Introduction to Hindi Language: History & Origins

• Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language principally spoken in India.
• Modern Standard Hindi is one of the Indian government's two official languages.
• Nine states and three union territories list Hindi as an official language.
• According to Article 343(2) of the constitution, it is an additional official language of India.
• The Hindi Belt's lingua franca is Hindi.
• Hindi ranks as the world's fourth most widely used language.

Origin and History

• Early forms of Vedic Sanskrit are regarded as the ancestor of Hindi.
• It evolved into Prakrit and then Apabhramsa through various developmental phases.
• The Khariboli dialect of Delhi and the surrounding areas is where Modern Standard Hindi originated.
• In the 18th century, Khariboli rose to prominence, and in the 19th century, it was standardized.
• The standardization was mostly attributable to the work of British administrators and missionaries.
• They intended to create a standardized language that could be used for both administrative and educational purposes.
• During the medieval era, Hindi's literary heritage started to take shape, with works by poets and saints.
• Amir Khusrau is among the earliest known poets to have written in Hindavi, a predecessor of Hindi.
• The Bhakti movement saw an increase in devotional literature written in various Hindi dialects.
• Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, written in the Awadhi dialect, is a noteworthy example.

Relationship with Urdu

• The Khariboli dialect is the common ancestor of Hindi and Urdu.
• In its colloquial form, the two languages are mutually intelligible.
• The vocabulary and standardized forms are the primary distinctions.
• Hindi incorporates vocabulary from Sanskrit, whereas Urdu incorporates vocabulary from Persian and Arabic.
• The divergence between Hindi and Urdu was encouraged for political reasons during the British colonial era.
• As a result, distinct literary traditions and scripts were created.
• The Devanagari script is typically used for Hindi, while the Perso-Arabic script is used for Urdu.
• The term "Hindustani" is sometimes used to refer to the combined Hindi-Urdu language.

Geographical Distribution

• Hindi is commonly spoken in northern, central, and western India.
• Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan are among the states where Hindi is recognized as an official language.
• It is also an official language in the union territories of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Hindi speakers can be found in other regions of India, particularly in urban centers.
• Hindi is spoken outside of India by diaspora communities in nations including Nepal, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.

Structure and Grammar

• Hindi is an analytic language.
• It uses word order and particles to express grammatical relationships.
• The word order in Hindi is subject-object-verb (SOV).
• In Hindi, nouns change depending on gender (masculine and feminine) and number (singular and plural).
• Verbs change depending on tense, aspect, mood, gender, and number.
• Hindi uses a complex system of postpositions, which function similarly to English prepositions.
• Hindi adjectives match the nouns they describe in terms of gender, number, and case.
• The language uses honorifics to show respect.
• Depending on the amount of respect being shown, verb conjugations and pronoun use change.

Vocabulary

• Throughout its history, Hindi has incorporated words from other languages.
• Sanskrit accounts for a sizable portion of its vocabulary.
• It also contains words from Persian, Arabic, English, and other languages.
• The process of Sanskritization entails using Sanskrit terms to purify the language.
• Loanwords from English are prevalent in metropolitan areas and technical domains.

Writing System

• The Devanagari script is used to write Hindi.
• Each consonant in Devanagari, an abugida, has an inherent vowel.
• Matras, which are diacritic symbols added to consonants, can be used to change vowel sounds.
• Devanagari is read from left to right.
• Each word in the script has a horizontal line running across the top.
• Sanskrit, Marathi, and Nepali are among the other languages that employ the script.

Official Status

• Hindi is one of the Indian Union government's two official languages.
• English is the other official language.
• The Indian Constitution initially stipulated that English would no longer be an official language after 1965.
• However, this was changed to allow English to continue to be used alongside Hindi.
• The Official Languages Act of 1963 governs how Hindi and English are used for official purposes.
• There have been discussions and disagreements over the promotion and imposition of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking parts of India.
• The three-language formula encourages students to learn Hindi, English, and a regional language.

Hindi Literature

• Hindi literature has a long and diverse history.
• It includes poetry, prose, drama, and literary criticism.
• The medieval period saw the rise of Bhakti poetry, defined by devotional themes and emotional expression.
• Modern Hindi literature arose in the 19th century with the development of new literary forms and genres.
• Premchand, a novelist and short story writer known for his realistic depictions of rural life; Jaishankar Prasad, a poet, playwright, and novelist known for his romantic and historical works; and Mahadevi Varma, a poet and essayist known for her contributions to Chhayavad, a romantic literary movement, are among the prominent Hindi writers.
• Contemporary Hindi literature continues to evolve, reflecting India's changing social and political landscape.

Hindi Cinema

• Hindi cinema, also known as Bollywood, is a major film industry located in Mumbai.
• Each year, it produces a large number of films, which are popular in India.
• Hindi cinema has a significant impact on Indian culture.
• The songs and dialogues from Hindi films are widely heard and quoted.
• Many Hindi films explore social issues and themes, reflecting the realities and aspirations of Indian society.
• Hindi cinema has gained international recognition.
• It has a large following among the Indian diaspora and in other countries.

Dialects

• There are numerous Hindi dialects, which vary in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
• Khariboli, Braj Bhasha, Awadhi, Bagheli, Bhojpuri, and Rajasthani are among the major Hindi dialects.
• Modern Standard Hindi is based on Khariboli.
• Braj Bhasha was a prominent literary language during the medieval period.
• Awadhi was the language of Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas.
• Bhojpuri is spoken in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and parts of Nepal.
• The status and recognition of Hindi dialects vary.
• Some are considered distinct languages in their own right.

Learning Hindi

• Hindi is taught as a subject in schools across India.
• Many universities offer Hindi language and literature programs.
• There are various resources available for learning Hindi, including textbooks, online courses, and language learning apps.
• Learning Hindi can be beneficial for those interested in Indian culture, literature, and cinema.
• It can also be useful for those who plan to travel or work in India.

Explore the origins and history of the Hindi language, an Indo-Aryan language and one of India's official languages. From its roots in Vedic Sanskrit to its standardization by British administrators, discover the evolution and significance of Hindi.