This Presentation has full describtion of the Various tribal languages in India.

1. Prominent Tribal languages in
India
PRESENTED BY
RAVEESH SHARMA

2. INTRODUCTION
• India, as we all know is a land full of diversity –
different cultures, faiths, lifestyle, traditions,
rituals etc. are all interwoven, that makes it a
vibrant nation.
There is a popular adage in India goes –
“Every two miles the water doth change, and
every four the dialect”.

3. • As per the census, tribal people make up
about 8.2 percent of the nation’s total
population. This diversity extends to
languages as well. A survey done by
passionate linguistics has established that
there exist about 1635 native languages (of
which about 197 are classified as between
endangered and vulnerable by UNESCO).

4. • Tribal Languages, therefore are universally
significant and are languages of the earth
containing ecological, geographical, and
climatic information.
“A Language is the Mirror of the Mind”.
- Noam chomsky

5. Classification of Tribes in India
Languages
Indo Aryan
Dravidian
Austro AsiaticTibeto Burman
Andamenese

6. When come to think of different dialects prevalent in
India, we can easily divide them into five major
language families starting from the first civilization of
Indo-Aryan,
Dravidian,
Tibeto-Burman,
Andamanese and
Austro-Asiatic.
However, for a better understanding of the tribal
region segregation, it is best to have a look at the
regions where tribal population inhabits. Therefore, a
quick glance at the Indian map will divide the nation
into five major belts namely –

7. 1. The Himalayan Belt: This region consists of states that are
nick-named as seven sisters (North Eastern States–Assam,
Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram,
and Tripura) along with Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
2. Central Indian Belt: Over half of the population lives in this
belt and states that come into this region are Bihar, Odisha
(Orissa), West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
3. Western Indian Belt: This region consists of Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, Goa, Gujarat, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
4. The Dravidian Belt: Primarily, it’s the South Indian region and it
starts from Karnataka to Kerala from one end and from Andhra
Pradesh to Tamil Nadu at the other.
5. The Islands: Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

9. Indo-Aryan Family: The languages spoken by
inhabitants of this family are following –
Name of the Language Region Spoken
Baigani Chhattisgarh
Bhili Gujarat& Rajasthan
Chakma Bengal & Assam
Dhanki Gujarat, Rajasthan & Maharashtra
Dhundhari Rajasthan
Garasia Gujarat & Rajasthan
Gujjari
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab,
Delhi
Hajong Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
Harauti Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh
Halbi
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh
Jaunsari
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal
Pradesh

10. Name of the languages Region spoken
Khotta West Bengal
Kokni Gujarat, Rajasthan
Kotwalia Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat
Thar Rajasthan
Lamani
Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh,
Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West
Bengal
Magahi Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal
Mavchi Gujarat, Maharashtra
Nimari
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra
Rathi Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
Tharu
Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam,
Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal
Wagri Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh
Warli
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar
Haveli

11. Tibeto-Burman Family: Language spoken by this
part of region includes mainly –
Name of the Language Region Spoken
AdiAshing Arunachal Pradesh
Apatani Arunachal Pradesh
Ao Nagaland
Balti Kashmir
Dafla Arunachal Pradesh
Bodo Assam
Bhotia Uttarakhand
Chiru Manipur, Nagaland
Deori Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
Duhlian-Twang Mizoram
Gangte Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam
Hmar Mizoram, Manipur, Assam
Hualngo Mizoram
Koireng Manipur
Konyak Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland

12. Lahauli Himachal Pradesh
Mara Mizoram
Lushai
Mizoram, Tripura, Assam, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Nagaland
Mishing Assam
Monpa Arunachal Pradesh
Naga Nagaland
Sherdukpen Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
Paite Manipur
Rengma Nagaland
Sajalong Arunachal Pradesh
Singpho Arunachal Pradesh, Assam
Tagin Assam
Vaiphei Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura
Wancho Nagaland
Zakhring Arunachal Pradesh
Zou Manipur

13. Dravidian Family: The languages spoken by this
family are –
Name of the Language Region Spoken
Dhurwa Chhattisgarh
Gondi
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh
Koraga Karnataka, Kerala
Kodagu Karnataka
Kolami Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra
Koya Andhra Pradesh, Odisha
Kui Odisha
Kuvi Odisha
Kurukh Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh
Maria Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh
Naiki Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra
Parji Madhya Pradesh
Pengo Odisha
Tulu Karnataka, Kerala
Yerukula Andhra Pradesh

14. Austro-Asiatic Family – Tribal language spoken
by the members of this family include –
Name of the Language Region Spoken
Asuri Jharkhand
Bondo Odisha
Juang Odisha
Ho Jharkhand, Odisha
Kharia
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha,
Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Tripura
Korku Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
Kurmi Maharashtra
Korwa Chhattisgarh
Lodha West Bengal, Odisha
Mundari Jharkhand
Nicobarese Nicobar Islands
Savara Andhra Pradesh
Santali
Jharkhand, Assam, Odisha, Tripura, West
Bengal, Assam
Shompen Andaman & Nicobar Islands

15. Andamanese Family: If you were looking for
ancient aboriginal tribe, come to Andamans. The
endangered tribe lives in misery, yet managed to
survive all odds.
Name of the Language Region Spoken
Jarawa Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Santinelese North Sentinel Island – Andaman
Onge Andaman Islands

16. Indian tribal languages staring at
extinction
“When a language dies, it is not just the language that disappears,
but the whole culture, history and knowledge archives of the
speakers.”
• Currently, around 8.2 percent of the Indian population speaks in
tribal languages.
• However, these tribal languages are staring at a bleak future due to
the cultural invasion from the West.
• It is concerning that 197 Indian languages in India are reported to
be endangered.
• A UNESCO report revealed that while 81 languages are vulnerable,
63 are endangered.
• At least 6 tribal languages are severely endangered, 42 are critically
endangered, and five languages have already become extinct.

17. Indian tribal
languages
staring at
extinction
KORO(A.P)
DIMASA
(ASSAM)
MAJHI(SIKKIN)
SIDI(GUJRAT)

18. Sneak peek at 5 tribal languages which
are limping towards an untimely
death.
Majhi in sikkim
• The most threatened language of India, Majhi, is on the
verge of extinction.
• Extensive research by the People’s Linguistic Survey of
India (PLSI) revealed that just four spoke Majhi in India.
• Interestingly, all the four belong to the same family.
Living in Jorethang, south of the Sikkimese capital,
Gangtok, the extended family no longer even recites
• They use it only during a 16-day death ritual, during
which time the community speaks to the departed
person, explaining to them that they have died.

19. MAHALI in Eastern India
• Primarily spoken by the ‘Sun God’ community in eastern
India, Mahali is also under serious threat of going extinct.
• With more and more people migrating to other places
and learning other languages, the Mahali speaking
population is fading away.
• While the community who spoke in Mahali dwelled in
India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, British colonialism uprooted
them from their culture when they invaded the region.
• These ‘Sun God’ worshipping people are in grave need of
revitalizing their language which is on the path to
extinction.

20. KORO in Arunachal Pradesh
• Koro is considered as a “hidden” language which
can be traced among an isolated hill tribe in a
northeastern Indian region.
• However, the influence of Koro can be found in
languages in the Sino-Tibetan region. Notably,
800 to 1,200 people in the East Kameng district of
Arunachal pradesh are known to use koro.
• The clandestine language is also used by terror
outfits in the regions.

21. SIDI in Gujarat
Sidi, also known as Habsi (Abyssinian), is a Bantu
language of India, descended from Swahili.
Although announced as extinct, Sidi was
reported to still be spoken in the mid-20th
century in Kathiawar, Gujarat.

22. Dimasa in Assam
• Migration of people to urban areas dealt a
ghastly blow to the Dimasa language which
was commonly used the states of Assam and
Nagaland.
• It might be mentioned that the language is
one of the oldest languages in India.
• Extensive research is needed to find out the
lost scriptures of the language.

23. Government initiate’s scheme to
protect Endangered Languages of
India
Union Government has initiated a Scheme
known as “Protection and Preservation of
Endangered Languages of India”.
It was announced by the Union Human
Resource Development Minister, Smt. Smriti
Irani in a written reply to the Lok Sabha
question.

24. Key facts of the scheme
• As part of this Scheme, all the mother tongues/languages of India
spoken by less than 10,000 people will be considered in this scheme to
protect, preserve and documented by the Central Institute of Indian
Languages (CIIL), Mysore.
• Technology will play key role in the preservation of endangered
languages and it will be an integral part of it.
• Dictionaries and basic grammars in all the endangered
languages/mother tongues are prepared in digital format. In addition,
talking dictionaries in the endangered languages/mother tongues will
be prepared with the help of technology.
• The cultural and ethnolinguistic aspects of the languages/mother
tongues and indigenous knowledge system of the communities will be
videographed and stored electronically for archival and retrieval
purposes.
• A digital map with linguistic/cultural words with actual pronunciation
for accounting variation in speech is also part of the scheme.

25. • The University Grants Commission (UGC) has
also prepares guidelines in order to provide
assistance for establishment of “Centre of
Endangered Languages in Central
Universities”. In this regard, UGC has accorded
approval to 9 Central Universities to establish
these centres and allocated Rs.50.00 crore.

26. REFERENCES
• http://www.newsgram.com/5-indian-tribal-
languages-staring-extinction
• http://wordsinthebucket.com/indian-tribal-
languages-1
• KARNATAKA CIIL to document 500 endangered
languages
• Government initiate’s scheme to protect
Endangered Languages of India