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Language serves not only as a means through which human
communicates but also serves as a mark of identity for
the community. This most natural badge of identity also
provides a linkage to their common characteristic and
thus every ethnic group tries to uphold their own language.
Therefore, it is not surprising for India which is geographically
expansive, topographically varying, and culturally a
mosaic, to have as much as 1652 mother tongues. Genetically
all these languages belong to four language families;
viz., the Indo-Aryan (73%), the Dravidian (20%), the
Austro-Asiatic (1.38%) and the Tibeto-Burman (0.85%),
a sub family of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages.
The eight states of North East India are equally diverse
linguistically. The area is known for India’s densest
concentration of Tibeto-Burman languages. In this multilingual
region, the Indo-Aryan is represented by Assamese and
Bishnupriya in Assam and Bengali in Tripura; the Austro-Asiatic
by the Khasi language of Meghalaya; all the languages
of Arunachal Pradesh, languages like Dimasa and Bodo
of Assam, Garo of Meghalaya, the Kuki-Chin languages
of Mizoram and Manipur, the Naga group of languages
of Nagaland and Manipur, Meitie of Manipur, Lepcha of
Sikkim, etc., belong to the Tibeto-Burman family. It
is interesting to note that in Moreh, a small town at
Indo-Myanmar border, around 150 Tamil speaking families
are residing since 1960s. These immigrants came from
Myanmar and their language represents the Dravidian
language family. In addition, the Kempti in Arunachal
Pradesh, which is a Thai language, connects the Tibeto-Burman
to a larger group, viz., Sino-Tibetan. The Tibeto-Burman
family alone has 80 languages in this small area. Only
three of the languages of North-East India, namely,
Assamese, Bodo/Boro and Manipuri are included in the
list of Scheduled (Official) languages.
Some of the Scheduled and Non-scheduled languages according
to 1991 census are listed below with number of speakers
and the area where they are mostly concentrated.
|
Language |
Speakers |
Language Family |
Area where spoken |
|
1.
Adi |
158,409 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh (AP) |
|
2.
Apatani |
21,453 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh |
|
3.
Anal |
12,156 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
4.
Angami |
97,631 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
5.
Ao |
172,449 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
6.
Assamese |
12962,721 |
Indo-Aryan |
Assam |
|
7.
Bangni |
35,339 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh |
|
8.
Bengali |
66,552,894 |
Indo-Aryan |
Assam & Tripura |
|
9.
Bhotia |
55,483 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Sikkim |
|
10.
Bishnupuriya |
59,233 |
Indo-Aryan |
Assam |
|
11.
Bodo/Boro |
1,201,957 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Assam |
|
12.
Chakhesang |
30,985 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
13.
Chakru/Chokri |
48,207 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
14.
Chakma |
182,953 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Mizoram & AP |
|
15.
Chang |
32,478 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
16.
Dimasa |
88,543 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Assam |
|
17.
Deori |
17,879 |
Tibeto-Burman |
AP
& Assam |
|
18.
Galong |
45,616 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh |
|
19.
Gangte |
13,695 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
20.
Garo |
675,642 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Meghalaya |
|
21.
Hajong |
48,667 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Meghalaya |
|
22.
Halam |
29,322 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Tripura |
|
23.
Hmar |
65,204 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
24.
Kabui |
68,925 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
25.
Kachari |
11,588 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Assam |
|
26.
Karbi/Mikir |
366,229 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Assam |
|
27.
Khasi |
912,283 |
Austro-Asiatic |
Meghalaya |
|
28.
Kheza |
13,004 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
29.
Khiemnungan |
23,544 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
30.
Koch |
26,179 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Meghalaya |
|
31.
Kokborok |
517,664 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Tripura |
|
32.
Kom |
13,548 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
33.
Konyak |
137,722 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
34.
Kuki |
58,263 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
35.
Lakher |
22,947 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Mizoram |
|
36.
Lalung |
33,746 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh |
|
37.
Lepcha |
39,342 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Sikkim |
|
38.
Liangmei |
27,478 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur/ Nagaland |
|
39.
Limbu |
28,174 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Sikkim |
|
40.
Lotha |
85,802 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
41.
Lushai/Mizo |
538,842 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Mizoram |
|
42.
Manipuri |
1,270,216 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
43.
Mao |
77,810 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
44.
Maram |
10,144 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
45.
Maring |
15,268 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
46.
Miri/Mishing |
390,583 |
Tibeto-Burman |
AP
& Assam |
|
47.
Mishmi |
29,000 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh |
|
48.
Mogh |
28,135 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Tripura |
|
49.
Monpa |
43,226 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh |
|
50.
Nissi/Dafla |
68,176 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh |
|
51.
Nishang |
16,976 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh |
|
52.
Nocte |
30,441 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Arunachal Pradesh |
|
53.
Paite |
49,237 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
54.
Pawi |
15,346 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Mizoram |
|
55.
Phom |
65,350 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Manipur |
|
56.
Pochury |
11,231 |
Tibeto-Burman |
Nagaland |
|
57.
Pnar/Synteng |
169,388 |
Austro-Asiatic |
|
