From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Bihari languages
Group of Eastern Indo-Aryan languages
Group of Eastern Indo-Aryan languages
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Bihari |
| region | India and Nepal |
| ethnicity | Biharis (demonym) |
| familycolor | Indo-European |
| fam2 | Indo-Iranian |
| fam3 | Indo-Aryan |
| fam4 | Eastern |
| child1 | Bajjika |
| child2 | Angika |
| child3 | Bhojpuri |
| child4 | Bote-Darai |
| child5 | Danwar |
| child6 | Kumhali |
| child7 | Magahi |
| child8 | Maithili |
| child9 | Sadanic |
| child10 | Tharuic |
| glotto | biha1245 |
| glottorefname | Bihari |
| iso1 | bh (deprecated) |
| iso2 | bih |
Bihari languages are a group of the Indo-Aryan languages. The Bihari languages are mainly spoken in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, and also in Nepal. The most widely spoken languages of the Bihari group are Bajjika, Angika, Bhojpuri, Magahi and Maithili.
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). Maithili and Bhojpuri have constitutional recognition in Nepal. Bhojpuri-Awadhi-Magahi mix is also official in Fiji as Fiji Hindi. There are demands for including Bhojpuri and Magahi/Khortha in the 8th schedule of Indian constitution.
In Bihar, Hindi is the language used for educational and official matters.{{cite web |last = Damani |first= Guarang |title= History of Indian Languages |url = http://www.diehardindian.com/history-of-indian-languages |date = 2015 |website = Die-hard Indian |access-date = 11 April 2015 |url-status= live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150413223200/http://www.diehardindian.com/history-of-indian-languages |archive-date = 13 April 2015}} 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.{{cite conference
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. The educated and the urban population of the region return Hindi as the generic name for their language.
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.
Languages and dialects
| Language | ISO 639-3 | Scripts | No. of speakers | Geographical distribution | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angika | anp | Devanagari; previously Kaithi; Anga Lipi | 743,600 | Eastern Bihar, North-eastern Jharkhand and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal | ||||||
| Bajjika | – | Devanagari; previously Tirhuta; Kaithi | 8,738,000 | North-Central Bihar and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal | ||||||
| Bhojpuri | bho | Devanagari; previously Kaithi | 52,245,300 | Recognized language in Nepal, Official language in Fiji (as the Fiji Hindi) and Jharkhand (additional) | ||||||
| Khortha | _(sometimes counted under Magahi) | Devanagari; previously Tirhuta | url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language_MTs.html | title=Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2011 | publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India | website=censusindia.gov.in | access-date=7 July 2018}} | South Bihar, North-eastern and North central Jharkhand | ||
| Kudmali (Panchpargania) | kyw, tdb | Devanagari; sometimes Bengali, Kaithi | 556,809 | South-Eastern Jharkhand, Southern West Bengal, northern Odisha, Assam | ||||||
| Magahi | mag | Devanagari; previously Tirhuta; Kaithi, Siddham script | title=India | url=http://www.ethnologue.com/19/country/IN/languages/ | website=Ethnologue | date=2016 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20171002104725/http://www.ethnologue.com/19/country/IN/languages/ | archive-date=2 October 2017 | url-status=dead}} | South Bihar, North Jharkhand and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal |
| Maithili | mai | Devanagari; previously Tirhuta, Kaithi | 33,890,000 | Northern and eastern Bihar, Jharkhand and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal | ||||||
| Nagpuri (Sadri) | sck | Devanagari; previously Kaithi | 5,100,000 | West-central Jharkhand, North-eastern Chhattisgarh, Northwestern Odisha | ||||||
| Tharu | thl, tkt, thr, the, thq, tkb, soi | Devanagari | title=National Population and Housing census 2021 of Nepal | url=https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/files/result-folder/Caste%20Ethnicity_report_NPHC_2021.pdf}} | Terai regions of Nepal and some parts of border side areas of Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Bihar | |||||
| Danuwar | dhw | Devanagari | 46,000 | Nepal | ||||||
| Bote-Darai | bmj, dry | Devanagari | 30,000 | Nepal | ||||||
| Kumhali | kra | Devanagari | 12,000 | Nepal | ||||||
| Majhi | mjz | Devanagari | 24,000 | Nepal |
References and footnotes
References
- "Change to Part 1 Language Code {{!}} ISO 639-3".
- Masica, Colin P.. (1991). "The Indo-Aryan Languages". Cambridge University Press.
- [https://www.ethnologue.com/subgroups/bihari Bihari] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (23rd ed., 2020).
- Yadava, Y. P. (2013). Linguistic context and language endangerment in Nepal. Nepalese Linguistics 28: 262–274.
- Brass, Paul R. (1974). ''Language, Religion and Politics in North India''. Cambridge University Press.
- (7 January 2004). "The Constitution (Ninety-Second Amendment) Act, 2003".
- (6 September 2018). "Nepal". The Hindu.
- Brass, Paul R.. (8 September 1994). "The Politics of India Since Independence". [[Cambridge University Press]].
- (2009). "Language Policy and Linguistic Minorities in India: An Appraisal of the Linguistic Rights of Minorities in India". LIT Verlag Münster.
- (11 September 2003). "The Indo-Aryan Languages". Routledge.
- (2 October 2020). "बिहार में कितनी भाषाएं बोली जाती है? जानिए किन इलाकों में कौन सी भाषा बोली जाती है".
- "Browse by Language Family".
- "Angika".
- "Bhojpuri".
- "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2011". Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.
- "Kudmali".
- (2016). "India".
- Praveen. (6 March 2018). "मैथिली को भी मिलेगा दूसरी राजभाषा का दर्जा". Hindustan.
- "National Population and Housing census 2021 of Nepal".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Bihari languages — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report