The Bhil languages are a group of

Indo-Aryan languages The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily ...

spoken by around 10.4 million

Bhil Bhil or Bheel is an ethnic group in western India. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages. As of 2013, Bhils were the largest tribal group in India. Bhils are listed as tribal people of t ...

s in western and central

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

as of 2011. They constitute the primary languages of the southern

Aravalli Range The Aravalli Range (also spelled ''Aravali'') is a mountain range in Northern- Western India, running approximately in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana, Rajasthan, and ending in Ahmedabad Gujarat. ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

and the western

Satpura Range The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat running east through the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and ends in Chhattisgarh. The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north, and these ...

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

, northwestern Maharashtra, and southern Gujarat. According to the 52nd report of the commissioner for linguistic minorities in India,

Ministry of Minority Affairs The Ministry of Minority Affairs is the ministry in the Government of India which was carved out of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and created on 29 January 2006. It is the apex body for the central government's regulatory and ...

, Bhili is the most commonly spoken language of the

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

Dadra and Nagar Haveli Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a district of the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in western India. It is composed of two separate geographical entities: Nagar Haveli, wedged in between Maharashtra and Gujarat states t ...

constituting 40.42% of its total population. Bhili speakers are also significant in the states of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

(4.75%),

(4.93%) and

(4.60%).

Relationship

The Bhil languages form a link midway between the

and the Rajasthani–Marwari languages. Grouped geographically, the Bhil languages are the following: *Northern Bhil ** Bauria ** Wagdi (perhaps central: reportedly highly intelligible with 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 Marwari.html"_;"title="Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari">Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari** Marwari.html"_;"title="Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari">Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari**Bhilali_language">Bhilali_(Rathawi) **

Marwari.html"_;"title="Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari">Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari**Bhilali_language">Bhilali_(Rathawi) ** Chodri **Dhodia_language.html"__"title="Chodri_language.html"_;"title="Bhilali_language.html"_;"title="Marwari_language">Marwari.html"_;"title="Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari">Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari**Bhilali_language">Bhilali_(Rathawi) **Chodri_language">Chodri **Dhodia_language">Dhodia_ Dhodia_are_an_Adivasi_people_who_have_been_placed_in_the_Indian_communities_recognition,_under_Schedule_Tribes._The_majority_of_the_Dhodia_tribes_are_located_in_the_southern_part_of_Gujarat_(_Navsari,_Surat_and_Valsad_districts),_Dadra_and_Nagar_H_...

** Chodri **Dhodia_language.html"__"title="Chodri_language.html"_;"title="Bhilali_language.html"_;"title="Marwari_language">Marwari.html"_;"title="Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari">Marwari_language.html"_;"title="utually_intelligible;_some_intelligible_with_Marwari_language">Marwari**Bhilali_language">Bhilali_(Rathawi) **Chodri_language">Chodri **Dhodia_language">Dhodia_ Dhodia_are_an_Adivasi_people_who_have_been_placed_in_the_Indian_communities_recognition,_under_Schedule_Tribes._The_majority_of_the_Dhodia_tribes_are_located_in_the_southern_part_of_Gujarat_(_Navsari,_Surat_and_Valsad_districts),_Dadra_and_Nagar_H_...

References

See also

Relationship

References

Further reading