Languages of India
#tagcoding for India » Languages of India
Source: Census of India (2022) Language Atlas of India 2011. url
Each language page includes some key information about the language, and the related pages from the Language Atlas of India 2011
- Adi
- Afghani/Kabuli/Pashto
- Anal
- Angami
- Ao
- Arabic/Arbi
- Assamese
- Balti
- Bengali
- Bhili/Bhilodi
- Bhotia
- Bhumij
- Bishnupuriya
- Bodo
- Chakhesang/Chakru/Chokri
- Chang
- Coorgi/Kodagu
- Deori
- Dimasa
- Dogri
- English
- Gadaba
- Gangte
- Garo
- Gondi
- Gujarati
- Halabi
- Halam
- Hindi
- Hmar
- Ho
- Jatapu/Khond/Kondh
- Juang
- Kabui/Zeliang
- Kannada
- Karbi/Mikir
- Kashmiri
- Khandeshi
- Kharia
- Khasi
- Khezha
- Khiemnungan
- Kinnauri
- Kisan
- Koch
- Koda/Kora
- Kolami
- Kom
- Konda
- Konkani
- Konyak
- Korku
- Korwa
- Koya
- Kui
- Kuki/Thado
- Kurukh/Oraon
- Ladakhi
- Lahauli
- Lakher
- Lalung
- Lepcha
- Liangmei
- Limbu
- Lotha
- Lushai/Mizo
- Maithili
- Malayalam
- Malto
- Manipuri (Meitei)
- Mao
- Maram
- Marathi
- Maring
- Miri/Mishing
- Mishmi
- Mogh
- Monpa
- Munda
- Mundari
- Nepali
- Nicobarese
- Nissi/Dafla
- Nocte
- Odia
- Paite
- Parji
- Pawi
- Phom
- Pochury
- Punjabi
- Rabha
- Rai
- Rengma
- Sangtam
- Sanskrit
- Santali
- Savara
- Sema
- Sherpa
- Shina
- Sindhi
- Tamang
- Tamil
- Tangkhul
- Tangsa
- Telugu
- Tibetan
- Tripuri
- Tulu
- Urdu
- Vaiphei
- Wancho
- Yimchungre
- Zemi
- Zou
If one knows their mother tongue and then adds other languages to it, that is empowerment
| Ngugi wa Thiong'o (Distinguished Kenyan Professor and Novelist) explains (cited at Ekegusii Online dictionary and encyclopedia): One of the roots of our problem in Kenya and Africa; is that we begin our education by alienating a child from the language of their everyday culture, their mother tongue. An education system that is founded on a negative conception of self is seriously flawed. It’s an education that aims at producing educated slaves. | |
| If one learns all the languages of the world and does not know their mother tongue, that is enslavement. But if one knows their mother tongue and then adds all the other languages to it, that is empowerment.1 | |
| A Gusii child should know and master Gusii language very well; then she or he should add Kiswahili to it, master it as well as EkeGusii. Then add to these two English and master it as well. The result will be an empowered Gusii.2 | |
| Keeping in mind the central transformative promise of the #2030Agenda for Sustainable Development — Leaving no one behind- #unsdcf018 — Equal empowerment of all people through respect for all languages must be major drivers of a Platform for sharing digital public goods! |
Delivering on the promise of #LeavingNoOneBehind to a person becomes harder when that person's mother tongue has fewer native speakers. Yet only when we recognize these barriers (constraints), we can develop the digital skills, attitudes and platforms to overcome them cooperatively: Global Digital Cooperation - #digicoop5a.
The table below lists the languages with the number of native speakers, from the languages with most native speakers, to those with the least3.
| Language | Native speakers (2011) |
|---|---|
| Bengali | 97,237,669 |
| Gujarati | 55,492,554 |
| Hindi | 528,347,193 |
| Kannada | 43,706,512 |
| Malayalam | 34,838,819 |
| Marathi | 83,026,680 |
| Odia | 37,521,324 |
| Punjabi | 33,124,726 |
| Tamil | 69,026,881 |
| Telugu | 81,127,740 |
| Urdu | 50,772,631 |
| Language | Native speakers (2011) |
|---|---|
| Assamese | 15,311,351 |
| Bhili/Bhilodi | 10,413,637 |
| Kashmiri | 6,797,587 |
| Maithili | 13,583,464 |
| Santali | 7,368,192 |
| Language | Native speakers (2011) |
|---|---|
| Bodo | 1,482,929 |
| Dogri | 2,596,767 |
| Garo | 1,145,323 |
| Gondi | 2,984,453 |
| Ho | 1,421,418 |
| Khandeshi | 1,860,236 |
| Khasi | 1,431,344 |
| Konkani | 2,256,502 |
| Kurukh/Oraon | 1,988,350 |
| Manipuri (Meitei) | 1,761,079 |
| Mundari | 1,128,228 |
| Nepali | 2,926,168 |
| Sindhi | 2,772,264 |
| Tripuri | 1,011,294 |
| Tulu | 1,846,427 |
| Language | Native speakers (2011) |
|---|---|
| Halabi | 766,297 |
| Karbi/Mikir | 528,503 |
| Korku | 727,133 |
| Kui | 941,488 |
| Lushai/Mizo | 830,846 |
| Miri/Mishing | 629,954 |
| Munda | 505,922 |
| Language | Native speakers (2011) |
|---|---|
| Adi | 248,834 |
| Angami | 152,796 |
| Ao | 260,008 |
| Bhotia | 229,954 |
| Chakhesang/Chakru/Chokri | 19,846 / 91,216 |
| Coorgi/Kodagu | 113,857 |
| Dimasa | 137,184 |
| English | 259,678 (as first language) |
| Gangte | 116,542 |
| Jatapu/Khond/Kondh | 20,028 / 155,548 |
| Kabui/Zeliang | 122,931 / 63,529 |
| Kharia | 297,614 |
| Kisan | 206,100 |
| Kolami | 128,451 |
| Konyak | 244,477 |
| Koya | 407,423 |
| Kuki/Thado | 83,968 / 229,340 |
| Lotha | 179,467 |
| Malto | 234,991 |
| Mao | 240,205 |
| Nissi/Dafla | |
| Rabha | 139,986 |
| Savara | 409,549 |
| Tangkhul | 187,276 |
| Tibetan | 182,685 |
| Language | Native speakers (2011) |
|---|---|
| Afghani/Kabuli/Pashto | 21,677 |
| Anal | 27,217 |
| Arabic/Arbi | 54,947 |
| Balti | 13,774 |
| Bhumij | 27,506 |
| Bishnupuriya | 79,646 |
| Chang | 66,852 |
| Deori | 32,376 |
| Gadaba | 40,976 |
| Halam | 38,915 |
| Hmar | 98,988 |
| Juang | 30,378 |
| Khezha | 41,625 |
| Khiemnungan | 61,983 |
| Kinnauri | 83,561 |
| Koch | 36,434 |
| Koda/Kora | 47,268 |
| Kom | 15,108 |
| Konda | 60,699 |
| Korwa | 28,453 |
| Ladakhi | 14,952 |
| Lahauli | 11,574 |
| Lakher | 42,429 |
| Lalung | 33,921 |
| Lepcha | 47,331 |
| Liangmei | 49,811 |
| Limbu | 40,835 |
| Maram | 32,460 |
| Maring | 25,814 |
| Mishmi | 44,100 |
| Mogh | 36,665 |
| Monpa | 13,703 |
| Nicobarese | 29,099 |
| Nocte | 30,839 |
| Paite | 79,507 |
| Parji | 52,349 |
| Pawi | 28,639 |
| Phom | 54,416 |
| Pochury | 21,654 |
| Rai | 15,644 |
| Rengma | 65,328 |
| Sangtam | 76,000 |
| Sanskrit | 24,821 |
| Sema | 10,802 |
| Sherpa | 16,012 |
| Shina | 32,247 |
| Tamang | 20,154 |
| Tangsa | 38,624 |
| Vaiphei | 42,748 |
| Wancho | 59,154 |
| Yimchungre | 83,259 |
| Zemi | 50,925 |
| Zou | 26,545 |
For languages of the world, check: Language (Ens wiki).
Context for languages: Natural Order and Social Order.
The availability of educational reading materials in a language, and the provision of these materials via #isic9101 - Library and archives activities is essential for pupils to achieve a sufficient literacy.
Footnotes
1. Unfortunately our education system and government language policies and practice are taking the entire Kenya elite on the path of enslavement. What we need is not enslavement; we need empowerment.
2. An empowered Gusii intellectual is an empowered Kenyan and African. That’s how it should be: every Kenyan child should exude the pride of Kenya in our thought and practice. This must begin with a respect for our languages and the people who produced them.
3. We are aware that not all languages may be included