LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow


Volume 1:7 November 2001
Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Associate Editor: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.

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LANGUAGES OF INDIA ACCORDING TO THE 1991 CENSUS

B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.

Please note that the Indian Census Organization reports that "the population of Jammu and Kashmir is not included in these figures as the 1991 census was not conducted there due to disturbed conditions."
Please also note that the names of languages given here are rather cover terms, in some sense. For, each language, for which the population figure is given in the table below, includes also some other languages, or dialects that are not explicitly presented in the table. For example, the cover term Kannada includes also the language or dialect Badaga. Tamil includes Kaikadi, Tamil Yerukula/Yerukula and others. Hindi includes around 48 languages, dialects, or mother tonngues like Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Garhwali, etc.
The statement made by the Census Organization, while presenting the abstract of languages and mother tongues, says:
Presented below is an alphabetical abstract of languages and the mother tongues with strength of 10, 000 and above at the all India level, included under each language. There are a total of 114 languages and 216 mother tongues, 18 scheduled languages and 96 not specified in the schedule.
LANGAUGES OF INDIA, 1991 CENSUS
Scheduled Languages
Serial No. Language Name Number of Persons
1. Assamese 13,079,696
2. Bengali 69,595,738
3. Gujarati 40,673,814
4. Hindi 337,272,114
5. Kannada 32,753,676
6. Kashmiri 56,693
7. Konkani 1,760,607
8. Malayalam 30,377,176
9. Manipuri 1,270,216
10. Marathi 62,481,681
11. Nepali 2,076,645
12. Oriya 28,061,313
13. Punjabi 32,753,676
14. Sanskrit 49,736
15. Sindhi 2,122,848
16. Tamil 53,006,368
17. Telugu 66,017,615
18. Urdu 43,406,932
Non-Scheduled Languages
Serial No. Language Name Number of Persons
1. Adi 158,409
2. Anal 12,156
3. Angami 97,631
4. Ao 172,449
5. Arabic/Arbi 21,975
6. Bhili/Bhilodi 5,572,308
7. Bhotia 55,483
8. Bhumij 45,302
9. Bishnupuriya 59,233
10. Bodo/Boro 1,221,881
11. Chakesang 30,985
12. Chakru/Chokri 48,207
13. Chang 32,478
14. Coorgi/Kodagu 97,011
15. Deori 17,901
16. Dimasa 88,543
17. Dogri 89,681
18. English 178,598
19. Gadaba 28,158
20. Gangte 13,695
21. Garo 675,642
22. Gondi 2,124,852
23. Halabi 534,313
24. Halam 29,322
25. Hmar 65,204
26. Ho 949,216
27. Jatapu 25,730
28. Juang 16,858
29. Kabui 68,925
30. Karbi/Mikri 366,229
31. Khandeshi 973,709
32. Kharia 225,556
33. Khasa 912,283
34. Khezha 13,004
35. Khiemnungan 23,544
36. Khond/Kondh 220,783
37. Kinnauri 61,794
38. Kisan 162,088
39. Koch 26,179
40. Koda/Kora 28,200
41. Kolami 98,281
42. Kom 13,548
43. Konda 17,864
44. Konyak 137,722
45. Korku 466,073
46. Korwa 27,485
47. Koya 270,994
48. Kui 641,662
49. Kuki 58,263
50. Kurukh/Oraon 1,426,618
51. Lahauli 22,027
52. Lahnda 27,386
53. Lakher 22,947
54. Lalung 33,746
55. Lepcha 39,342
56. Liangmei 27,478
57. Limbu 28,174
58. Lotha 85,802
59. Lushai/Mizo 538,842
60. Malto 108,148
61. Mao 77,810
62. Maram 10,144
63. Maring 15,268
64. Miri/Mishing 390,583
65. Mishmi 29,000
66. Mogh 28,135
67. Monpa 43,226
68. Munda 413,894
69. Mundari 816,378
70. Nicobarese 26,261
71. Nissi/Dafla 173,791
72. Nocte 30,441
73. Paite 49,237
74. Parji 44,001
75. Pawi 15,346
76. Phom 65,350
77. Pochury 11,231
78. Rabha 139,365
79. Rengma 37,521
80. Sangtam 47,461
81. Santali 5,216,325
82. Savara 273,168
83. Sema 166,157
84. Sherpa 16,105
85. Tangkhul 101,841
86. Tangsa 28,121
87. Thado 107,992
88. Tibetan 69,416
89. Tripuri 694,940
90. Tulu 1,552,259
91. Vaiphei 26,185
92. Wancho 39,600
93. Yimchungre 47,227
94. Zeliang 35,079
95. Zemi 22,634
96. Zou 15,966

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B. Mallikarjun, Ph. D.
Central Institute of Indian Languages
Manasagangotri
Mysore 570006, INDIA
mallik_ciil@hotmail.com