Rajasthani languages explained

Rajasthani
Nativename:Rajasthani: राजस्थानी
રાજસ્થાની
States:India
Region:Rajasthan, Malwa (MP)
Ethnicity:Rajasthanis
Speakers:46 million
Date:2011 census
Familycolor:Indo-European
Fam2:Indo-Iranian
Fam3:Indo-Aryan
Fam4:Western Indo-Aryan[1]
Child1:Marwari
Child2:Harauti
Child3:Lambadi
Child4:Malvi
Child5:Nimadi
Notice:IPA

Rajasthani languages are a branch of Western Indo-Aryan languages. It is spoken primarily in Rajasthan and Malwa, and adjacent areas of Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in India. There are also speakers in the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh. Rajasthani is also spoken to a lesser extent in Nepal where it is spoken by 25,394 people according to the 2011 Census of Nepal.[2]

The term Rajasthani is also used to refer to a literary language mostly based on Marwari.[3]

Geographical distribution

Most of the Rajasthani languages are chiefly spoken in the state of Rajasthan but are also spoken in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. Rajasthani languages are also spoken in the Bahawalpur and Multan sectors of the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Tharparkar district of Sindh. It merges with Riasti and Saraiki in Bahawalpur and Multan areas, respectively. Many linguists (Shackle, 1976 and Gusain, 2000) agree that it shares many phonological (implosives), morphological (future tense marker and negation) and syntactic features with Riasti and Saraiki. A distribution of the geographical area can be found in 'Linguistic Survey of India' by George A. Grierson.

Speakers

Standard Rajasthani or Standard Marwari, a version of Rajasthani, the common lingua franca of Rajasthani people and is spoken by over 25 million people (2011) in different parts of Rajasthan.[4] It has to be taken into consideration, however, that some speakers of Standard Marwari are conflated with Hindi speakers in the census. Marwari, the most spoken Rajasthani language with approximately 8 million speakers[4] situated in the historic Marwar region of western Rajasthan.

Classification

The Rajasthani languages belong to the Western Indo-Aryan language family. However, they are controversially conflated with the Hindi languages of the Central-Zone in the Indian national census, among other places. The main Rajasthani subgroups are:[5]

Languages and dialects

Language[9] ISO 639-3Scriptsdata-sort-type="number" No. of speakersGeographical distribution
Rajasthaniraj Devanagari
previously Mandya;Mahajani
25,810,000[10] Western and Northern part of Rajasthan
MarwarimwrDevanagari7,832,000Marwar region of Western Rajasthan
MalvimupDevanagari5,213,000Malva region of Madhya Pradesh radesh and Rajasthan
MewarimtrDevanagari4,212,000Mewar region of Rajasthan
WagdiwbrDevanagari3,394,000Dungarpur and Banswara districts of Southern Rajasthan
Lambadilmn3,277,000Banjaras of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
HadautihojDevanagari2,944,000Hadoti region of southeastern Rajasthan
NimadinoeDevanagari2,309,000Nimar region of west-central India within the state of Madhya Pradesh
BagribgqDevanagari,1,657,000Bagar region of Rajasthan, Punjab & Haryana.In Rajasthan: Nohar-Bhadra, Anupgarh district, Hanumangarh district, Northern & Dungargarh tehsils of Bikaner district and Sri Ganganagar district; Taranagar, Rajgarh, Sardarshahar, Ratangarh, Bhanipura tehsils of Churu district,

In Haryana: Sirsa district, Fatehabad district, Hisar district, Bhiwani district, Charkhi-dadri district,

In Punjab: Fazilka district & Southern Muktsar district.

AhiraniahrDevanagari1,636,000Khandesh region of north-west Maharashtra and also in Gujarat
DhundharidhdDevanagari1,476,000Dhundhar region of northeastern Rajasthan Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa, Tonk and some parts of Sikar and karauli district
GujarigjuTakri, Pasto-Arabic, Devanagari1,228,000Northern parts of India and Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan
DhatkimkiDevanagri, Mahajani, Arabic210,000Pakistan and India (Jaisalmer and Barmer districts of Rajasthan and Tharparkar and Umerkot districts of Sindh)
ShekhawatiswvDevanagari 3,000,000the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan which comprises the southern Churu, Jhunjhunu, Neem-Ka-Thana and Sikar districts.
GodwarigdxDevanagari, Gujarati 3,000,000Pali and Sirohi districts of Rajasthan and Banaskantha district of Gujarat.
Bhoyari/PawariDevanagari15,000-20,000Betul, Chhindwara, and Pandhurna districts of Madhya Pradesh, as well as Wardha district of Maharashtra. It is exclusively spoken by the Pawar Rajputs (Bhoyar Pawar) who have migrated from Rajasthan and Malwa to Satpura and Vidarbha regions.
SahariyaDevanagari

Official status

George Abraham Grierson (1908) was the first scholar who gave the designation 'Rajasthani' to the language, which was earlier known through its various dialects.

India's National Academy of Literature, the Sahitya Akademi,[11] and University Grants Commission recognize Rajasthani as a distinct language, and it is taught as such in Bikaner's Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Jaipur's University of Rajasthan, Jodhpur's Jai Narain Vyas University, Kota's Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University and Udaipur's Mohanlal Sukhadia University. The state Board of Secondary Education included Rajasthani in its course of studies, and it has been an optional subject since 1973. National recognition has lagged, however.[12]

In 2003, the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution to insert recognition of Rajasthani into the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.[13] In May 2015, a senior member of the pressure group Rajasthani Bhasha Manyata Samiti said at a New Delhi press conference: "Twelve years have passed, but there has absolutely been no forward movement."[14]

All 25 Members of Parliament elected from Rajasthan state,[14] as well as former Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje Scindia,[15] have also voiced support for official recognition of the language.[16]

In 2019 Rajasthan Government included Rajasthani as a language subject in state's open school system.[17]

A committee was formed by the Government in March 2023 to make Rajasthani an official language of the state after huge protests by the youths of Rajasthani Yuva Samiti.[18] [19] [20]

Grammar

Rajasthani is a head-final, or left-branching language. Adjectives precede nouns, direct objects come before verbs, and there are postpositions. The word order of Rajasthani is SOV, and there are two genders and two numbers.[21] There are no definite or indefinite articles. A verb is expressed with its verbal root followed by suffixes marking aspect and agreement in what is called a main form, with a possible proceeding auxiliary form derived from to be, marking tense and mood, and also showing agreement. Causatives (up to double) and passives have a morphological basis. It shares a 50%-65% lexical similarity with Hindi (this is based on a Swadesh 210 word list comparison). It has many cognate words with Hindi. Notable phonetic correspondences include /s/ in Hindi with /h/ in Rajasthani. For example /sona/ 'gold' (Hindi) and /hono/ 'gold' (Marwari). /h/ sometimes elides. There are also a variety of vowel changes. Most of the pronouns and interrogatives are, however, distinct from those of Hindi.[22]

The phonetic characteristics of Vedic Sanskrit, surviving in Rajasthani language, is the series of "retroflex" or "cerebral" consonants, ṭ (ट), ṭh (ठ), ḍ (ड), ḍh (ढ), and ṇ (ण). These to the Indians and Rajasthani are quite different from the "dentals", t (त), th (थ), d (द), dh (ध), n (न) etc. though many Europeans find them hard to distinguish without practice as they are not common in European languages. The consonant ḷ(ळ) is frequently used in Rajasthani, which also occurs in vedic and some prakrits, is pronounced by placing the tongue on the top of the hard palate and flapping it forward.In common with most other Indo-Iranian languages, the basic sentence typology is subject–object–verb. On a lexical level, Rajasthani has perhaps a 50 to 65 percent overlap with Hindi, based on a comparison of a 210-word Swadesh list. Most pronouns and interrogative words differ from Hindi, but the language does have several regular correspondences with, and phonetic transformations from, Hindi. The /s/ in Hindi is often realized as /h/ in Rajasthani – for example, the word 'gold' is /sona/ (सोना) in Hindi and /hono/ (होनो) in the Marwari dialect of Rajasthani. Furthermore, there are a number of vowel substitutions, and the Hindi /l/ sound (ल) is often realized in Rajasthani as a retroflex lateral /ɭ/ (ळ).

Phonology

Rajasthani has 11 vowels and 38 consonants. The Rajasthani language Bagri has developed three lexical tones: low, mid and high.[23]

Vowels! !!Front !! Central !!Back
Closepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Midpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Openpronounced as /link/
Labial! colspan="2"
Dental/
Alveolar
RetroflexPost-alv./
Palatal
VelarGlottal
Nasalpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Plosivepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Affricatepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Fricativepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Tap or Flappronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Approximantpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/

Morphology

Rajasthani has two numbers and two genders with three cases. Postpositions are of two categories, inflexional and derivational. Derivational postpositions are mostly omitted in actual discourse.[24]

Syntax

1. Rajasthani combines accusative/tripartite marking in nominal system with consistently ergative verbal concord: the verb agrees with both marked and unmarked O in number and gender (but not in person — contrast Braj). Another peculiar feature of Rajasthani is the split in verbal concord when the participial component of a predicate agrees with O-NP while the auxiliary verb might agree with A-NP. 2. Stative participle from transitive verbs may agree with the Agent. 3. Honorific agreement of feminine noun implies masculine plural form both in its modifiers and in the verb.

Vocabulary

Categorisation and sources

These are the three general categories of words in modern Indo-Aryan: tadbhav, tatsam, and loanwords.[27]

Tadbhav

tadbhava, "of the nature of that". Rajasthani is a modern Indo-Aryan language descended from Sanskrit (old Indo-Aryan), and this category pertains exactly to that: words of Sanskritic origin that have demonstratively undergone change over the ages, ending up characteristic of modern Indo-Aryan languages specifically as well as in general. Thus the "that" in "of the nature of that" refers to Sanskrit. They tend to be non-technical, everyday, crucial words; part of the spoken vernacular. Below is a table of a few Rajasthani tadbhav words and their Old Indo-Aryan sources:

Old Indo-AryanRajasthaniRef
Iahám
falls, slipskhasatikhisaknũto move
causes to movearpáyatiārpanũto give
attains to, obtainsprāpnotipāvnũ
tigervyāghrávāgh
equal, alike, levelsamáshamũright, sound
allsárvasau/sāb

Tatsam

tatsama, "same as that". While Sanskrit eventually stopped being spoken vernacularly, in that it changed into Middle Indo-Aryan, it was nonetheless standardised and retained as a literary and liturgical language for long after. This category consists of these borrowed words of (more or less) pure Sanskrit character. They serve to enrich Gujarati and modern Indo-Aryan in its formal, technical, and religious vocabulary. They are recognisable by their Sanskrit inflections and markings; they are thus often treated as a separate grammatical category unto themselves.

TatsamEnglishRajasthani
lekhakwriterlakākh
vijetāwinnervijetā
vikǎsitdevelopedvikǎsāt
jāgǎraṇawakeningjāgān

Many old tatsam words have changed their meanings or have had their meanings adopted for modern times. prasāraṇ means "spreading", but now it is used for "broadcasting". In addition to this are neologisms, often being calques. An example is telephone, which is Greek for "far talk", translated as durbhāṣ. Most people, though, just use phon and thus neo-Sanskrit has varying degrees of acceptance.

So, while having unique tadbhav sets, modern IA languages have a common, higher tatsam pool. Also, tatsams and their derived tadbhavs can also co-exist in a language; sometimes of no consequence and at other times with differences in meaning:

TatsamTadbhav
karmaWork—Dharmic religious concept of works or deeds whose divine consequences are experienced in this life or the next.kāmwork [without any religious connotations].
kṣetraField—Abstract sense, such as a field of knowledge or activity; khāngī kṣetra → private sector. Physical sense, but of higher or special importance; raṇǎkṣetra → battlefield.khetarfield [in agricultural sense].

What remains are words of foreign origin (videśī), as well as words of local origin that cannot be pegged as belonging to any of the three prior categories (deśaj). The former consists mainly of Persian, Arabic, and English, with trace elements of Portuguese and Turkish. While the phenomenon of English loanwords is relatively new, Perso-Arabic has a longer history behind it. Both English and Perso-Arabic influences are quite nationwide phenomena, in a way paralleling tatsam as a common vocabulary set or bank. What's more is how, beyond a transposition into general Indo-Aryan, the Perso-Arabic set has also been assimilated in a manner characteristic and relevant to the specific Indo-Aryan language it is being used in, bringing to mind tadbhav.

Perso-Arabic

See also: Persian language in the Indian subcontinent. India was ruled for many centuries by Persian-speaking Muslims, amongst the most notable being the Delhi Sultanate, and the Mughal dynasty. As a consequence Indian languages were changed greatly, with the large scale entry of Persian and its many Arabic loans into the Gujarati lexicon. One fundamental adoption was Persian's conjunction "that", ke. Also, while tatsam or Sanskrit is etymologically continuous to Gujarati, it is essentially of a differing grammar (or language), and that in comparison while Perso-Arabic is etymologically foreign, it has been in certain instances and to varying degrees grammatically indigenised. Owing to centuries of situation and the end of Persian education and power, (1) Perso-Arabic loans are quite unlikely to be thought of or known as loans, and (2) more importantly, these loans have often been Rajasthani-ized. dāvo – claim, fāydo – benefit, natījo – result, and hamlo – attack, all carry Gujarati's masculine gender marker, o. khānũ – compartment, has the neuter ũ. Aside from easy slotting with the auxiliary karnũ, a few words have made a complete transition of verbification: kabūlnũ – to admit (fault), kharīdnũ – to buy, kharǎcnũ – to spend (money), gujarnũ – to pass. The last three are definite part and parcel.

Below is a table displaying a number of these loans. Currently some of the etymologies are being referenced to an Urdu dictionary so that Gujarati's singular masculine o corresponds to Urdu ā, neuter ũ groups into ā as Urdu has no neuter gender, and Urdu's Persian z is not upheld in Rajasthani and corresponds to j or jh. In contrast to modern Persian, the pronunciation of these loans into Rajasthani and other Indo-Aryan languages, as well as that of Indian-recited Persian, seems to be in line with Persian spoken in Afghanistan and Central Asia, perhaps 500 years ago.

NounsAdjectives
fāydogain, advantage, benefitAkhānũcompartmentPkharīdīpurchase(s), shoppingPtājũfreshP
humloattackAmakānhouse, buildingAśardīcommon coldPjudũdifferent, separateP
dāvoclaimAnasībluckAbājusidePnajīknearP
natījoresultAśahercityPcījhthingPkharābbadA
gussoangerPmedānplainPjindgīlifePlālredP

Lastly, Persian, being part of the Indo-Iranian language family as Sanskrit and Rajasthani are, met up in some instances with its cognates:

Persian Indo-Aryan English
marădmartyaman, mortal
stānsthānplace, land
īīya(adjectival suffix)
bandbandhclosed, fastened
shamsheriaarkshakpoliceman

Zoroastrian Persian refugees known as Parsis also speak an accordingly Persianized form of Gujarati.

English

With the end of Perso-Arabic inflow, English became the current foreign source of new vocabulary. English had and continues to have a considerable influence over Indian languages. Loanwords include new innovations and concepts, first introduced directly through British colonial rule, and then streaming in on the basis of continued Anglophone dominance in the Republic of India. Besides the category of new ideas is the category of English words that already have Rajasthani counterparts which end up replaced or existed alongside. The major driving force behind this latter category has to be the continuing role of English in modern India as a language of education, prestige, and mobility. In this way, Indian speech can be sprinkled with English words and expressions, even switches to whole sentences. See Hinglish, Code-switching.

In matters of sound, English alveolar consonants map as retroflexes rather than dentals. Two new characters were created in Rajasthani to represent English /æ/'s and /ɔ/'s. Levels of Rajasthani-ization in sound vary. Some words do not go far beyond this basic transpositional rule, and sound much like their English source, while others differ in ways, one of those ways being the carrying of dentals. See Indian English.

As English loanwords are a relatively new phenomenon, they adhere to English grammar, as tatsam words adhere to Sanskrit. That is not to say that the most basic changes have been underway: many English words are pluralised with Rajasthani o over English "s". Also, with Rajasthani having three genders, genderless English words must take one. Though often inexplicable, gender assignment may follow the same basis as it is expressed in Gujarati: vowel type, and the nature of word meaning.

LoanwordEnglish source
bâṅkbank
phonphone
ṭebaltable
basbus
rabbarrubber
dôkṭar
rasīdreceipt
helo
halo
hālo
hello
hôspiṭal
aspitāl
ispitāl
hospital
sṭeśan
ṭeśan
railway station
sāykalbicycle
rumroom
āis krīmice cream
esīair conditioning
aṅkal1uncle
āṇṭī1aunt
pākīṭwallet
kavarenvelope
noṭbanknote
skūlschool
ṭyuśantuition
miniṭminute
ṭikiṭ
ṭikaṭ
ticket
sleṭslate
hoṭalhotel
pārṭīpolitical party
ṭrentrain
kalekṭardistrict collector
reḍīyoradio

Portuguese

The smaller foothold the Portuguese had in wider India had linguistic effects due to extensive trade. Rajasthani took up a number of words, while elsewhere the influence was great enough to the extent that creole languages came to be (see Portuguese India, Portuguese-based creole languages in India and Sri Lanka). Comparatively, the impact of Portuguese has been greater on coastal languages and their loans tend to be closer to the Portuguese originals. The source dialect of these loans imparts an earlier pronunciation of ch as an affricate instead of the current standard of pronounced as /[ʃ]/.

Rajasthani Meaning Portuguese
istrīiron(ing)estirar1
mistrī2carpentermestre3
sābusoapsabão
chābīkeychave
tambākutobacco
gobīcabbagecouve
kājucashewcajú
pāũbreadpão
baṭākopotatobatata
anānaspineappleananás
pādrīfather (in Catholicism)padre
aṅgrej(ī)English (not specifically the language)inglês
nātālChristmasnatal

1 "To stretch (out)".

2 Common occupational surname.

3 "Master".

Loans into English

Bungalow

Coolie

Tank

Writing system

In India, Rajasthani is written in the Devanagari script, an abugida which is written from left to right. Earlier, the Mahajani script, or Modiya, was used to write Rajasthani. The script is also called as Maru Gurjari in a few records. In Pakistan, where Rajasthani is considered a minor language,[28] a variant of the Sindhi script is used to write Rajasthani dialects.[29] [30]

Rajasthani in Devanagari and Perso-Arabic script!Devanagari!Perso-Arabic!Latin!IPA
aə
āɑ
ـِiɪ
ﺍیِīi
ـُuʊ
ﺍۇūu
अेاےee
ﺍوoo
अंãə̃
आंā̃ɑ̃
इंĩɪ̃
ईंī̃ĩ
उंũʊ̃
ऊंū̃ũ
एं
ओंõõ
کkk
کھkh
گgg
گھgh
چct͡ʃ
چھcht͡ʃʰ
جjd͡ʒ
جھjhd͡ʒʰ
ٹʈ
ٹهṭhʈʰ
ڈɖ
ڈهḍhɖʰ
ڏ
ॾ़ڏهd̤hᶑʰ
ݨɳ
ण़ݨهṇhɳʰ
تt
تھtht̪ʰ
دd
دهdhd̪ʰ
نnn
نھnh
پpp
پھph
بbb
بھbh
ॿٻɓ
ॿ़ٻهb̤hɓʰ
مmm
म़مھmh
ےٜٜyj
رrɾ
ड़رؕɽ
ढ़رؕهr̤hɽʰ
ज़زzz
ॼ़زهzh
لll
ल़لھlh
ݪɭ
v
ɕ
ʂ
s
स़
ɦ
श्र
क्ष

The letter 'ळ'(ɭ) is specially used in Rajasthani script. 'ल'(l) and 'ळ'(ɭ) have different sounds. The use of both has different meanings, like कालौ (black color) and काळौ (insane).

In Rajasthani language, there are sounds of palatal 'श'(sh) and nasal 'ष'(sh), but in Rajasthani script only dental 'स'(s) is used for them. Similarly, in Rajasthani script, there is no independent sign for 'ज्ञ'(gya), instead 'ग्य'(Gya) is written in its place. In Rajasthani script, there is no sound of the conjuncts, for example, instead of the conjunct letter 'क्ष'(ksh), 'च'(Ch), 'क'(ka) or 'ख'(kha) is written, like लखण (Lakhan) of लक्षमण (Lakshan), लिछमण (Lichhman) of लक्ष्‍मण (Lakshman) and राकस (Rakas) of राक्षस (Rakshas). In Rajasthani script, there is no separate symbol for the sound of 'ऋ'(Ri), instead 'रि'(Ri) is written instead of it, like रितु (Ritu) (season) instead of ऋतु (Ritu). In Rajasthani, there is no use of ligatures and ref. The whole of ref 'र्' (r) becomes 'र' (ra), for example, instead of 'धर्म' (dharm), 'धरम'(dharam), instead of 'वक्त'(vakt) (time), 'वगत'(vagat) or 'वखत'(vakhat) are written. Single quotation mark (') is also used to denote continuation sound like देख'र(dekha'r) हरे'क (hare'k)(every) etc. अे (e) and अै (ai) are written instead of ए(e) and ऐ (ai) like 'अेक'(ek)(one) in place of 'एक'(ek).

Writing styles

Old literary Rajasthani had two types of writing styles.

Dingal

See main article: Dingal. A literary style of writing prose and poetry in Maru-Bhasa language. It is presented same in written and spoken form. Kushallabh's 'Pingali Shiromani', Giridhar Charan's 'Sagat Singh Raso' dedicated to Maharana Pratap's younger brother Shakti Singh has been written in Dingal language. It was also used in composition of Suryamal Misharan and Baankidas.[31] Dingal is literary genre of Charans and is written as couplets, songs and poems.

Pingal

It was used for writing poem only by Bhats and Ravs. It is an amalgamation of Brij Bhasha and Rajasthani languages.[32]

Literature

See main article: Rajasthani literature.

Prominent linguists

Linguists and their work and year: [Note: Works concerned only with linguistics, not with literature]

Dingal Sabdkosh (Dingal Dictionary) :Rajasthani and Marwari, 1890–1920

Dhundhari and Shekhawati, 1892

Rajasthani and Marwari, 1914–16

Almost all the dialects of Rajasthani, 1920

English, Sanskrit, Hindi, Marwari, Rajasthani, 1940

Rajasthani, 1948–49

Rajasthani language, 1950–1970

Harauti and Rajasthani, 1955–60

Rajasthani and Marwari, 1960

Shekhawati, 1964

Rajasthani, 1970–present

Gade lohar, Bagri or Bhili, Gojri, 1970–present

Rajasthani, 1971–1989

Bagri and Saraiki, 1976

Marwari, 1983

Rajasthani and Marwari, 1986

all the dialects of Rajasthani, 1990–present

Rajasthani and Marwari, 1990–present

Bagri, 1993

Bhili, 2000–present.

Bagri, 2004–present

Hadoti, 2015

Hadoti, 2018

Sample text

The following is a sample text in High Hindi, of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (by the United Nations):

Rajasthani in Devanagari Script
  • Hindi in Devanagari Script
    Transliteration (ISO):
  • Gloss (word-to-word):
  • Article 1 (one) All humans birth from independent and dignity and rights in equal are. They logic and conscience from endowed are and they fraternity in the spirit of each other towards work should.
    Translation (grammatical):
  • Article 1 All humans are born independent and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with logic and conscience and they should work towards each other in the spirit of fraternity.

    Media

    First newspaper published in Rajasthani was Rajputana Gazette published from Ajmer in 1885.First film made in Rajasthani was Nazrana in 1942. Stage app is first OTT platform in Rajasthani and Haryanvi and Gangaur TV is the first TV channel in Rajasthani.[33] [34] All India Radio air and publish news in Rajasthani language.[35]

    Language movement

    See main article: Rajasthani language movement. A movement is ongoing in Rajasthan since independence of India to include Rajasthani language in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution and making it the official language of the state of Rajasthan. In recent years the movement is getting rooted among the youths.

    Challenges and Preservation Efforts

    The Rajasthani language faces several issues, including:

    1. Lack of Official Recognition: Despite being widely spoken, Rajasthani lacks official status in India. It is often classified under Hindi in government documents and the census, which undermines its distinct identity. This also means it is not listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, depriving it of the support and promotion that other scheduled languages receive.
    2. Standardization Challenges: Rajasthani comprises numerous dialects, such as Marwari, Mewari, Shekhawati, and Hadoti, among others. The lack of a standardized form makes it difficult to unify and promote the language effectively and can lead to fragmentation in efforts to preserve and promote the language.
    3. Educational Neglect: Rajasthani is not widely taught in schools. The educational system predominantly uses Hindi or English, leading to a decline in the younger generation's proficiency in their native tongue. This lack of formal education and institutional support further contributes to the erosion of the language.
    4. Media Representation: There is limited representation of Rajasthani in mainstream media, including television, radio, and print. This lack of visibility reduces the language's presence in everyday life and its prestige among speakers.
    5. Literary Development: Although Rajasthani has a rich literary tradition, contemporary literary output and publishing are limited. This affects the development and modernization of the language and hinders efforts to preserve its cultural heritage.
    6. Economic and Social Pressures: Urbanization and migration often lead speakers to prioritize learning Hindi or English for better economic and social opportunities. This shift can lead to a decrease in the use of Rajasthani in daily life and a decline in language transmission to future generations.
    7. Linguistic Erosion: As younger generations shift to Hindi or English, the transmission of Rajasthani to future generations is at risk, potentially leading to language erosion. In many families, younger generations are not learning Rajasthani at home, often due to the preference for more dominant languages.

    Addressing these issues requires concerted efforts from the government, educational institutions, and cultural organizations to promote and preserve the Rajasthani language. Efforts to improve official recognition, standardize the language, enhance its presence in education and media, and support its literary and cultural development are crucial for its preservation and promotion.

    Sources

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. http://homepages.fh-giessen.de/kausen/klassifikationen/Indogermanisch.doc Ernst Kausen, 2006. Die Klassifikation der indogermanischen Sprachen
    2. 2014 . Population monograph of Nepal . II . Central Bureau of Statistics . Government of Nepal .
    3. .
    4. https://censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/C-16_25062018_NEW.pdf 2011 Census data
    5. Web site: Ethnologue.com: Ethnologue report for Rajasthani. 9 July 2023.
    6. Web site: Pakistan & Afghanistan – Carte linguistique / Linguistic map.
    7. Gold, Ann Grodzins. A Carnival of Parting: The Tales of King Bharthari and King Gopi Chand as Sung and Told by Madhu Natisar Nath of Ghatiyali, Rajasthan. Berkeley: University of California Press, c1992 1992. http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft3g500573/
    8. Web site: pg no 293,296 .
    9. Web site: Browse by Language Family. https://web.archive.org/web/20120104043633/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=287-16. dead. 4 January 2012. Ethnologue. 20 December 2019.
    10. Web site: Angika . 17 March 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160324184439/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/anp . 24 March 2016 .
    11. Web site: ..:: Welcome to Sahitya Akademi – About us ::... sahitya-akademi.gov.in. 2019-09-14.
    12. Web site: 2009-08-28 . awards & fellowships-Akademi Awards . 2024-01-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090828042905/http://www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in/old_version/awa10317.htm . 28 August 2009 .
    13. Book: R. S. Gupta, Anvita Abbi, Kailash S. Aggarwal . Language and the State Perspectives on the Eighth Schedule . Creative Books . 1995 . 9788186318201 . 1995 . University of Michigan . 92, 93, 94.
    14. [Press Trust of India]
    15. Press Trust of India, "Vasundhara Raje flags off ‘Rajasthani language rath yatra’", 26 July 2015, The Economic Times. Accessed 22 April 2016
    16. News: Vasundhara Raje flags off 'Rajasthani language rath yatra'. The Economic Times. 2022-01-23.
    17. Web site: Rajasthani language introduced in state's open school system . 2024-01-15 . India Today.
    18. News: Bureau . 2023-03-18 . Exercise begins for declaring Rajasthani second official language . 2024-01-13 . The Hindu. 0971-751X.
    19. News: Bureau . 2023-01-11 . Demand gains momentum for making Rajasthani official language . 2024-01-15 . The Hindu. 0971-751X.
    20. News: 2023-03-17 . Panel to see if Rajasthani can be 2nd official language of Rajasthan . 2024-01-15 . The Times of India . 0971-8257.
    21. Web site: Facts about Gujarat .
    22. Smith . John D . EPIC RAJASTHANI . 29 January 1992 . Indo-Iranian Journal . 35 . 2/3 . 251–269 . 10.1163/000000092790083642 . 24659527 . JOSTOR.
    23. Gusain 2000b
    24. Gusain 2003
    25. Dixon 1994.
    26. Web site: ?. 9 July 2023.
    27. Snell, R. (2000) Teach Yourself Beginner's Hindi Script. Hodder & Stoughton. pp. 83–86.
    28. Web site: Language policy, multilingualism and language vitality in Pakistan. . 9 August 2009.
    29. Web site: Goaria. Ethnologue. 9 August 2009.
    30. Web site: Dhatki. Ethnologue. 9 August 2009.
    31. Book: Ayyappappanikkar . Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections . 1997 . Sahitya Akademi . 978-81-260-0365-5 . 453.
    32. Book: Mukherjee, Sujit . A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850 . 1998 . Orient Blackswan . 978-81-250-1453-9 . 289.
    33. Web site: Rajasthani GEC channel 'Gangaur Television' makes its debut – Exchange4media . 2024-01-14 . Indian Advertising Media & Marketing News – exchange4media.
    34. Web site: Jha . Lata . 2023-11-27 . Neeraj Chopra invests in regional OTT app Stage . 2024-01-14 . mint.
    35. Web site: AIR News Rajasthani .