Central Indo-Aryan languages

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Central Indo-Aryan
Hindi languages
Geographic
distribution
South Asia
Linguistic classificationIndo-European
Subdivisions
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[edit]

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: Hindustani, Kannauji, Bundeli, Braj, Haryanvi.
The Eastern Hindi languages are not shown individually. They are Awadhi in the north, east of Hindustani and Kannauji; Bagheli in the center, to the east of Bundeli, and Chhattisgarhi to the southeast of Bundeli.

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[edit]

Comparison[edit]

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[edit]

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

References[edit]

  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[edit]

  • 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