Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Bhil languages

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Ethnicity:
  
Bhil people

Glottolog:
  
bhil1254

Geographic distribution:
  
India

Linguistic classification:
  
Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Western Bhil

Subdivisions:
  
Northern Central Bareli

The Bhil languages are a group of Western Indo-Aryan languages spoken in 2011 by some 21 million (8.7 million in 2001) Bhils in western, central, and by small numbers, even in far eastern, India. They constitute the primary languages of the southern Aravalli Range in Rajasthan and the western Satpura Range in Madhya Pradesh, north western Maharashtra and south Gujarat.

Relationship

The Bhil languages form a link midway between the Gujarati language and the Rajasthani–Marwari languages.

The group comprises the following languages:

  • Northern Bhil
  • Bauria
  • Wagdi (perhaps central: reportedly highly intelligible w Adiwasa, Patelia, and other varieties of Bhil proper)
  • Bhilori (Noiri, Dungra)
  • Magari (Magra ki Boli; incl. under Bhili proper in Ethnologue)
  • Central Bhil
  • Bhili proper (Patelia), Bhilodi, Adiwasa & Rajput Garasia [mutually intelligible; some intelligible with Marwari]
  • Bhilali (Rathawi)
  • Chodri
  • Dhodia
  • Dhanki
  • Dubli
  • Eastern Bhil (Bareli)
  • Palya Bareli
  • Pauri Bareli
  • Rathwi Bareli
  • Pardhi

    • Kalto, AKA Nahali, is another Bhil language.

    The Vasavi language is spoken by ethnic Bhils, but is closer to Gujarati.

    References

    Bhil languages Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA