Page Type: languageSylheti | Ethnologue

SYL ISO 639-3

Sylheti

Sileti, ছিলটী‎ (Silôṭi) Autonym

A language of Bangladesh

ISO 639
syl
Alternate Names
Siloti, Srihattia, Sylhetti, Sylhetti Bangla, Syloti, Syloty
Autonym
Sileti, ছিলটী‎ (Silôṭi)
Population
8,020,000 in Bangladesh, all users. L1 users: 6,520,000 in Bangladesh (2017). L2 users: 1,500,000. Total users in all countries: 11,520,000 (as L1: 10,020,000; as L2: 1,500,000).
Location:
Sylhet division: Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, and Sylhet districts.
Language Status
3 (Wider communication).
Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Bengali-Assamese
Dialects
None known. Reportedly similar to Assamese [asm]. Lexical similarity: 70% with Bengali [ben].
Language Use
Used by all. Also use Bengali [ben], primarily men. Bengali used in education and media. Used as L2 by Meitei [mni], War-Jaintia [aml].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 35%. Educated can read Bengali [ben]. Few women are educated. NT: 2014.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Sylheti
Writing
Bengali (Bangla) script [Beng]. Latin script [Latn]. Syloti Nagri script [Sylo].
Other Comments
Muslim, Hindu.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Sylheti
User Population
500,000 in United Kingdom (2020 J. Lloyd-Williams).
Language Status
Unestablished
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Sylheti
User Population
3,000,000 in India (2003).
Location
Assam state: Barak valley region, Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts; Tripura state: North Tripura district; possibly Nagaland, Kolkata.
Language Status
5 (Dispersed)
Other Comments
Muslim, Hindu.
View other languages of India

Map

Location: Sylhet division: Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, and Sylhet districts.