Which linguistic group has the highest number of speakers in India?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
Indo - Aryan
Explanation
The linguistic group with the highest number of speakers in India is the Indo-Aryan language family. According to official census data, this language family is spoken by approximately 78% of the total Indian population. It dominates primarily across the northern, central, western, and eastern regions of the subcontinent. Major languages belonging to this classification include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, and Assamese.
The historical evolution of this group traces back to the ancient Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. Over millennia, these languages developed through various stages from Sanskrit to Prakrit and Apabhramsha, eventually taking the form of modern regional languages. The sheer demographic spread and concentration of speakers in the highly populated plains of India make it the largest linguistic group in the country.
Key Points
While the Indo-Aryan family covers the largest speaker base, India features other prominent linguistic groups that reflect its rich cultural diversity. The Dravidian language family is the second-largest group, spoken by about 20% of the population, predominantly in the southern states (encompassing languages like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam). The Austric (or Austroasiatic) and Sino-Tibetan language groups are spoken by much smaller tribal and indigenous populations, primarily concentrated in the central plateau and northeastern mountain regions respectively.
Important Questions and Answers
Question: Approximately what percentage of the Indian population speaks languages belonging to the Indo-Aryan family?
Answer: Around 78%.
Question: Which language family stands as the second-largest linguistic group in India, dominant across the southern states?
Answer: Dravidian language family.