The Bihari languages constitute a subgroup of the Eastern Indo‑Aryan languages spoken primarily in the Indian state of Bihar, as well as in adjacent regions of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and the Terai of Nepal. The term “Bihari” is used both for a linguistic classification and for the collective vernaculars of the region, though speakers often identify their language by specific names rather than by the umbrella term.
Classification and major varieties
The Bihari languages are generally classified within the larger Indo‑Aryan branch of the Indo‑European language family. The most widely recognized members of this subgroup are:
- Bhojpuri – spoken by an estimated 50 million people, primarily in western Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and the Caribbean diaspora.
- Maithili – recognized as a scheduled language of India, with around 34 million speakers in the Mithila region of northern Bihar and the eastern Terai of Nepal.
- Magahi (also called Magadhi) – spoken by roughly 12 million people in central Bihar and parts of Jharkhand.
Other, less widely spoken varieties sometimes grouped under the Bihari label include Angika, Khortha, and several regional dialects such as Bajjika and Surjapuri. The internal classification of these languages remains a subject of scholarly debate, particularly regarding the degree of mutual intelligibility and the criteria for distinguishing separate languages from dialects.
Historical development
The Bihari languages descend from the ancient Magadhi Prakrit, a Middle Indo‑Aryan language that was prevalent in the region during the Mauryan period (3rd–2nd centuries BCE). Over centuries, regional phonological and lexical changes gave rise to distinct modern varieties. Historical texts in early forms of these languages appear in medieval poetry, religious literature, and administrative documents.
Scripts
Historically, the Bihari languages employed several scripts:
- Kaithi – a cursive script widely used for administrative purposes until the 19th century.
- Devanagari – currently the predominant script for Maithili, Bhojpuri, and Magahi, especially in formal education and literature.
- Bengali–Assamese script – used historically for some eastern dialects.
In contemporary contexts, Devanagari is the standard script for most written materials, though efforts exist to revive Kaithi for cultural preservation.
Sociolinguistic status
- Maithili attained constitutional recognition under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution in 2003, granting it official status in Bihar and certain educational provisions.
- Bhojpuri and Magahi lack such constitutional recognition, but they enjoy significant cultural presence through folk music, cinema, and regional media.
- Literacy rates in Bihari languages vary, with higher literacy in Devanagari‑script texts than in oral traditions.
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census of India, speakers of the major Bihari languages total over 100 million. In Nepal, Maithili is spoken by approximately 3 million people, making it the second‑most spoken language after Nepali in the country.
Linguistic features
Common phonological and grammatical characteristics across the Bihari languages include:
- A preference for retroflex consonants.
- The use of post‑position particles rather than inflectional case endings.
- Verb‑final word order (subject–object–verb) typical of Indo‑Aryan languages.
Lexical borrowing from neighboring languages—such as Hindi, Urdu, and various Tibeto‑Burman languages—has contributed to a dynamic and heterogeneous vocabulary.
Contemporary usage
Bihari languages are employed in everyday communication, regional radio and television broadcasting, and increasingly in digital media. Bhojpuri cinema, known as “Bhojiwood,” produces a substantial number of films annually, while Maithili literature includes a modern body of poetry, novels, and scholarly works. Efforts by linguistic and cultural organizations aim to promote standardization, documentation, and educational resources for these languages.
