The Bhil languages are a group of lects spoken by the

Bhil Bhil or Bheel refer to the various Indigenous peoples, indigenous groups inhabiting western India, including parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and are also found in distant places such as Bengal and Tripura. Though they now speak the Bhili ...

that are classified as dialects 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 2024, there are more than 1.5 billion speakers, primarily concentrated east ...

such as Gujarati and

Rajasthani Rajasthani may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India * Rajasthani languages, a group of Indic languages spoken there * Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the state * Rajasthani architecture, Indian ar ...

. They are spoken by around 10.4 million

s in western and central

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

as of 2011 and constitute the primary languages of the southern

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

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

and the western Satpura Range in

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

, 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, municip ...

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; and ...

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

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, 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 List of states and union territories ...

(4.75%),

(4.93%) and

(4.60%).

Relationship

The Bhil languages form a link midway between the

Gujarati language Gujarati ( ; , ) is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat and spoken predominantly by the Gujarati people. Gujarati is descended from Old Western Rājasthāni, Old Gujarati (). In India, it is one of the 22 Languages with ...

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">Marwari_language.html" ;"title="utually intelligible; some intelligible with Marwari** Bhilali (Rathawi) ** Chodri ** Dhodia–Kukna ** Dhanki ** Dubli *Eastern Bhil (Bareli) ** Palya Bareli ** Pauri Bareli ** Rathwi Bareli **

Pardhi ** Kalto (Nahali) Other Bhil languages include Gamit language">Gamit (Gamti) and Mawchi language">Mawchi Mawchi is a region in the Bawlake district of the Kayah State (formerly called Karenni State) of Myanmar. In the 1930s, the Mawchi Mine was the world's most important source of tungsten. Mawchi contained the world's largest granite-hosted tin-tun ...

. Vasavi is spoken by ethnic Bhils, but may be closer to Gujarati. Similarly, Malvi and Nimadi language">Nimadi may be closer to Rajasthani. The recently described Vaagri Booli">Nimadi_language.html" ;"title="Malvi language">Malvi and Nimadi language">Nimadi may be closer to Rajasthani. The recently described Vaagri Booli may also be a Bhil language.

Relationship

See also

References

Further reading