| Population |
180,000,000 in India (1991 UBS), 363,839,000 or nearly 50% of the population including second language users in India (1997 IMA). Population total all countries 366,000,000 first language speakers (1999 WA), 487,000,000 including second language users (1999 WA). |
| Region |
Throughout northern India: Delhi; Uttar Pradesh; Rajasthan; Punjab; Madhya Pradesh; northern Bihar; Himachal Pradesh. Also spoken in Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Germany, Kenya, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, UAE, United Kingdom, USA, Yemen, Zambia. |
| Alternate names |
KHARI BOLI, KHADI BOLI |
| Classification |
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Western Hindi, Hindustani. |
| Comments |
Formal vocabulary is borrowed from Sanskrit, de-Persianized, de-Arabicized. Literary Hindi, or Hindi-Urdu, has four varieties: Hindi (High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, Literary Hindi, Standard Hindi); Urdu; Dakhini; Rekhta. State language of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh. Languages and dialects in the Western Hindi group are Hindustani, Haryanvi, Braj Bhasha, Kanauji, Bundeli; see separate entries. Spoken as mother tongue by the Saharia in Madhya Pradesh. Hindi, Hindustani, Urdu could be considered co-dialects, but have important sociolinguistic differences. National language. Grammar. SOV. Devanagari script. Hindu. Bible 1818-1987. |
