Khortha (also
romanized as Kortha or Khotta) or alternatively classified as Eastern Magahi
is a language which is considered dialect of
Magahi language
The Magahi language (), also known as Magadhi (), is a language spoken in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states of eastern India, and in the Terai of Nepal. Magadhi Prakrit was the ancestor of Magahi, from which the latter's name derives.
...
spoken in the Indian state of
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
, mainly in 16 districts of two divisions:
North Chotanagpur and
Santhal Pargana.
Khortha is spoken by the
Sadaans as native language and used by the tribal as a link language.
It is most spoken language of Jharkhand.
Geographical Distribution
Khortha is spoken in North Chota Nagpur division and Santal Pargana division of Jharkhand. The 13 districts are
Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is considered as a health resort and is also popular for Hazaribag ...
,
Koderma
Kodarma (also spelled as Koderma) is a city and a notified area in the Koderma subdivision of the Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Demographics
As per 2011 Census of India, Kodarma Nagar Parishad had a total population of 2 ...
,
Giridih
Giridih is headquarters of the Giridih district of Jharkhand state, India. The city of Giridih is known for its industrial and health sectors, as well as its scenic beauty. Giridih houses the Giridih Coalfield which is one of the oldest coalfie ...
,
Bokaro,
Dhanbad
Dhanbad is the second-most populated city in the Indian state of Jharkhand after Jamshedpur. It ranks as the 42nd largest city in India and is the 33rd largest million-plus urban agglomeration in India. Dhanbad shares its land borders with P ...
,
Chatra
Chatra is the headquarters of Chatra district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
History
Chatra was the “headquarters” of Ramgarh district in the 18th-19th century. The renowned reformer, Raja Rammohan Roy, was ''sheristadar'' in Ramgarh di ...
,
Ramgarh
Ramgarh may refer to:
Bangladesh
* Ramgarh Upazila, a sub-district of Khagrachari District
India
* Ramgarh, Bihar, a village near Munger, Bihar
* Ramgarh, Kaimur, a town in Kaimur district, Bihar
* Ramgarh, Uttarakhand, a hill station in Nainital ...
,
Deoghar
Deoghar (pronounced ''Devaghar'') is a major city in Jharkhand, India. It is a holy sacred place of Hinduism. It is one of the 12 ''Jyotirlinga''s sites of Hinduism ( Baidyanath Temple). The sacred temples of the city make this a place for pi ...
,
Dumka,
Sahebganj
Sahebganj (also known as Sahibganj) is a scenic town and a port city with the serene Ganga and sturdy hills in the Sahibganj subdivision of the Sahebganj district of Jharkhand state, India. It serves as headquarters for Sahibganj District, Sahi ...
,
Pakur
Pakur (previously known as ''Pakaur'') is a town with a nagar palika in the Pakur subdivision of the Pakur district, Jharkhand state, India.
History
Pakur was earlier a Sub-Division of Santhal Parganas district of Bihar. It was upgraded to the ...
,
Godda
Godda is a Silk City with a municipal Council in the Godda subdivision of the Godda district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the headquarter of the Godda district.
History
As a consequence of the Santhal rebellion of 1845-55 the dist ...
, and
Jamtara.
Classification
George Grierson classified Khortha as a dialect of
Magahi language
The Magahi language (), also known as Magadhi (), is a language spoken in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states of eastern India, and in the Terai of Nepal. Magadhi Prakrit was the ancestor of Magahi, from which the latter's name derives.
...
in his linguist survey.
But recent study demonstrate that Khortha is similar to other Bihari languages of
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
called
Sadani than Magahi language.
Literature
In 1950, Sriniwas Panuri translated Kali Das's Meghadutam in Khortha. In 1956, he composed two works ''Balkiran'' and ''Divyajyoti''. Bhubaneswar Dutta Sharma, Sriniwas Panuri, Viswanath Dasaundhi and Viswanath Nagar were among first people who started literature in Khortha. Some prominent writers in Khortha language are A.K Jha, Shivnath Pramanik, B.N Ohdar.
See also
*
Khortha cinema
*
2021–2022 Language Movement in Jharkhand
References
Bihari languages
Languages of Jharkhand
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