Native languages of India
Major Languages and Speaker Strength
The 2011 Census identified 121 languages with significant speaker populations. Among these, 17 languages have more than ten million speakers, and 43 languages have at least one million speakers. Here, we explore the twelve most spoken languages in India, their number of speakers, and their cultural importance.
| Language | Number of Speakers (Crores) | Percentage of Population | Primary Regions | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindi | 52.83 | 43.63% | Northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh | One of India's official languages with deep roots in Sanskrit; influenced by various languages. |
| Bengali | 9.72 | 8.03% | West Bengal, Jharkhand, Tripura, Assam | Indo-Aryan language; Indian National Anthem is written in Bengali. |
| Marathi | 8.30 | 6.86% | Maharashtra, parts of Goa | Rich literary tradition; spoken in various dialects. |
| Telugu | 8.11 | 6.7% | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry | Dravidian language with significant diaspora. |
| Tamil | 6.90 | 6.7% | Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry | Ancient Dravidian language; recognized as official in Sri Lanka and Singapore. |
| Gujarati | 5.54 | 4.58% | Gujarat, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Indo-Aryan language; significant diaspora in USA and UK. |
| Urdu | 5.07 | 4.19% | Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir | Official language in several Indian states; spoken in various regions and countries. |
| Kannada | 4.37 | 3.61% | Karnataka | Dravidian language with rich literary tradition; significant diaspora. |
| Odia | 3.75 | 3.1% | Odisha, parts of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh | Indo-Aryan language; recognized as Classical language of India. |
| Malayalam | 3.48 | 2.88% | Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry | Dravidian language; significant diaspora in various countries. |
| Punjabi | 3.31 | 2.73% | Punjab | Indo-Aryan language; written in Gurumukhi script; significant diaspora. |
| Assamese | 1.53 | 1.26% | Assam | Literary tradition dating back to the 13th century. |
Exploring the Official Languages of Every Indian State
India ranks fourth among countries with the highest number of languages, with 121 languages and 270 mother tongues. All the languages and their dialects spoken in the country can be classified into these four language families. The languages and dialects vary from region to region and even within each state. The influence of bordering states and countries, invaders and traders is evident in the words of each language. The native languages play an important role in community building and expanding relations in the country.
The official languages of India
Contrary to the misnomer of a “national language”, India only has official languages and does not recognise any language as a national language. We have co-opted English as our own just as we have disputed the relevance of Hindi as the main official language, often creating a North-South rift. From the 28 states and 8 union territories in India, we have 22 main languages, as mentioned in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. These are - Sanskrit, Assamese, Bangla, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Kannada, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Santali, Sindhi, and Urdu. Hindi and English endure as our official languages and Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi are the top 3 languages in India in terms of the total number of speakers.
Lesser known Indian Tribal and other languages
India is home to several tribes and they have their own languages that are coloured with sounds and gestures to suit the needs of forest life. These can mostly be encountered among communities in states such as Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Northeast is demarcated as the tribal belt of India with its enduring communities and varying linguistic spectrum. Mizo, Garo, Khasi and the varied Naga dialects dominate the linguistic needs of the region. Bhili, Gondi and Santhali are vastly spoken among tribes of Central and South India and the Andaman and Nicobar Island residents speak Onge, Jarawa, Sentinelese, and a few other languages. These languages exhibit different phonetics and grammar and encapsulate distinct tribal histories, knowledge of the environment, cultures and social organisation.
List of Official Languages of Indian States
Although the languages are distributed by the states in the country, there is significant use of other languages in each state.
| State | Main Language | Other Languages |
|---|---|---|
| Kerala | Malayalam | Urdu, English |
| Punjab | Punjabi | Hindi, Urdu |
| Gujarat | Gujarati | Marwari |
| Haryana | Haryanvi | Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu |
| UP | Hindi, Urdu | Awadhi, Bhojpuri, |
| Rajasthan | Hindi | Marwari, Bhili |
| Himachal Pradesh | Hindi | Kinnauri, Punjabi |
| Tamil Nadu | Tamil | |
| West Bengal | Bangla | Urdu, Hindi |
| Andhra Pradesh | Telugu | Urdu, Hindi |
| Madhya Pradesh | Hindi | Urdu, Marathi, Bhili, Gondi |
| Bihar | Hindi | Urdu, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Santali |
| Orissa | Oriya | Hindi, Telugu |
| Mizoram | Lushai | Bangla, Lakher |
| Maharashtra | Marathi | Hindi, Urdu, Kannada |
| Goa | Konkani | Marathi, Kannada, Tulu |
| Meghalaya | Khasi | Garo, Bangla |
| Tripura | Bangla | Tripuri, Hindi |
| Karnataka | Kannada | Tulu, Konkani, Urdu, Marathi, Sanskrit |
| Sikkim | Nepali | Bhotia, Lepcha |
| Manipur | Manipuri | Thadou, Thangkul |
| Assam | Assamese | Bangla, Boro |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Nissi | Nepali, Bangla |
| Nagaland | Ao | Sema, Konyak |
Plurality in Indian Native languages
The push for one official language in India and the relevance of the most widely spoken international language is pushing the knowledge of various regional languages and dialects into obscurity. Here are a few salient observations in the evolving linguistic landscape of India -
- Languages taught in school - Indian schools teach around 70 different languages in school. English is the most in-demand medium of instruction followed by Hindi and regional official languages of different states.
- Languages in mass media - the most widely consumed language across different mass media, including newspapers, radio, TV, and movies are Hindi and English. There is demand for programmes in the 24 official languages and films have so far been made in 15 languages.
- Languages with a script - most Indian languages borrow from the Devanagari script, though many regional languages have evolved their script. So far, around 50 languages have been found to have their scripts which are borrowed by other languages too. For instance, Konkani follows the Marathi script, which in turn is a branch of the Devanagari script. Tulu uses Kannada script etc.
- The other tongues - 23 “other” languages have a million plus speakers. Some of these are Awadhi, Bagri, Bhili, Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi, Deccani, Kangri, Garhwali, Haryanvi, Ho, Kanauji, Khandeshi, Kumaoni, Kurux, Lamani, Magahi, Malvi, Marwari, Meitei, Mundari, Nimadi, Sadari and Tulu to name the widely recognised ones.
- Interconnection of language and culture - the languages and dialects are strongly tied with the cast and class in Indian society. Further, there is a variation in language and dialects that evolve as we progress from one region or community to the next.
Indian languages play a significant role in the perpetuation of the regional epics, tales, cultures and ethos. Preserving native languages will contribute towards conserving the histories of countless people of India.
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