Khariboli dialect facts for kids

Khariboli is a really important way of speaking, or a "dialect," that helped create two big languages we know today: Hindi and Urdu! Think of it as the main ingredient that these languages grew from. It's a type of Western Hindi, spoken in certain parts of India.

Khariboli: The Language Builder

Khariboli is a dialect of the Hindi language family. It's mainly spoken in a region called the Doab, which is between the Yamuna and Ganges rivers. This area includes parts of Western Uttar Pradesh and the city of Delhi. For a long time, Khariboli was just one of many local dialects. However, it became very special because it was chosen as the base for developing modern standard Hindi and Urdu. This makes it a "pre-Urdu literary language," meaning it was used for writing before Urdu became fully formed.

Where is Khariboli Spoken?

Khariboli is mostly heard in the western part of Uttar Pradesh, a large state in India. It's also spoken in the capital city, Delhi, and some surrounding areas. People in cities like Meerut, Ghaziabad, and Saharanpur would be familiar with this dialect. Even though it's a dialect, it has a strong identity. It's different from other Hindi dialects like Braj Bhasha or Awadhi, which are spoken in other parts of Uttar Pradesh.

A Language with a Rich History

Khariboli has a long and interesting history. It started as a local way of speaking in the Delhi region. Over time, because Delhi became an important center for rulers and trade, Khariboli began to spread. It mixed with words from Persian and Arabic, brought by different empires that ruled India. This mix of words and sounds eventually led to the creation of a new language style called Hindustani. Hindustani was a common language that many people could understand.

How Khariboli Became Important

During the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a big push to create a standard language for education and government. Scholars and writers looked at different dialects. They chose Khariboli because it was widely understood and had a clear structure. This decision was a turning point. It meant that Khariboli, which was once just a local dialect, would become the foundation for two major national languages.

Khariboli and Modern Hindi/Urdu

Khariboli is the direct ancestor of both Standard Hindi and Standard Urdu.

• Standard Hindi developed from Khariboli by adding more words from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. It's usually written in the Devanagari script.
• Standard Urdu also developed from Khariboli, but it borrowed more words from Persian and Arabic. It's typically written in the Nastaliq script, which looks similar to Arabic script.

Even though they use different scripts and have different influences, Hindi and Urdu share the same basic grammar and many common words. This is because they both come from the same root: Khariboli. So, when you hear Hindi or Urdu spoken today, you're hearing a modern version of that old, important dialect.