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Languages of South Asia facts for kids

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South Asian Language Families
Map showing the different language families in South Asia.

South Asia is a big region that includes countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Sometimes, Afghanistan is also included. This area is home to many different languages!

Imagine a huge family tree for languages. The languages spoken in South Asia belong to a few main "families" or groups. These are:

  • Indo-Aryan languages: These are part of the even bigger Indo-European family. Many of them grew from an ancient language called Sanskrit.
  • Dravidian languages: These are mainly spoken in South India and Sri Lanka.
  • Tibeto-Burman languages: You'll find these along the northern and eastern parts of South Asia. They are part of the Sino-Tibetan language family.
  • Iranian languages: These are also part of the Indo-European family. They are spoken in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Indo-Aryan Languages: A Big Family

Most of the Indo-Aryan languages developed from Sanskrit, a very old language. This group has the most speakers in South Asia. Here are some of the main Indo-Aryan languages:

Language Number of Speakers Where it's Spoken
Hindi 615,500,000 North India (like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand)
Bengali 265,000,000 Bangladesh, West Bengal, Tripura
Urdu 170,200,000 Pakistan, and parts of India (like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh)
Marathi 95,300,000 Maharashtra
Western Punjabi 92,700,000 Pakistani Punjab, Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Gujarati 60,600,000 Gujarat
Bhojpuri 52,400,000 Western Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Nepal
Odia 38,000,000 Odisha
Maithili 34,000,000 Eastern Bihar, eastern Jharkhand, Nepal
Eastern Punjabi 32,600,000 Punjab, India
Sindhi 24,600,000 Sindh, northern Gujarat
Nepali 24,500,000 Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan
Magahi 20,700,000 Southern Bihar, eastern Jharkhand, northern West Bengal
Saraiki 20,000,000 Southwest Pakistani Punjab
Sinhala 17,300,000 Sri Lanka
Chhatisgarhi 16,300,000 Chhattisgarh
Assamese 15,300,000 Assam
Chhitagonian 13,000,000 Eastern Bangladesh
Deccan 12,800,000 Northern Karnataka
Sadri 12,100,000 Jharkhand, eastern Chhattisgarh, northern Odisha, southern Bihar
Sylheti 11,800,000 Eastern Bangladesh, southern Assam

Dravidian Languages: Southern Sounds

The Dravidian languages are mostly spoken in the southern parts of India and in Sri Lanka. They form a separate language family. Here are some of the most spoken Dravidian languages:

Language Number of Speakers Where it's Spoken
Telugu 93,000,000 Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
Tamil 81,000,000 Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka
Kannada 56,400,000 Karnataka
Malayalam 37,800,000 Kerala
Brahui 3,300,000 Central Balochistan
Gondi 3,000,000 Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra
Kurukh 2,300,000 Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, northern Bangladesh
Tulu 1,900,000 Western Karnataka, northern Kerala
Beary 1,700,000 Western Karnataka, northern Kerala

Tibeto-Burman Languages: Mountain Voices

These languages are found in the northern and eastern parts of South Asia, often in mountainous regions. They are part of the Sino-Tibetan language family. One example is:

Language Number of Speakers Where it's Spoken
Dzongkha Bhutan

Iranian Languages: From West to South Asia

Some Iranian languages are spoken in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan. These languages are also part of the larger Indo-European family. It's important to note that many Iranian languages are spoken outside South Asia, in West or Central Asia. The numbers below show the total speakers for each language.

Language Number of Speakers Where it's Spoken
Pashto 40,000,000 Afghanistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Dari Persian 20,500,000 Afghanistan
Balochi 10,000,000 Balochistan

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