The Hindi language and Bengali language are two of the most commonly spoken languages in India. While they have some similarities, there are also some distinct differences between the two languages. This blog post will take a look at some of the key similarities and differences between Hindi and Bengali.
What is Hindi?
- Hindi is one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of India and is an official language in ten states. Hindi is also one of the two official languages of the Union Government of India.
- Hindi is written in the Devanagari script and is a direct descendant of Sanskrit. Hindi has many dialects, including Braj Bhasha, Khari Boli, Awadhi, and Bhojpuri.
- Hindi emerged as a spoken language in the 7th century AD, and it continued to develop throughout the medieval period. By the early 20th century, Hindi had become a literary and standard dialect. In 1955, Hindi was made the official language of India. Today, Hindi is spoken by over 260 million people in India and around the world.
What is Bengali?
- Bengali is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in South Asia. It is the national language of Bangladesh and one of the official languages of India. Bengali is also one of the world’s most spoken languages, with over 210 million speakers worldwide. Bengali is closely related to Hindi and other Indo-Aryan languages and is thought to have descended from Sanskrit.
- The earliest known Bengali texts date back to the 8th century CE. Bengali has a rich literary tradition and is known for its unique blend of Indian and Islamic influences.
- The Bengali alphabet is derived from the Arabic script, and the language has a wide variety of dialects, including Chittagonian, Sylheti, and Rarh. Bengali is also an official language of the United Nations and has been designated as a “critical language” by the US State Department.
Difference between Hindi and Bengali
Hindi and Bengali are two of the most spoken languages in India. Hindi is the official language of India, while Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh.
- Hindi is written in Devanagari script, while Bengali is written in Bangla script. Hindi has many dialects, but the standard Hindi spoken by most people is based on the Khariboli dialect. Bengali also has many dialects, but the most commonly spoken form is based on the Sadhukhani dialect.
- Hindi and Bengali are both Indo-European languages, but they belong to different linguistic families. Hindi belongs to the Indic branch of the Indo-Iranian subfamily, while Bengali belongs to the Eastern branch of the Indo-Aryan subfamily.
- Hindi has vocabulary borrowed from Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic, while Bengali has vocabulary borrowed from Sanskrit, Persian, and Portuguese. Hindi grammar is similar to other Indo-Aryan languages, while Bengali grammar is more similar to Tibeto-Burman languages.
Hindi and Bengali are both widely spoken languages in South Asia. Hindi is spoken by about 41% of the population in India, while Bengali is spoken by about 8% of the population in Bangladesh. Hindi and Bengali are both official languages in their respective countries.
Conclusion
Hindi and Bengali are two of the most commonly spoken languages in India. While they share a lot of similarities, there are also some key differences between the two.
