India has many different languages, each reflecting its own history, culture, and geography. The way we classify these languages is like taking a fascinating journey through the linguistic landscape of our country. It helps us understand how communication in India has evolved and become more complex over many centuries. Read the comprehensive article on Classification of Indian Languages.

Language plays a crucial role as a tool for communication. In its literary form, it involves the use of spoken words, sounds, and symbols to convey meaning among a particular group of people. Every language holds the cultural, social, and political characteristics of the community that uses it, making it a valuable source of historical and cultural knowledge.

Classification of Indian Languages

Indian languages are broadly classified into six major sub-groups, each with its unique characteristics and historical roots:

Indo-Aryan Group – Indian Languages

• Overview: The largest group, constituting about 74% of India’s population.
• Languages: Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Sindhi, Rajasthani, Assamese, Oriya, Pahari, Bihari, Kashmiri, Urdu, and Sanskrit.
• Historical Development: Divided into Old Indo-Aryan (1500-300 BCE), Middle Indo-Aryan (600 BCE – 1000 CE), and Modern Indo-Aryan (after 1000 CE).

Old Indo-Aryan Group (1500-300 BCE) – Indian Languages

• Key Language: Sanskrit.
• Development: Originating around 1500 BCE, played a foundational role in Hinduism.
• Standardization: Panini’s work in the 4th century BCE.

Middle Indo-Aryan Languages – Indian Langauges

• Timeframe: Spanned from 600 BCE to 1000 CE.
• Examples: Pali, Ardha Magadhi, Prakrit.
• Significance: Pali, used by Theravada Buddhists, is well-documented.

Modern Indo-Aryan Languages – Indian Languages

• Examples: Hindi, Bengali, Marathi.
• Development: Post 1000 CE, predominantly spoken in northern, western, and eastern India.

Dravidian Group – Indian Languages

• Geographical Focus: Primarily spoken in southern India.
• Languages: Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam.
• Distinct Features: Linguistic roots separate from Indo-Aryan languages.
• Family Divisions: Northern, central, and southern groups.

Sino-Tibetan Group – Indian Languages

• Geographical Area: Spoken in sub-Himalayan regions (North Bihar, North Bengal, Assam, northeastern frontiers).
• Classification: Divided into Tibeto-Burman and Siamese-Chinese subgroups.
• Believed Age: Considered older than Indo-Aryan languages.

Negroid Group

• Languages: Brahui, Malto, Kudukh.
• Geographical Distribution: Brahui in Balochistan, Malto in Bengal and Odisha.

Austric Group

Austric languages, part of the Austro-Asiatic sub-family, include Munda (Kol Group) and Mon-Khmer languages like Khasi and Nicobarese. A standout language in this group is Santhali, spoken by over 5 million Santhals.

Other Indian Languages

Several distinct languages, not fitting into the mentioned groups, comprise Gondi, Oraon (Kurukh), Mal-Pahariya, Khond, Parji, among others.

Understanding the classification of Indian languages provides insight into the country’s linguistic diversity. It highlights that India’s cultural richness is not only evident in its traditions but also in its extensive linguistic heritage.

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FAQs on Classification of Indian Languages

1. What are the classification of Indian languages?
   • Languages spoken in the South Asian region belong to at least four major language families: Indo-European (most of which belong to its sub-branch Indo-Aryan), Dravidian, Austro-Asiatic, and Sino-Tibetan.
2. What are the three main linguistic divisions into which languages of India can be classified?
   • The three main linguistic divisions in India are Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, and Dardic languages. According to Suniti Kumar Chatterjee (1963), languages in India can also be classified into four distinct families: Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Sino-Tibetan, and Austric.
3. What is the group of languages in India?
   • Of the hundreds of languages spoken in India, 22 are mentioned in the constitution of India. These include Assamese, Bengali (Bangla), Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, and Urdu, all belonging to the Indo-Aryan group of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European.
4. What are the basic classifications for languages worldwide?
   • The three basic classifications for languages of the world are genealogical, typological, and areal.
     • Genealogical: Based on genetic relationships between languages, grouping them into language families.
     • Typological: Focuses on common structural features and linguistic phenomena across languages, irrespective of their genetic relationships.
     • Areal: Examines languages in a specific geographic area, considering shared features due to contact and proximity.

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