Page Type: languageAwadhi | Ethnologue

AWA ISO 639-3

Awadhi

अवधी‎ (Awadhi) Autonym

A language of India

ISO 639
awa
Alternate Names
Abadi, Abohi, Ambodhi, Avadhi, Baiswari, Kojali, Kosali
Autonym
अवधी‎ (Awadhi)
Population
3,850,000 in India (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 4,397,400 (as L1: 4,352,000; as L2: 45,400).
Location:
Bihar state; Delhi; Madhya Pradesh state; Uttar Pradesh: Allahabad, Bahraich, Bara-Banki, Faizabad, Gonda, Kheri, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Rae-Bareli, Sitapur, Sultanpur, and Unnao districts.
Language Status
5* (Developing).
Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Eastern, East Central
Dialects
Gangapari, Mirzapuri, Pardesi, Uttari. Dialects are generally mutually intelligible. Lexical similarity: with Bhojpuri [bho], Rana Tharu [thr], Maithili [mai], Nepali [npi], Hindi [hin]. Also Sanskrit [san] borrowings.
Typology
SOV; postpositions; noun head final; 2 genders; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person, number and genders of subject and object; no ergativity; tense and aspect; passives and voice; 30 consonant and 8 vowel phonemes; nontonal.
Language Use
Many also use English [eng]. Also use Hindi [hin].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 50%–75%. Education is in Hindi [hin]. Considerable epic literature. Hindu holy book, Ramcharitmanas, by Tulsi Das. Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Videos. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 2000–2005.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Awadhi
Writing
Devanagari script [Deva].
Other Comments
‘Kosali’ is a name used for the Eastern Hindi group. Hindu, Muslim.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Avadhi
User Population
547,400 in Nepal, all users. L1 users: 502,000 in Nepal (2011 census), increasing. L2 users: 45,400 (2011 census).
Location
Lumbini province: Banke district, Duduwa, Janki, Khajura, Kohalpur, and Napalgunj municipalities; Bardiya district: Badhaiyatal and Gulariya municipalities; Dang district: Lamahi, Gadhawa, and Rajpur municipalities; Kapilvastu district: widespread; Rupandehi district: Gaidahawa and Lumbini municipalities.
Dialects
Chhatisgadhi, Baiswari.
Language Status
4 (Educational)
Other Comments
Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Sikh.
View other languages of Nepal

Map

Location: Bihar state; Delhi; Madhya Pradesh state; Uttar Pradesh: Allahabad, Bahraich, Bara-Banki, Faizabad, Gonda, Kheri, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Rae-Bareli, Sitapur, Sultanpur, and Unnao districts.