Indo-Aryan languages Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Indo-Aryan
Indic
Geographic distribution:	South Asia
Linguistic classification:	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan
Proto-language:	Vedic Sanskrit
Subdivisions:	North-Western Zone Northern Zone Central Zone Eastern Zone Southern Zone Insular Indo-Aryan
ISO 639-2 and 639-5:	`inc`
Geographical distribution of the major Indo-Aryan languages. (Urdu is not shown because it is mainly a lingua franca with no prevalence as a first language. The traditionally migratory Romani, Domari, and Lomavren languages are also not shown).

The Indo-Aryan languages are a big group of languages spoken by millions of people. They are part of an even larger language family called Indo-Iranian languages. You'll find these languages mostly in South Asia, which includes countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

These languages are spoken by about 1.5 billion people. This makes them one of the largest language groups in the world. Many of the most common languages in India belong to this family.

What are Indo-Aryan Languages?
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What are Indo-Aryan Languages?

Indo-Aryan languages are a branch of the Indo-European languages family. This huge family includes many languages spoken across Europe and parts of Asia. Think of it like a giant family tree. The Indo-Aryan languages are one of the main branches.

There are over 200 different Indo-Aryan languages. They are spoken by a large number of people. Some of the most well-known languages in this group are Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and Punjabi.

Where are They Spoken?

Most Indo-Aryan languages are spoken in South Asia. This region includes:

India: Many official languages of India are Indo-Aryan.
Pakistan: The national language, Urdu, is Indo-Aryan.
Bangladesh: The national language, Bengali, is Indo-Aryan.
Nepal: The national language, Nepali, is Indo-Aryan.
Sri Lanka: The official language, Sinhalese, is Indo-Aryan.
Maldives: The official language, Dhivehi, is Indo-Aryan.

Some Indo-Aryan languages are also spoken by people who have moved to other parts of the world. For example, Romani is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Romani people across Europe and the Americas.

Important Indo-Aryan Languages

Here are some of the most widely spoken Indo-Aryan languages:

Hindi: This is one of the most spoken languages in India. It is often written using the Devanagari script.
Urdu: This language is very similar to Hindi. It is the national language of Pakistan. Urdu is usually written using a special Perso-Arabic script.
Bengali: Spoken in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. It has its own unique script.
Punjabi: Spoken in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. It is written in different scripts depending on the country.
Marathi: Spoken mainly in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Gujarati: Spoken mainly in the Indian state of Gujarat.
Nepali: The official language of Nepal.
Sinhalese: The official language of Sri Lanka.

How Did They Develop?

The Indo-Aryan languages come from an ancient language called Proto-Indo-Aryan. This language was spoken thousands of years ago. Over time, as people moved and societies changed, this language slowly split into many different languages.

One of the oldest forms of an Indo-Aryan language is Vedic Sanskrit. This ancient language was used to write the Vedas, which are sacred texts in Hinduism. Modern Indo-Aryan languages have changed a lot from Vedic Sanskrit, but they still share many common roots and words.