Have you ever come across people who ask this question – “So, is your native language Hindu?” or “Do you speak Hindu?” Or worse, “Do you speak Indian?” I hope not, but I know many of us have seen these questions being asked! Being an Indian, I have been asked this question by quite a handful.
That’s why I decided to write this specific blog post to answer this specific question, with an overview of the history of the Hindi language thrown in for good measure. Now, I don’t want to be a Karen, but I think it would make for an interesting read to learn the difference between Hindu, Hindi, and Indian. So, let’s go!
Table Of Contents
Is The Language Hindi Or Hindu?
In one word, Hindi is the language spoken by people of northern and central regions of India. It is an Indo-Aryan language derived from Sanskrit and is one of the 22 official languages of India. Hindu, on the other hand, is the term used for people who belong to Hinduism, the religion of a majority of Indians and those living in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. And yes, there is no such language called “Indian.” The term is solely used to refer to a citizen of India.
But did you know that Hindi is spoken by over 600 million people worldwide, making it one of the most spoken languages on the planet? It is third only to English and Mandarin, with approximately 1.5 billion and 1.1 billion speakers, respectively.
But how did Hindi become such a powerful language? The story of Hindi’s evolution is a fascinating journey through centuries of cultural exchange, invasions, and empires.
Ancient Beginnings: The Roots Of Hindi
Are you exploring more about Hindi but don’t want to rely on a Hindi to English translation app? Then we’ll step back into its ancient beginnings. In the sections below, we’ll explore the history of the Hindi language, its transformation over time, and how it became one of the key connecting languages, apart from English, in a vast and diverse country like India.
When And Where Did Hindi Originate?
To answer in a few words, Hindi originated around the 7th century CE in northern India, evolving from the Prakrit languages, which themselves were derived from Sanskrit. It took shape in the region surrounding Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, where the Khari Boli dialect gradually developed into the modern Hindi we know today.
Now let’s see the evolution of Hindi from its Sanskrit root.
Where Did The Hindi Language Come From?
Hindi’s story begins thousands of years ago in the cradle of civilization: the Indian subcontinent. As a member of the Indo-Aryan language family, Hindi traces its ancestry back to Sanskrit, the ancient language of India.
As Sanskrit evolved and diversified, it gave rise to regional dialects called Prakrits, which later developed into Apabhramsa, an early precursor to Hindi. Over centuries, between the 6th and 13th CE, this linguistic tree branched out into various regional Indian languages like Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Bengali, Nepali, and so on.
The following table lists some of the Sanskrit words that are still prevalent in modern Hindi in their original form.
| English | Hindi | Transliteration | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | नमस्ते | Namaste | |
| Knowledge | विद्या | Vidya | |
| Friend | मित्र | Mitr | |
| Wealth/ Money | धन | Dhan | |
| Fire | अग्नि | Agni | |
| Sky/ Ether | आकाश | Aakash | |
| Human | मनुष्य | Manushya | |
| Love | प्रेम | Prem | |
| Power | शक्ति | Shakti |
With the arrival of Mughal invaders in India, Hindi absorbed vocabulary and linguistic features from Persian, Arabic, and Turkish, especially in northern India. And lastly, Khari Boli, a dialect spoken around Delhi, began to gain prominence and eventually formed the foundation of modern Standard Hindi.
Hindi Steps Into The Spotlight: Becoming An Official Language
Fast forward to the 19th century, and Hindi started to come into its own as a distinct language. But its big break came in 1949 when it was adopted as one of the official languages of India.
However, Hindi’s journey to becoming India’s national language hasn’t been without controversy. With India’s linguistic diversity (imagine a country with 22 official languages), finding a common language has been challenging. Hindi shares the spotlight with English as an official language, creating a unique bilingual environment in many parts of north, west, and central India.
A Tale Of Two Languages: Hindi And Urdu Languages
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Did you know Hindi has a twin sister? It’s Urdu! These two languages share a common ancestor called Hindustani, which emerged as a lingua franca during the Mughal Empire. You can read more of this shared history in this article about the origins of the Urdu language.
While Hindi is written in the Devanagari script (the script used for writing the Sanskrit, Marathi, and Nepali languages), Urdu went for a Perso-Arabic script called Nastaliq. It’s like twins with different fashion senses! Despite their differences, Hindi and Urdu remain mutually intelligible in their spoken forms. So, if you learn Hindi, you’re getting a two-for-one language deal!
Basic Linguistic Features And Dialects Of Hindi
Let’s get to the ABCs, or should we say क ख ग, of Hindi.
First in the queue is the Devanagari script. It might look intimidating at first, but trust me, it’s more logical than you think! Each character represents a syllable, making it a syllabic alphabet or an abugida. Cool word, right?
Hindi’s grammar might look challenging to an average English speaker as it follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) word order, which might feel too foreign to your English tongue. For example, “I love Hindi” becomes main Hindi se pyaar karta hoon, which literally translates to “I Hindi with love do.”
Another fun feature? Hindi nouns have genders! Yes, even inanimate objects are either masculine or feminine. It’s like every noun is playing dress-up! So, in the above example, main Hindi se pyaar karta hoon depicts that the speaker is male because the verb “to do” or karta hoon conjugates according to the masculine noun. If the speaker is female, the verb ending changes to karti hoon, and the sentence would be main Hindi se pyaar karti hoon.
Know Your Hindi Retroflex
What sets Hindi and other Indo-Aryan languages apart are the retroflex sounds absent from Latin languages. Yes, Hindi has a lot of “retroflex” sounds – the sounds produced by curling your tongue back.
Here are examples of Hindi words containing retroflex consonants like ट (ṭ), ठ (ṭh), ढ़ (ḍ), ढ (ḍh), and ण (ṇ) which might not be present in your native language. It might feel weird at first, but keep practicing!
| English Word | Retroflex Sound | Hindi Word | Transliteration | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | ट (ṭ) | टमाटर | Tamaatar | |
| A lock | त (t) | ताला | Taala | |
| Cold | ठ (ṭh) | ठंडा | Thanda | |
| Studies | ढ़ (ḍ) | पढ़ाई | Padhaai | |
| Drum | ढ (ḍh) | ढोल | Dhol | |
| Gem | ण (ṇ) | मणि | Mani |
Hindi Went Global With Bollywood!
Don’t be shy about admitting that you’ve heard of Shahrukh Khan dancing to the tunes of Bole choodiyaan, bole kangana in a blockbuster Bollywood movie! You can’t talk about Hindi without mentioning Bollywood! The Hindi film industry has been Hindi’s global ambassador, spreading the language’s charm worldwide. From catchy song lyrics to dramatic dialogues, Bollywood has made Hindi learning a lot more entertaining.
But it’s not all song and dance. Hindi literature has a rich tradition, too. Modern Hindi literature, emerging in the 19th century, has given us gems like Premchand’s stories and Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s poetry. It’s like a literary feast for your brain!
How Do You Say History In Hindi?
In Hindi, the word for “history” is Itihaas (इतिहास).
FAQs About The History Of The Hindi Language
1. Who Is The Father Of The Hindi Language?
Bharatendu Harishchandra (1850–1885) is often called the “Father of Hindi literature.” He played a key role in modernizing Hindi and promoting its use in literature, drama, and journalism. His works laid the foundation for the development of modern Standard Hindi in the 19th century.
2. What Is The History Of The Hindi Alphabet?
The Hindi alphabet is written in the Devanagari script, which evolved from the Brahmi script around the 7th century CE. Devanagari, used for Sanskrit and adapted for Hindi in the medieval period, standardizes Hindi’s phonetic structure, making it widely readable and accessible across India.
3. What Is The Ancient Form Of The Hindi Language?
The ancient form of Hindi is traced to Prakrit languages, which evolved from Sanskrit around the 6th century BCE. Over time, Prakrit developed into Apabhramsa, a precursor to modern Hindi, before evolving into dialects like Khari Boli, the foundation of contemporary Hindi.
To Sum Up: The Future Is Hindi
To sum up, as compared to other Indo-Aryan languages spoken in India and in the Indian subcontinent, Hindi is easily the youngest but it has grown to be one of the most widely spoken languages globally. The history of the Hindi language traces back to Sanskrit and there are still many Sanskrit words that are used in everyday Hindi, like mitr (friend), namaste (hello/greeting), shakti (power or energy), and so on.
In the article, we also learned something unique to Hindi and a handful of other Indo-Aryan languages – the retroflex sounds like ट (ṭ), ठ (ṭh), ढ़ (ḍ), ढ (ḍh), and ण (ṇ). These are sounds that you produce by curling back your tongue at the roof of your mouth. Try pronouncing them right now for some fun!
But seriously, whether you’re planning a trip to India, looking to expand your business horizons, or simply want to enjoy Bollywood movies without subtitles, learning Hindi is a rewarding endeavor. So, why not start your Hindi adventure today? Who knows, maybe soon you’ll be saying, mujhe Hindi bolna pasand hai (मुझे हिंदी बोलना पसंद है – I love speaking Hindi). You can check out some Hindi blog posts to kickstart your journey.
