BEN ISO 639-3
Bengali
বাংলা (Bangla) Autonym
A language of Bangladesh
- ISO 639
- ben
- Alternate Names
- Bangala, Bangla-Bhasa
- Autonym
- বাংলা (Bangla)
- Population
- 159,000,000 in Bangladesh, all users. L1 users: 130,000,000 in Bangladesh (2017). L2 users: 29,000,000 (2017). Total users in all countries: 267,708,040 (as L1: 228,705,160; as L2: 39,002,880).
- Location:
- Widespread.
- Language Status
- 1 (National). Statutory national language (1972, Constitution, Article 3), has been reinforced by the Bengali Language Introduction Act of 1987 to fully enact Article 3 of the Constitution, making the use of Bengali compulsory at all levels of state activities except in foreign affairs.
- Classification
- Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Bengali-Assamese
- Dialects
- Barisal, Noakhali, Khulna, Mymensingh. Reportedly similar to Assamese [asm]. Lexical similarity: 40% with Nepali [npi].
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; noun head both initial and final; 3 genders: male, female, neuter; content q-word initial and final; clause constituents indicated by case-marking (5 cases) and word order; verb affixes mark person, number; definite article affix; tense; passives and voice; causatives; comparatives; non-tonal; 35 consonant and 5 vowel phonemes; stress on first syllable.
- Language Use
- Used by all. A few also use War-Jaintia [aml]. Also use Chittagonian [ctg].
- Language Development
- Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1832–2016.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Bengali
- Writing
- Bengali (Bangla) script [Beng], primary usage. Braille script [Brai]. Newa script [Newa], no longer in use.
- Other Comments
- Muslim.
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Arab Emirates
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
360,000 in United Arab Emirates (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Australia
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
54,600 in Australia (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Bhutan
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
20,100 in Bhutan (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
73,100 in Canada (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Germany
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
16,400 in Germany (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Denmark
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
1,790 in Denmark (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Spain
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
19,800 in Spain (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Finland
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
3,970 in Finland (2018 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
221,000 in United Kingdom (2011 census). , including Sylheti [syl] and Chittagonian [ctg].
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Greece
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
11,100 in Greece (2011 census). , based on nationality.
- Location
- Assam state: Goalpara district; Bihar state; Jharkhand state: Dhanbad, Manbhum, Santal Parganas, and Singhbhum; Odisha state: Bales and Mayar; Tripura and West Bengal states.
- Dialects
- Barik, Bhatiari, Chirmar, Kachari-Bengali, Lohari-Malpaharia, Musselmani, Rajshahi, Samaria, Saraki, Siripuria (Kishanganjia).
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial)
- Other Comments
- Muslim, Hindu. View other languages of India
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
106,500,000 in India, all users. L1 users: 96,500,000 in India (2011 census). L2 users: 10,000,000 (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Japan
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
69,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sri Lanka
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
20,700 in Sri Lanka (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Myanmar
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
286,000 in Myanmar (Leclerc 2017d).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Mauritius
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
6,660 in Mauritius (Leclerc 2018c).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Malaysia
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
82,000 in Malaysia (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Major cities.
- Dialects
- Barik, Bhatiari, Chirmar, Kachari-Bengali, Lohari-Malpaharia, Musselmani, Rajshahi, Samaria, Saraki, Siripuria.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Classified as a cultural group (2001 census). Hindu, Christian, Muslim. View other languages of Nepal
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
23,980 in Nepal, all users. L1 users: 21,100 in Nepal (2011 census), increasing. L2 users: 2,880 (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of New Zealand
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
2,420 in New Zealand (2013 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Oman
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
200,000 in Oman (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Pakistan
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
326,000 in Pakistan (2018).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Saudi Arabia
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
33,000 in Saudi Arabia (2018). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sweden
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
7,420 in Sweden (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Location
- North East district (No. 19), especially Hougang and Sengkang areas; scattered elsewhere.
- Language Status
- 6b (Threatened)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Hindu, Muslim. View other languages of Singapore
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
76,000 in Singapore (2018 J. Leclerc).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Thailand
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
35,000 in Thailand (Leclerc 2019a). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United States
Language Name
Bengali
User Population
258,000 in United States (2015 census).
Map
Location: Widespread.
Size and Vitality
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