Central Indo-Aryan languages

Central Indo-Aryan

Central Indo-Aryan
Hindi languages
Geographic
distribution
South Asia
Linguistic classificationIndo-European
  • Indo-Iranian
    • Indo-Aryan
      • Central Indo-Aryan
Subdivisions
  • Western Hindi
  • Eastern Hindi
GlottologNone
west2812  (Western Hindi)
east2726  (Eastern Hindi)

The Central Indo-Aryan languages or Hindi languages are a group of Indo-Aryan languages spoken across Northern and Central India. These language varieties form the central part of the Indo-Aryan language family, itself a part of the Indo-European language family. They historically form a dialect continuum that descends from the Middle Prakrits. Located in the Hindi Belt, the Central Zone includes the Dehlavi (Delhi) dialect (one of several called 'Khariboli') of the Hindustani language, the lingua franca of Northern India that is the basis of the Modern Standard Hindi and Modern Standard Urdu literary standards. In regards to the Indo-Aryan language family, the coherence of this language group depends on the classification being used; here only Eastern and Western Hindi languages will be considered.

Languages

If there can be considered a consensus within the dialectology of Hindi proper, it is that it can be split into two sets of dialects: Western and Eastern Hindi.[1] Western Hindi evolved from the Apabhraṃśa form of Shauraseni Prakrit, Eastern Hindi from Ardhamagadhi Prakrit.[2]

Western Hindi languages. Clockwise from the top: Haryanvi, Hindi, Bundeli, Braj.
Eastern Hindi languages. From top to bottom: Awadhi, Bagheli and Chhattisgarhi.

This analysis excludes varieties sometimes claimed for Hindi for mere political reasons, such as Bihari, Rajasthani, and Pahari. But they are languages much older than Hindi.[4]

Seb Seliyer (or at least its ancestor) appear to be Central Zone languages that migrated to the Middle East and Europe ca. 500–1000 CE. Parya is a Central Zone language of Central Asia.

To Western Hindi Ethnologue adds Sansi, Bagheli, Chamari (a spurious language), Bhaya, Gowari (not a separate language), and Ghera.

Use in non-Hindi regions

Comparison

The Delhi Hindustani pronunciations [ɛː, ɔː] commonly have diphthongal realizations, ranging from [əɪ] to [ɑɪ] and from [əu] to [ɑu], respectively, in Eastern Hindi varieties and many non-standard Western Hindi varieties.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ Not to be confused with the Bihari languages, a group of Eastern Indo-Aryan languages.

References

  1. ^ Shapiro (2003), p. 276.
  2. ^ Shapiro (2003), p. 305.
  3. ^ Grierson, George A. (1916). "Western Hindi" (PDF). Linguistic Survey of India. Vol. IX Indo-Aryan family. Central group, Part 1, Specimens of western Hindi and Pañjābī. Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India.
  4. ^ a b Shapiro (2003), p. 277.
  5. ^ Herin, Bruno (2016). "Elements of Domari Dialectology". Mediterranean Language Review. 23: 33–73. doi:10.13173/medilangrevi.23.2016.0033. ISSN 0724-7567.
  6. ^ Shapiro (2003), p. 283.

Bibliography

  • Shapiro, Michael C. (2003), "Hindi", in Cardona, George; Jain, Dhanesh (eds.), The Indo-Aryan Languages, Routledge, pp. 276–314, ISBN 978-0-415-77294-5
  • v
  • t
  • e
Dardic
Kashmiri
Shina
Pashayi
Kunar
Chitral
Hazara Division
Northern
Eastern
Central
Western
Northwestern
Punjabi
Eastern
Lahnda
Sindhi
Western
Gujarati
Rajasthani
Bhil
Others
Central
Western
Eastern
Others
Eastern
Bihari
Bhojpuric
Magahi
Maithili
Sadanic
Tharuic
Others
Gauda–
Kamarupa
Bengali
Kamarupic
Chittagonian
Odia
Halbic
Southern
Marathi–
Konkani
Marathic
Konkanic
Insular
OldMiddle
Early
Middle (Prakrit)
Late (Apabhraṃśa)
Proto-
languagesUnclassifiedPidgins
and creoles