Languages of India

India, the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. By area, It is the seventh largest, second most populous nation, and most populous democracy. Indian languages ​​belong to two large linguistic families.

1. Indo-European (Indio-Aryan branch spoken by about 75% of the population) 
2. Dravidian (spoken by about 25%). 

Other languages ​​of India belong to the Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman families. The number of native languages ​​in India exceeds several hundred thousand. It also includes significant dialects. Summer Institute of Linguistics Ethnologue lists over 400 Indian languages. Over one million native speakers speak Twenty-four of these languages, and 114 over 10,000 of them.

India is a diverse country with different cultures in different regions. Each of the 28 states and the eight union territories that make up this federation represents its unique cultural heritage and dialect. There are 22 designated languages ​​widely spoken in various forms per the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. With so many different languages ​​spoken in India, choosing an Indian national language was difficult. The central Government of India considers Hindi as the Official Language. English as the secondary language. Individual state legislatures may adopt the regional language as their state’s official language.

You might be thinking, What languages do Indians speak? What is the national language of India? This article lets you know India and its national language inside and outside.

History of Languages ​​in India

The North Indian languages ​​of the Calestini language family developed from-

• Old Indo-Aryan languages ​​such as Sanskrit through Prakrit
• A Middle Indo-Aryan language
• Ababramsha in the Middle Ages. 

There was no consensus when modern North Indian languages ​​such as Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, and Bengali emerged. Social and political contacts with foreign invaders and speakers of other languages influenced the development of each language in the Indian subcontinent. Persian and Arabic have influenced Hindi/Urdu and related languages.

Bengali comes from the Eastern-Central Indic language of the Indian subcontinent. By the beginning of the first millennium, Magadi Prakrit, the first recorded spoken language in the region, evolved into Ardhamagadi. The Ardhamagadi began to give way to the so-called Apabhramsa language shortly before the turn of the first millennium. The local Apabramsa language of the eastern subcontinent, Purvi Apabramsa or Apabramsa Abhatta, eventually evolved into regional dialects and formed his three groups of Bihari, Oriya, and Bengali-Assamese languages. 

Joseph Greenberg said the Andamanian languages ​​of the Andaman Islands and the Nihari languages ​​of central India are considered Indo-Pacific languages ​​related to the Papuan languages ​​of New Guinea, Timor, Halmahera, and New Britain. 

Nihali is related to Kusunda in central Nepal. However, the proposed Indo-Pacific relationship has not been established by comparative law and is dismissed as speculation by most comparative linguists. Hunters who live in the forest speak Nihali and Kusunda. Both languages ​​have accepted many loanwords from other languages, and Nihari has loanwords from Munda (Korku), Dravidian, and Indic.

Classical Languages ​​of India

In 2004, a Constitutional Decree created a new category of languages ​​in which languages ​​meeting specific requirements could be accorded ‘classical’ language status in India. In making this category, Tamil and, one year later, Sanskrit got the status, and the Government started to consider other languages for this classification. Experts consulted by the Government and the Sahitya Academy of India, a literary body, advised against officially giving any speech “classical” status.

The Government declared Tamil a classical language, but a committee established refused to recommend it despite objections from experts consulted by the Government.

Sahitya Akademi Relations made his second entry. Essentially, they restated it is not the Government’s job to declare a language classical. It is a classically stupid move, according to sources.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Indian scholars called Panic Sanskrit “classical Sanskrit” to distinguish it from the old Vedic language. Robert Caldwell, the first linguist to systematically study the Dravidian language as a family, used the term “classical” to diglot Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam literary forms. I distinguished it from the chic colloquial form. In the late 20th century, scholars began to claim that the old Tamil poems of the Sangam anthology were also “classical .”This point was first raised by Kamil Zverebil in the 1970s and has since been supported by several other scholars. 

The term “Classical Tamil” is commonly used in historical literature to refer to texts of that period. Martha Ann Selby, if classicism is defined in terms of the period and values ​​of the literature within the traditions it represents, the Tamil poetry of the Sangam anthology and the Maharashtri language of the Sattisai claims to be “classical” in addition to Sanskrit literature.

Hindi and English

The Constitution of India declares Hindi as the official language of the Federation in Devanagari script. Unless Congress decided otherwise, the use of English for official purposes was to be formally phased out after the Constitution entered into force on January 26, 1965. As a result, Congress enacted the Official Languages ​​Act of 1963, authorizing the continued use of English. After 1965, it was also intended for official purposes along with Hindi. 

In late 1964, officials tried to end the use of English explicitly, but protests erupted across the country, some even violent. In Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and Karnataka, Widespread protests erupted in states such as Pondicherry and Andhra Pradesh. Due to these protests, the proposal was withdrawn. The law was amended in 1967 until resolutions the legislatures of all states passed the resolutions that have not adopted Hindi as an official language and the Houses of the Indian Parliament to phase out the use of English. It was stipulated that the use of English would be allowed to continue.

22 Official Languages ​​of India

The 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution includes 22 languages, while, Articles 343 to 351 of Part XVII of the Constitution of India cover the country’s official language. The remaining languages ​​were initially only specified for her 14 languages ​​and were eventually added after some changes. These are the 22 Indian languages ​​recognized in the Indian Constitution.

Few facts about 22 Indian Languages ​​recognized in the Indian Constitution.

There are various amazing facts about the Indian official languages that every Indian should know: 

Assamese:

• This language is primarily spoken in northeastern India, Assam, and serves as the region’s lingua franca.
• More than 23 million people speak Assamese.

Bengali:

• It is also known as ‘Bangla.’ 
• This is the official language of approximately 300 million people.
• Bengali is also the official and national language of Bangladesh.

Gujarati:

• This language is the official language of the state of Gujarat as well as the Union Territories of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu.
• Over 55.5 million people speak this language.

Hindi:

• This language is prominent in northern, central, eastern, and western India.
• It is also one of the two official languages ​​of the Government of India. 
• Spoken by approximately 322 million speakers.

Kannada:

• A Dravidian language is spoken primarily by the Karnataka people of South India.
• As of 2011, about 43 million people use it.

Kashmiri:

• It became the official language of UT in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020 and is spoken by the region’s people.
• There are approximately 7 million speakers of this language.

Konkani:

• Spoken in the Konkan region of Goa and coastal areas of several other states.
• Almost 2.3 million people use it.

Malayalam:

• This language is spoken by the Malayali in Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry and is spoken by 34 million people worldwide.

Manipur:

• Also known as Meitei or Meetei.
• It is spoken in the northeastern state of Manipur.
• It has approximately 1.8 million speakers worldwide and is currently listed as an ‘Endangered Language’ by UNESCO. 

Marathi:

• Spoken in Maharashtra with 83 million speakers, the third-largest native speaker group after Hindi and Bengali.

Nepali:

• Native to Nepal, Nepali is one of the 22 languages ​​planned for India due to the presence of Nepali communities in the northeast.

Oriya:

• It is prominent in Orissa, parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, and spoken by about 35 million people worldwide.

Punjabi: 

• Spoken by the people of the Punjab province of India and Pakistan
• Punjabi is the third most widely spoken mother tongue in the Indian subcontinent.
• Due to the widespread Punjabi diaspora, there are also few speakers abroad.

Sanskrit:

• It is an ancient language. 
• It is considered the sacred language of Hinduism and Hindu philosophy.

Sindhi:

• It is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Sindhi peoples of the ancient Sindhi region of the West Indian subcontinent.
• As of the 2011 Census, it was still spoken by 1.68 million people.

Tamil:

• Tamil is a classical Dravidian language spoken as a native language by the Tamils ​​of South Asia.
• Tamil has 75 million speakers and is one of the world’s longest-surviving classical languages​.

Telugu:

• Telugu is a Dravidian language spoken 
• It is official in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Spoken by approximately 82 million people.

Urdu:

• Urdu is spoken throughout South Asia, with approximately 230 million speakers.

Bodo:

• Bodo (also known as Boro) 
• It is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Boro people of northeastern India, Nepal, and Bengal.
• There are about 1.4 million speakers.

Santhali:

• Mainly spoken in 
  • Assam
  • Bihar
  • Jharkhand
  • Mizoram
  • Orissa
  • Tripura
  • West Bengal
• About 2.6 million people speak Santhali.

Maithili:

• It is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, parts of India, and the Indian states of Bihar and northeastern Jharkhand.

Dogri:

• Spoken in Jammu and Kashmir, western Himachal Pradesh, and northern Punjab.
• Spoken by approximately 2.6 million people.

What is the national language of India? 

Due to the cultural diversity of the countries, no language has been given status as the national language of India. In India, less than 44% of the population speaks Hindi. According to the Indian Constitution, no language can be designated as the national language of India. Hindi and English are designated official languages ​​for public purposes across the country.

• Article 343 (1) of the Indian Constitution, Hindi, written in Devanagari, shall be the official language of the Commonwealth. International versions of Indian numerals are used for all official Union purposes.
• Only Hindi or English is allowed for official business in the Indian parliament and government buildings. Across the country, English can be used for official purposes such as legislative processes, communications between central and state governments, and court proceedings.
• According to Section 343, the Central Government shall communicate with Hindi-speaking states only in Hindi. When speaking with the States, English is the relevant official language.

What is the difference between the national language and the official language?

National languages ​​are those spoken by most of the population and used for political, cultural, and social functions. The official language is used for official business, recognized and accepted by a national court, parliament, or business purpose, usually by a government or legislative body.

The Central Government shall use Hindi for communication with Hindi countries under Section 343. English is the Associate’s official language and the language used for communication with the United States. 

According to the Constitution of India, Hindi and English are official languages, not national languages.

Other Interesting Facts About Indian Languages​

• Hindi is considered one of the most spoken languages ​​in the world. 
• India does not have a national language.
• English has many words of Indian origin. Dungaree, Avatar, Jungle, Tank, Shampoo, Roti, Dinghy, Chutney, Mongoose.
• Telugu is an Indian language known as “Oriental Italian.”
• The Hindi name comes from the Persian word Hind, which means “Land of the Indus.”
• Sanskrit, Urdu, Nepali, Bengali, and Gujarati share similarities with Hindi in their spoken or written languages.
• Malayalam has the longest palindrome in English.

Conclusion

These are some of the most spoken languages ​​in India. As many different languages ​​are spoken in India, most Indians speak multiple languages, so it is easy for people to converse.

In India, most people speak Hindi as their first language. Indians do not consider English a foreign language as it is the most common communication in South and North India. In addition to these planned and classical languages, the Indian Constitution contains provisions protecting minority languages ​​as a fundamental right. 

“Every part of the citizenry living in the territory of India or part thereof and having its language, script or culture has the right to preserve it.” India’s language policy guarantees the protection of minority languages. The Constitution provides for the appointment of envoys for language minorities who are solely responsible for protecting the interests of the languages ​​spoken by minority groups.

In recent years, linguistic diversity has been threatened as fewer people speak different languages, and the primary language is adopted after the abandonment of the mother tongue. This issue needs to be addressed at the societal level, and communities are involved in maintaining the linguistic diversity that is part of their cultural wealth.

Now you can know the most commonly spoken languages ​​in India based on how many people speak them.

FAQs-

1. How many languages ​​are recognized in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

Ans: The 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution recognizes 22 different languages.

2. What are the most spoken languages ​​in India?

Ans: India’s most commonly spoken languages ​​are Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil.

3. What is the official language of India?

Ans: The 8th schedule of the Constitution allows for 22 different languages. 

4. What is the cutest language in the world?

Ans: Bengali is considered the cutest language in the world.

5. What is the oldest language in India?

Ans: Sanskrit has been spoken since 5,000 BC. Sanskrit is also the official language of India.

6. Does India have a national language?

Ans: India does not have an official language, but the Indian Constitution adopts English and Hindi as official languages.