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Eternal India
encyclopedia
EXPRESSIONS OF INDIA
THE ALPHABET CRADLE
Sumerians used clay tablets with
Pictographs to keep records (4000 B.C.)
Cuneiform (Wedge-shaped) script
evolved as a full syllabic alphabet (3000 B.C.)
Chinese Shang
Dynasty
(1000 B.C.)
Phoenician alphabet
(1600 B.C.) ancestor of all
European, Middle-Eastern
Indian, S-E Asian, Ethiopian
& Korean alphabets
Hammurabi (1750 B.C.)
Aryans invade
India
Egyptian
literature
begins
Peruvian neolithic
Ceremonial
Centres
Elba
Civilization
(2500 B.C.)
Mexican
Olmec
Civilization
Mt. Sinai
revelations
to Moses
Bronze age Minoan
civilization emerges
on Crete
The myriad spoken and written languages of India belong to four major language families. According to the 1961 census there are in
all 1,652 languages. Subsequently the 1971 census recorded 700 languages after taking into account only dialects spoken by more than
a thousand people. The following 18 official languages are recognised by the Government of India as on 1st July 1993.
The 18 Official languages : Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi,
Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
LANGUAGE CLASSIFICATION
INDO ARYAN DRAVIDIAN
INDO ARYAN
DRAVIDIAN
SINO-TIBETAN
AUSTRO-ASIATIC
Kamari
UNCLASSIFIED
Madhya Pradesh
Assam, Madhya Pradesh
Katia
Madhya Pradesh
I Southern Centrnl Group
Assam
Katkari
D & N Haveli,
Varli Dadra and JNagar Haven Chakma
Assam, Tripura
Gujarat, Maharashtra.
Gujarat. Haijong/Hajong
Assam
Konkani
Daman and Diu, Goa,
Bihar, West Bengal
Maharashtra,
II Sinhalese Group
Bihar
Karnataka
West Bengal
Koshti Marathi
Madhya Pradesh,
Amindiv Islands, Magahi/Maghadi
Bihar
Maharashtra
Kerala, Laccadive, Minicoy.
Bihar, West Bengal
Marathi
Maharashtra,
Assam, West Bengal
Karnataka
Bihar
Madhya Pradesh
III North Western
Oriya
Multani Maharashtra, Punjab
Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,
Parvar
Madhya Pradesh
Orissa
Taakri
Maharashtra
Sindhi Maharashtra
Bihar
Madhya Pradesh, Punjab.
IV Western Group
West-Bengal
Andhra-Pradesh
Bihar, Assam,
VII
Pahari Group
Baghati Himachal Pradesh
Bhadrawahi
Jammu & Kashmir
Kachchhi Gujarat, Maharashtra
Punchhi Jammu and Kashmir
Madhya Pradesh
Bharmauri/Gaddi
Jammu & Kashmir,
Bihar
Himachal Pradesh
VI Southern Group
Chameali
Himachal Pradesh
V Eastern Group
VI
Southern Group
Churahi
Himachal Pradesh
Assamese Assam, Dinar, West Bengal
Bengali Assam, Bihar, West Bengal
Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh
Dogri
Himachal Pradesh,
Punjab, Jammu &
Bhatri Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra,
Kashmir
Bhojpuri Bihar, Uttar Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Garhwali
Himachal Pradesh
Bihari
Bishnupu
riya
Haijong
Khorta
Kishanga
njia
Madesi
Magahi
Oriya
Panchipa
rganta
Rajbangs
i
Relli
Sadan/Sa
dri
Surajpuri
Guanese
Govari