Eastern Hindi languages

Group of languages spoken in northern and central India

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Eastern Hindi

Geographic
distribution| Awadh, Baghelkhand, Chhattisgarh
Ethnicity| Awadhis, Baghelis, Chhattisgarhis, Halbis, Powaris

Native speakers

| approx. 65 million in India
Linguistic classification| Indo-European

* Indo-Iranian
* Indo-Aryan
* Central Indo-Aryan[a]
* Eastern Hindi

Early form

Ardhamagadhi Prakrit

Language codes
ISO 639-3| –
Glottolog| `east2726`

Geographical distribution of Eastern Hindi languages

The Eastern Hindi languages, are a branch of the Indo-Aryan language family spoken chiefly in Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh, Baghelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, in Northern and Central India. Eastern Hindi languages evolved from Ardhamagadhi Prakrit, which is thought to be transitional between Sauraseni and Magadhi.[1]

## Geographical extent

[edit]

Eastern Hindi languages are chiefly spoken in India and Nepal, but also have significant minorities in the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Pakistan due to immigration. In India, they are chiefly spoken in Awadh region in eastern Uttar Pradesh, in Baghelkhand region in northeastern Madhya Pradesh and in Chhattisgarh State.

## Languages and dialects

[edit]

* Awadhi (38.5 m),[2][3][4][5] spoken in north and north-central Uttar Pradesh as well as the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius and South Africa
* Caribbean Hindustani (300 k) (mostly based on Bhojpuri but has major Awadhi influence)
* Fiji Hindi (460 k) (mostly based on Awadhi with Bhojpuri influence)
* Bagheli (8 m), spoken in north-central Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Uttar Pradesh.
* Chhattisgarhi (18 m), spoken in southeast Madhya Pradesh and northern and central Chhattisgarh.
* Surgujia (1.7 m), spoken in Chhattisgarh

## See also

[edit]

* Western Hindi languages

## References

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1. ^ Zograph, G.A. Languages of South Asia: A guide. ISBN 9781000831658. "Numerically, the content of the Central Group of the Indo-Aryan languages has been very variously assessed by different researchers: Chatterji sees in it one language while Grierson enumerated six. Strictly speaking, the core of this group is represented not by languages at all, but by a number of closely related dialects-Braj, Kanauji and Bundell, which together with Khari Boli and Hariani, can be lumped under the common title 'Western Hindi'. The last-mentioned two dialects which occupy the north-western corner of the area covered by Hindi, display a number of common features with Panjabi, which in its turn can be seen as a transitional link with the most typical representative of the North Western group – Lahnda.

Closely connected with the dialects of the 'Western Hindi' group are Awadhi, Bagheli and Chattisgarhi, which come under the heading of 'Eastern Hindi". Linguistically, these can be regarded as a transitional stage between the Central and the Eastern groups of languages. The 'intermediate' character of this group of dialects seems to have taken shape as far back as the Old Indo-Aryan period. The Middle Indo-Aryan forerunner of the contemporary Eastern Hindi dialects was the Ardhamagadhi Prakrit, which was a transitional form between Sauraseni and Magadhi; the present-day Central dialects go back to Sauraseni, while the languages of the Eastern group derive from Magadhi"
2. ^ "The Slow Death of Awadhi and Bhojpuri".
3. ^ "Omniglot — Awadhi (अवधी)".
4. ^ "'Awadhi language is grouped as mother tongue under Hindi' says Minister of State for Home Affairs".
5. ^ "Going Native: Ghalib goes to Awadh…".

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ According to Katre, Nigam, Cardona, Turner, Kausen, and Kogan. However others also classify it within Eastern-Central, Western-Eastern, Intermediate or Eastern.