Bhojpuri

Bhojpuri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in the Bhojpuri region of northern India and parts of the Terai in Nepal. It is part of the Bihari subgroup of Eastern Indo-Aryan languages, along with Magahi and Maithili, and shares many features with other languages of the region.

In India, Bhojpuri is concentrated in the western part of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, with speakers in adjacent areas. It is also spoken by diaspora communities abroad, notably in Nepal, Fiji, Mauritius, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and to a lesser extent in the Caribbean, North America, and Europe.

Traditionally written in Kaithi and Devanagari scripts; Devanagari is now the most common orthography. The language features several regional dialects, with variation in pronunciation and vocabulary across districts.

Bhojpuri has a rich oral and literary tradition, including folk songs, poetry, and a growing body of contemporary literature and media. It has a prominent place in cinema and music in parts of northern India. It is not a scheduled language of India and lacks official status at the national level, though it enjoys regional recognition and cultural prominence. Scholarly work and language policy efforts continue to document its grammar, vocabulary, and usage among speakers.