Differences Between Hindi and Bhojpuri

February 2023 · 4 minute read

Hindi vs Bhojpuri

The nation of India is home to many differences and varieties. This is perhaps the reason why a lot of people are attracted to the charm and wonder of India because it is able to house this multitude of differences and still create a beautiful harmony at the same time. The distinct differences in culture, custom, and heritage can be attributed to the rich history of India. This nation has endured many invasions and socially changing agents as well. However, the spirit of the Indian people still thrives; that is why we see them as a potential world power in the coming years.

One of the striking differences and dissimilarities present in India is in its language. It isn’t easy to be the second largest populated country in the world with over 30 different languages used by its populace. The language of India evolved from four major language families. From among the vast number of different languages, Hindi, or what is commonly known as Modern Standard Hindi (Manak Hindi), is the official language in India. It was estimated in a 2001 census that there was approximately 258 million people living in India which claimed that their mother tongue was Hindi. This places the language of Hindi in the top ten roster of the most widely used languages in the world.

There is yet another language spoken in India which is also widely used, this is Bhojpuri. In some literature this language is also taken as the national language of India as well. In reality, due to the multitude of languages used in India, their national language is termed “the languages of India” instead of identifying only one language.

The difference is that Bhojpuri is commonly spoken by people living in the north-central areas of the country as well as those in the eastern parts. Hindi is used commonly by people living within the surrounding area of west Uttar Pradesh and those who are in the southern part of the Uttarakhand region of the country. What is distinct about Bhojpuri is that it is also used in countries outside of India, unlike Hindi which is relatively exclusive to India and nearby countries such as Pakistan. Variations of the Bhojpuri language are seen also in some parts of Brazil and even in Fiji. Remote areas of South Africa and some regions in Guyana and the Mauritius Islands have also some variations of the language. The language has also managed to reach the shores of United States of America. Those who are native Indians still use Bhojpuri as a secondary language to English. This occurred when the abolition of slavery in Africa was enforced. Later, when there has been a shortage in manual laborers, most of the countries that rely on slaves to perform back-breaking tasks turn to India for the supply of people. This has brought a wave of Indian settlers to the shores of the United States of America and other European countries as well.

Other distinct differences between Hindi and Bhojpuri can also be seen in their writing system. Bhojpuri uses Devangari or Kaithi while Hindi uses only Devangari. They, however, belong to the same family of languages which is Indo-European.

Today, with the touch of globalization reaching every part of the world, English is commonly used as the second language in India. A large percentage of the Indian population can now speak the English language especially those in urban areas. It is amazing to see a dynamic country such as India enriching yet another part of their custom and culture, language. A large part of the populace still uses its distinct language, but it can be exciting to watch and observe how the English language will play a vital role in the lives of ordinary Indians.

Summary:

  • Bhojpuri is usually spoken by those in the north-central part of India, while Hindi is spoken by those in the southern Uttarakhand region and West Uttar Pradesh.
  • Hindi only uses Devangari in writing while Bhojpuri utilizes Kaithi or Devangari.
  • Both Hindi and Bhojpuri are widely used languages in India.

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