Bihari languages

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox language family Bihari languages are a group of the Indo-Aryan languages.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Bihari at Ethnologue (23rd ed., 2020).</ref> The Bihari languages are mainly spoken in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, and also in Nepal.<ref>Yadava, Y. P. (2013). Linguistic context and language endangerment in Nepal. Nepalese Linguistics 28: 262–274.</ref><ref name="auto1">Brass, Paul R. (1974). Language, Religion and Politics in North India. Cambridge University Press.</ref> 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).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Maithili and Bhojpuri have constitutional recognition in Nepal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name=Damani2015>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite conference</ref> After independence, Hindi was given the sole official status through the Bihar Official Language Act of 1950.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Hindi was displaced as the sole official language of Bihar in 1981, when Urdu was accorded the status of the second official language.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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.Template:Clarify The educated and the urban population of the region return Hindi as the generic name for their language.<ref name=Cardona2003 >Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Languages and dialects

Language<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	ISO 639-3	Scripts	No. of speakers<ref name=Cardona2003/>	Geographical distribution
Angika	anp	Devanagari; previously Kaithi; Anga Lipi	743,600<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Eastern Bihar, North-eastern Jharkhand and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal
Bajjika	–	Devanagari; previously Tirhuta; Kaithi	8,738,000Template:Citation needed	North-Central Bihar and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal
Bhojpuri	bho	Devanagari; previously Kaithi	52,245,300<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	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	_(sometimes counted under Magahi)	Devanagari; previously Tirhuta	8,040,000<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref>	South Bihar, North-eastern and North central Jharkhand
Kudmali (Panchpargania)	kyw, tdb	Devanagari; sometimes Bengali, Kaithi	556,809<ref name="auto"/>	South-Eastern Jharkhand, Southern West Bengal,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> northern Odisha, Assam
Magahi	mag	Devanagari; previously Tirhuta; Kaithi, Siddham script	14,035,600<ref name="eth2016">Template:Cite web</ref>	South Bihar, North Jharkhand and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal
Maithili	mai	Devanagari; previously Tirhuta, Kaithi	33,890,000<ref name="eth2016"/>	Northern and eastern Bihar, Jharkhand<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Eastern Madhesh of Nepal
Nagpuri (Sadri)	sck	Devanagari; previously Kaithi	5,100,000<ref name="auto"/>	West-central Jharkhand, North-eastern Chhattisgarh, Northwestern Odisha
Tharu	thl, tkt, thr, the, thq, tkb, soi	Devanagari	1,900,000<ref name="auto"/><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>	Terai regions of Nepal and some parts of border side areas of Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Bihar
Danuwar	dhw	Devanagari	46,000 <ref name="auto" /><ref name=":0" />	Nepal
Bote-Darai	bmj, dry	Devanagari	30,000<ref name="auto" /><ref name=":0" />	Nepal
Kumhali	kra	Devanagari	12,000<ref name="auto"/><ref name=":0" />	Nepal
Majhi	mjz	Devanagari	24,000<ref name="auto" /><ref name=":0" />	Nepal

External links

• A Comparative dictionary of the Bihārī language, Volume 1 By August Friedrich Rudolf Hoernle, Sir George Abraham Grierson (1885)
• Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: bih, on www.sil.org
• Nalanda Open University offers courses on Bihari languages (Magahi, Bhojpuri, Maithili)