Tribal Languages

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language that goes to his heart”. (NELSON MANDELA)

We all know India is full of culture, religions, and languages. All of these are interconnected to each other to make it a vibrant nation. As we meet different people with different languages. There are about 1635 languages but 197 are classified as vulnerable by UNESCO.

India is divided based on languages into 5 major families-:

INDO ARYAN FAMILY

DRAVIDIAN FAMILY

TIBETO-BURMAN FAMILY

ANDAMANESE

AUSTRO-ASIATIC

 

Here is a glance at the division of some of the languages spoken by the tribal community and the regions where they are spoken according to their families.

INDO-ARYAN FAMILY

Baigani – Chhattisgarh

Garasia – Gujarat

Dhanki – Maharashtra

Chakma – West Bengal

Lamani–Tamil Nadu

Thar – Rajasthan

Khotta – West Bengal

Halbi – Uttarakhand

Jaunsari – Himachal Pradesh

Dhanki – Gujarat

 

DRAVADIAN FAMILY

Gondi – Madhya Pradesh

Dhurwa – Chhattisgarh

Koraga – Kerela

Kuvi – Odisha

Maria – Maharashtra

Tulu – Karnataka

Yerukula – Andhra Pradesh

Pengo – Odisha

Naiki – Maharashtra

Kurukh – Bihar

Kodagu – Karnataka

 

TIBETO-BURMAN FAMILY

Apatani – Arunachal Pradesh

Ao – Nagaland

Balti – Kashmir

Chiru – Manipur

Deori – Assam

Zou – Manipur

Wancho – Nagaland

Tagin – Assam

Mishing – Assam

Paite – Manipur

 

ANDAMANESE

Jarawa – Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Onge – Andaman Islands

Santinelese – North Sentinel Island-Andaman

 

ASTRO-ASIATIC FAMILY

Asuri – Jharkhand

Ho – Odisha

Kharia – Tripura

Korku – Madhya Pradesh

Lodha – West-Bengal

Savara – Andhra Pradesh

Shompen – Andaman and Nicobar Island

Bonda – Odisha

Juang – Odisha

Mundari – Jharkhand.

 

“A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE IS A DIFFERENT VISION OF LIFE”   Federico Fellini.