can be found throughout India, and in the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. During the Partition of India in 1947, many Bihari Muslims migrated to East Bengal. Bihari people are also well represented in the Muhajir people of Pakistan because of Partition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagpuri language</span> Eastern Indo-Aryan language

Nagpuri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar. It is primarily spoken in the west and central Chota Nagpur plateau region. It is sometimes considered a dialect of Bhojpuri.

Hindi is one of the official languages in the Indian state of Bihar. Although Hindustani is the lingua-franca of the region, the majority of the people natively speak one of the Bihari languages.

Bajjika (Western Maithili) is an Indo-Aryan language variety spoken in parts of Bihar, India and in Nepal. It is closely related to Maithili (of which it is often considered a dialect).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tharu languages</span> Indo-Aryan language group of Nepal and India

The Tharu or Tharuhat languages are any of the Indo-Aryan languages spoken by the Tharu people of the Terai region in Nepal, and neighboring regions of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Indo-Aryan languages</span> Language family of South Asia

The Eastern Indo-Aryan languages, also known as Māgadhan languages, are spoken throughout the eastern region of the subcontinent, which includes Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bengal region, Tripura, Assam, and Odisha; alongside other regions surrounding the northeastern Himalayan corridor. Bengali is official language of Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal, Tripura and the Barak valley of Assam while Assamese and Odia are the official languages of Assam and Odisha, respectively. The Eastern Indo-Aryan languages descend from Abahattha, which descends from Magadhan Apabhraṃśa and ultimately from Magadhi Prakrit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Indo-Aryan languages</span> Central Indo-Aryan

The Central Indo-Aryan languages or Hindi languages are a group of Indo-Aryan languages spoken across Northern and Central India. These language varieties form the central part of the Indo-Aryan language family, itself a part of the Indo-European language family. They historically form a dialect continuum that descends from the Middle Prakrits. Located in the Hindi Belt, the Central Zone includes the Dehlavi (Delhi) dialect of the Hindustani language, the lingua franca of Northern India that is the basis of the Modern Standard Hindi and Modern Standard Urdu literary standards. In regards to the Indo-Aryan language family, the coherence of this language group depends on the classification being used; here only Eastern and Western Hindi languages will be considered.

Most of the languages of Bihar, the third most populous state of India, belong to the Bihari subgroup of the Indo-Aryan family. Chief among them are Bhojpuri, spoken in the west of the state, Maithili in the north, Magahi in center around capital Patna. Maithili has official recognition under the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. The official language of Bihar is Modern Standard Hindi, with Standard Urdu serving as a second official language in 15 districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khortha language</span> Indo-Aryan dialect spoken in India

Khortha or alternatively classified as Eastern Magahi is a language variety spoken primarily in the Indian state of Jharkhand, mainly in 16 districts of three divisions: North Chotanagpur, Palamu division and Santhal Pargana. Khortha is spoken by the Sadaans as native language and used by the tribal as a link language. It is the most spoken language variety of Jharkhand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angika</span> Bihari language of India and Nepal

Angika is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in some parts of the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand, as well as in parts of Nepal.

The Bhojpuri people, also known as Bhojpuriya-sawb are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent who speak the Bhojpuri-language and inhabit the Bhojpur-Purvanchal region. This area is now divided between the western part of the Indian state of Bihar, the eastern part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, western Jharkhand, along with some neighbouring districts in the Madhya Pradesh and Madhesh and Lumbini of Nepal. A significant diaspora population of Bhojpuris can be found in Trinidad and Tobago, Netherlands, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, other parts of the Caribbean, Fiji, South Africa, and Mauritius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maithili Wikipedia</span> Maithili language version of Wikipedia

The Maithili Wikipedia is the Maithili language version of Wikipedia, run by the Wikimedia Foundation. The site was launched on November 6, 2014. As of February 2024, it has 14,102 articles and 13,996 registered users. Today, Maithili is written in the Devanagari script and the site uses the same. Maithili is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Bihar and Jharkhand states of India and is one of the 22 recognised Indian languages which is also spoken in the eastern Terai of Nepal and is the second most prevalent language of Nepal. It is also one of the 122 recognized Nepalese languages.

Kochila Tharu, also called Morangiya, Septari or Saptariya Tharu, Madhya-Purbiya Tharu, and Mid-Eastern Tharu, is a diverse group of language varieties in the Tharu group of the Indo-Aryan languages. The several names of the varieties refer to the regions where they dominate. It is one of the largest subgroupings of Tharu. It is spoken mainly in Nepal with approximately 250,000 speakers as of 2003. In addition to language, cultural markers around attire and customs connect individuals into the ethnic identity Kochila.

Kathariya Tharu also known as Kathoriya Tharu is one of the Indo Aryan languages spoken by the Tharu people of Nepal and India. It is a language spoken in the Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal, particularly in the Kailali District, including areas like Bardagoriya, Bhajani, Ghodaghodi, Joshipur. Additionally, it is spoken in the Uttar Pradesh state of India, specifically in Bahraich and Lakhimpur Kheri districts near the Nepal border.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.