Language

According to the Census of 1961, the languages and dialects returned as 'mother-tongues' found in the district numbered 150. Arranged in the order of total speakers these were as follows: -

(1) Marathi (1,127,992), (2) Hindi 9154,865), (3) Urdu (70,738), (4) Gondi (47,446), (5) Kosti (19,470), (6) Sindi (16,065), (7) Telugu (14,217), (8) Gujrati (12,800), (9) Punjabi (7,271), (10) Tamil (7,053), (11) Marvadi (5,317), (12) Bangali (5,047), (13) Bhoyar (2,861), (14) Raghobansi (2,484), (15) Lodhi (2,197), (16) Chattisgadi 92,012), (17) Pardesi (1,659), (18) English 91,536), (19) halbi (1,425), (20) Malayalam (1,395).

The following eighteen languages or dialects had each less than one thousand speakers : -

Kannada (827), Lamani (742), Nepali (644), Kirari (626), Garhavali (615), Rajasthani (585), Oriya (536), Kachchi (529), Rathauri (522), Konkani (509), Mevadi (267), Holiya (206), Pardhi (203), Camari (186), Banjari (147), Gurunukhi (147), Rajputani (140) and Parsee (101).

Those claiming more than twenty speakers each were : -

Arabic (41), Bagheli (81), Baloci (31), Bihari (21), Bundelkhandi (66), Gavli 970), Golari (48), Govari (61), Gurkhia (61), Kaikadi (27), Kalali (58), Kasmiri (29), Katia (99), Madari (34), Multani (47), Pasto (37), Sanskrt (23), and Vadari (65).

The remaining 94 dialects accounted for about 505 speakers.

Contrary to the practice of the previous censuses of classifying the languages or dialects, in 1951 and 1961 these were enlisted exactly as returned. It could be seen that eight language, namely, Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, Gondi, Kosti, Sindhi Telugu and Gujarati had each more than ten thousand speakers. These together were spoken by 1,463,593 persons or by 96,8 per cent of the population, 74,5 per cent speaking Marathi, 10.4 hindi, 4.6 Urdu, 3.01 Gondi, 1.28 Kosti, 1.06 Sindhi, 0.94 Sindhi, 0.94 Telugu and 0.84 Gujrati.

Marathi

With nearly three-fourths of the population speaking Marathi It could be said that Marathi is the principal language of the district. According to the Linguistic Survey three main dialects of Marathi Berari, or that spoken in Berar; Nagpuri or the impure dialect of the Nagpur country; and the standard Marathi of Poona, but resembles in all essential points the dialect of Berar, which was formerly distinguished from it under the name Berari. The Kostis in the district have a jargon of their own, differing slightly from ordinary Nagpuri.

Hindi

Hindi in the Province could be divided into three main divisions, Eastern Hindi, Western Hindi, and Rajasthani, each of which has almost acquired the status of a distinct language. The Bundeli dialect of Western Hindi is the basis of the Nagpur form of the language, but as used in the town of Nagpur it is a regular jargon, grammar and idioms being mixed up with other forms of Hindi and with Marathi in Indescribable confusion.

Urdu

The bulk of the Muhammmedans return themselves as speaking Urdu. In the district, the proportion of Muslims in the population is 5.73 per cent, while that of Urdu speakers is 3.9 per cent showing that 1.28 per cent of the Muslims do not speak Urdu. The whole question of the difference between Hindi and Urdu has been thoroughly dealt with by Dr. Grierson in his report on the Linguistic Survey of India, in which after mature consideration he has classified Urdu as merely a dialect of Western Hindi.

Gondi

: Gondi is returned by 47,446 persons or 3.7 per cent of the population which is less by 1.9 per cent to that of 1931 and 0.5 to that of 1951. Loke all other tribal languages, Gondi has no script or literature. Gonds, when they settle in the plains gradually give up their aboriginal language and begin to speak the language of the locality. The diminution in the percentage of speakers of Gondi is typical of many other tribal languages.

Sindhi

The increase in the percentage of Sindhi speakers who constituted 0.85 per cent of the population at the 1951 Census is due to the influx of Sindhi displaced persons into the State after partition.

Other...

Other tongues with significant number of speakers recorded by the Census are Telugeu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali and Marvadi. The proportion of Telugu speakers has been, rising steadily since 1921, due presumably, to the increased immigration of Telgu-speaking people from the bordering districts of Madras and Hyderabad. Gujaratis who, in general, belong to the trading calss have come here for trade. The influx of speakers of Punjabi and Bengali may be like that of the Sindhis (displaced persons) due to conditions after partition.

TABLE No. 12

BILINGUALISM, NAGPUR DISTRICT (1961)

The genral results regarding the return of subsidiary languages according to 1961 census will now be set out. It appears that bilingualism in the case of persons with Marathi as a mothertongue people, 166,714, i.e. only 14.8 per cent know a subsidiary language, 12.8 per cent knowing Hindi. But, of the total of 154,865 hindi-speakers 55,374, i.e., 35.7 per cent know a subsidiary language, 29.4 per cent, knowing Marathi. The 70,738 Urdu speakers have among them 22,863, i.e., 32.3 per cent who know a subsidiary language, 22.3 per cent knowing Hindi and 8.06 per cent, Marathi. Of the 19,470 persons who are returned as having Kosti as their mother-tongue, 9,028 or 46.3 per cent speak subsidiary languages, 7,847 or 40.3 per cent knwoing Marathi and 1,120 or 5.7 per cent knowing Hindi. There are 16,065 Sindhi speakers; of them 50.9 per cent are bilinguists, 7,423 or 49.2 per cent knowing Hindi. Among the 14,217 persons who are Telugu -speakers, bilingualism is found to the extent of 58.4 per cent, 36.8 per cent speaking Hindi and 13.8 per cent Marathi. Gujrati-speaking persons in the district numbered 12,800 of whom 8,138 or 63.8 were bilinguists, 6,175 or 48.2 per cent during the decade 1951 - 61 among the Marathi-speaking people only; otherwise, it has deteriorated among all other linguists.