Hindustani Language
Hindustani is a language often described as a precursor to modern Hindi and Urdu, sharing a common grammatical structure and historical roots, while differing in vocabulary. Originating between the seventh and thirteenth centuries in northern India, Hindustani evolved from Indic languages and gained prominence during the Mughal era, particularly in the Delhi region, where the dialect known as Khari Boli became influential. This language serves as a lingua franca in India, facilitating communication among speakers of various dialects and languages. Although not a standardized language, Hindustani is recognized for its adaptability, allowing speakers to modify it according to their linguistic preferences.
Today, it is primarily used in India, where Hindi and Urdu speakers can easily understand it. The language is written in different scripts: Hindi typically uses Devanagari, while Urdu employs a Persian script. Despite historical tensions regarding its status, particularly among Hindu and Muslim communities, Hindustani remains significant in modern culture, especially in Indian cinema, where it is often utilized to reach a broad audience. Researchers see Hindustani as a potential model for multilingual communication, illustrating how a shared language can help preserve cultural diversity in linguistically rich regions.
Hindustani Language
The Hindustani language is sometimes called Hindi-Urdu because it is related to the modern Hindi and Urdu languages. Today, Hindu and Urdu are sometimes considered the same language because they have similar grammars and similar origins, though they have different vocabularies. Hindustani developed before Hindu and Urdu and was most likely the basis for both languages.
Hindustani is considered a lingua franca in India, meaning it is a common language that can be used by speakers of different dialects to communicate more effectively. Because Hindustani is recognizable to those who speak Hindi and Urdu, it can be spoken and understood by many people in India. Hindustani is not a conventional language, but is used mainly so Urdu and Hindi speakers can easily communicate. As a result, the language changes and transforms to fit the needs of the speakers.
History and Classification
Hindustani is part of the Indo-European language family, which originated about 4000 BCE and developed into many different languages. One of the Indo-European subfamilies was the Indic family, also called the Indo-Aryan subfamily. Many of the languages in this group are spoken on the Indian subcontinent and include Sanskrit, Punjabi, and Hindustani. Researchers believe Hindustani most likely developed from other Indic languages in northern India between the seventh and thirteenth centuries.
Hindustani was first written in the early fifteenth century by members of the Sufi religion to help spread and teach their faith. During the eighteenth century, Hindustani became the dominate language used near Delhi, and the dialect of that area became known as Khari Boli
Both Hindu and Urdu developed from Khari Boli, and this dialect is most closely related to the Hindustani spoken today. Some researchers consider Hindi and Urdu different registers of the same language. Because Hindu and Urdu share a common linguistic ancestor, they have similar grammar and basic vocabulary; however, they have many other differences. Hindi is often written in Devanagari, a script that utilizes rounded shapes within squared outlines, and is also used for Sanskrit. Urdu is often written in Persian script, which is also used by many Arabic languages. The two languages also have differences in grammar and spelling and are primarily used by different religious faiths. By the nineteenth century, both Hindi and Urdu were used by many Indians. At the time, more than a hundred languages and dialects were spoken in the country, making it difficult for some Indians to communicate.
The large number of spoken languages in India continued to be a problem for many years. In 1925, the Indian government decided that Hindustani should be a lingua franca of India. However, scholars, linguists, and officials continued to disagree about the subject, prompting the government to suggest making Hindi the lingua franca.
Many Muslims in India were upset by this decision because Muslims are more likely to speak Urdu, and Hindus are more likely to speak Hindi. Some Muslims even claimed that Urdu should be the country’s lingua franca. In the end, the government named Hindi one of the official national languages, and Hindustani became a lingua franca. People speaking Hindustani adjusted it to use terms and styles they were comfortable with. Because of these changes, Hindustani is not a conventional language. Instead, it is language that is used mostly as a communication tool so people can communicate with each other.
Although Hindustani is not a conventional, it has been formally researched, written about, and taught. The first Hindustani grammars were written by the British who lived in India during the colonial era. In the late nineteenth century, Hindustani (as well as other Indian and Middle Eastern languages such as Sanskrit, Persian, Hindi, and Bengali) was taught a King’s College in London. This formal teaching of the language helped introduce it to Westerners.
Geographic Distribution and Modern Usage
Hindustani is spoken mainly in India as a means for people of different languages to speak with each other. Hindustani can be understood by speakers of Hindi and Urdu because the two languages are very closely related. Hindi is spoken by more than two-hundred sixty million people and is the world’s fourth most spoken language. Urdu is used by sixty-four million people. In the 1950s and 1960s, there was resistance against the Hindi language because it was seen as crowding out other native languages. At that time, Hindustani became even more important because it helped people communicate while still maintaining their native languages.
Today, Hindustani is also spoken in some popular media. For example, the language is used in many films made by India’s burgeoning movie industry. Filmmakers use this language, rather than Hindi or Urdu, so that the movies can appeal to as many people as possible.
Some researchers believe that Hindustani is an important example for the future of communication in areas where many different languages exist. In some places with multiple languages, one language begins to dominate and replace other languages. When this happens, languages can die out completely and cultures can be affected. If these areas use a lingua franca related to one or more of the indigenous languages, researchers believe they could help preserve native languages and their associated cultures.
Bibliography
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