Page Type: languageMahali | Ethnologue

MJX ISO 639-3

Mahali

A language of India

ISO 639
mjx
Alternate Names
Mahili, Mahle, Mahli
Population
26,400 in India (2011 census), decreasing. Ethnic population: 278,000 (2007). Total users in all countries: 29,400.
Location:
Assam state: tea estates; Bihar state; Jharkhand state: Dhanbad, Gumla, Hazaribagh, Pargana, Ranchi, Santal Lohardaga, Saraikela Kharsawan, East Singhbhum, and West Singhbhum districts in Chota Nagpur area; Odisha state: Balasore, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj districts; West Bengal state: Jalpaiguri and West Medinipur districts.
Language Status
6b* (Threatened).
Classification
Austro-Asiatic, Munda, North Munda, Kherwari, Santali
Dialects
Possible dialect of Santhali [sat]. Lexical similarity: 69%–87% between varieties of Mahali, 68%–93% with Santhali [sat], 53%–59% with Mundari [unr].
Language Use
Most in Jharkhand reported Santhali [sat], Sadri [sck] or Mundari [unr] as their mother tongue rather than Mahali. May be a threatened language. Home, village, private prayer for half the L1 speakers in Jharkhand. Also use Bengali [ben]. Also use English [eng]. Also use Hindi [hin]. Also use Munda [unx]. Also use Mundari [unr]. Also use Odia [ory]. Also use Sadri [sck]. Also use Santhali [sat].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 12% for Jharkhand (20% male, 4% female) (1981 census); 32% for Odisha (2001 census).
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mahali
Writing
Bengali (Bangla) script [Beng]. Latin script [Latn], used in Bangladesh.
Other Comments
Mahli are reported to speak Sadri [sck] as L1 in Jharkhand, the Thar dialect of Dhatki [mki] in Odisha, and Bengali [ben] in West Bengal. Hindu.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Mahali
User Population
3,000 in Bangladesh (2010 SIL). Ethnic population: 3,000 (2004 SIL).
Location
Rajshahi division: Abirpara, Matindor, and Mundumala-Pachondor villages; scattered.
Language Status
6a (Vigorous)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Bangladesh

Map

Location: Assam state: tea estates; Bihar state; Jharkhand state: Dhanbad, Gumla, Hazaribagh, Pargana, Ranchi, Santal Lohardaga, Saraikela Kharsawan, East Singhbhum, and West Singhbhum districts in Chota Nagpur area; Odisha state: Balasore, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj districts; West Bengal state: Jalpaiguri and West Medinipur districts.