Bihar is one of the larger, more populous states in what is popularly known as the ‘Hindi belt’ of India. There is close contact between the languages of Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha as there has always been an intermingling of culture, language and literature among these states. This has significantly enhanced the linguistic diversity of Bihar. This volume of the People’s Linguistic Survey of India, The Languages of Bihar (volume six, part two), discusses the Tribal, Scheduled and Non-Scheduled languages spoken in the state, with special emphasis on the tribal languages.

G. N. Devy is the chief editor of the PLSI series. He taught at the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, till 1996 before leaving to set up the Bhasha Research Centre in Baroda and the Adivasi Akademi at Tejgadh. There, he worked towards conserving and promoting the languages and culture of indigenous and nomadic communities. Apart from being awarded the Padma Shree, he has received many awards for his work in literature and language conservation.

Vibha S. Chauhan is the Principal, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi. Proficient in Hindi, English and Bhojpuri, she has edited, translated and written widely across these languages. Chauhan’s critical works cover a wide range of academic interests including indigenous literatures and cultures, modernity and modernism, Dalit literature, marginalised communities, and performance studies.

The People’s Linguistic Survey of India
The National Editorial Collective
List of Volumes
Acknowledgements
Foreword
A Nation Proud of Its Language Diversity: Chief Editor’s Introduction
Introduction to the Volume
Contributors to the Volume
An Appeal to Readers
List of Languages Covered in this Volume
Abbreviations

PART I: SCHEDULED LANGUAGES
1. Hindi

• Hindi Language in Bihar: A Brief History – Vibha S. Chauhan
• Hindi Literature in Bihar—Vimal Kumar (Translated by Vibha S. Chauhan)  
• The Development of Hindi in Bihar—Abhijeet Singh (Translated by Vibha S. Chauhan)

2. Maithili

• Maithili—Vibha S. Chauhan
• Maithili in the Lore of the ‘Folk’—Dev N. Pathak
• Language Politics in Bihar: A Case Study of Maithili Language and the Movement—Mithilesh Kumar Jha
•  Maithili—Ramawatar Yadav

3. Nepali—Samar Sinha and Balaram Pandey
4. Santali

• Santali—Vibha S. Chauhan
• Linguistic Features of Santali—Nishaant Choksi

5. Urdu—Ehtisham Akhtar (Translated by Vibha S. Chauhan)

PART II: NON-SCHEDULED LANGUAGES
6. Angika—Ramesh Mohan Sharma ‘Atmavishwas’ (Translated by Prashant Mishra) 
7. Bajjika

• Bajjika—Musafir Baitha (Translated by Vibha S. Chauhan)
• On the Linguistic Resources of Bajjika—Abhishek Kumar Kashyap

8. Bhojpuri—Vibha S. Chauhan
9. Magadhi/Magahi

• Magahi—Vibha S. Chauhan
• Magahi—Uday Shankar Sharma (Translated by Vibha S. Chauhan)
• Magahi Grammar—Vibha S. Chauhan

10. Surjapuri—Vibha S. Chauhan

PART III: TRIBAL LANGUAGES
11. Asuri—Vibha S. Chauhan
12. Birhor—Vibha S. Chauhan
13. Ho—Damyanti Sinku
14. Korwa—Hari Oraon
15. Kurukh/Kudukh—Hari Oraon and Shanti Khalkho
16. Mal Pahariya

• Mal Pahariya—Vibha S. Chauhan
• Mal Pahariya—Vishnu Dehri, Jay Prakash Dehri and Ehtesham Ahmad

17. Mundari—Bisheshwar Munda and Birendra Kumar Soy

Bibliography
Index

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES