Gondi

Gondi refers to the language or group of related languages spoken by the Gond people, an indigenous community in central India. The Gondi-speaking population is concentrated across several states, including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, with smaller communities elsewhere. The Gondi languages are part of the Dravidian language family, within the South-Central Dravidian branch, and they comprise multiple dialects that vary in mutual intelligibility.

There is no single standardized writing system for Gondi. Historically, it has been written using various scripts depending on the region, such as Devanagari, Odia, Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi scripts. In recent years, there have been efforts to promote a native Gondi script, alongside continued use of other regional scripts for literacy and education.

Sociolinguistically, Gondi communities experience varying degrees of language vitality. In many areas, the language competes with dominant regional languages such as Marathi, Odia, Telugu, and Hindi, which can affect transmission to younger generations. Education, media, and official recognition in some regions support Gondi literacy and language resources, but access remains uneven.

Culture and identity are closely linked to language for the Gondi people, with traditional oral literature, music, and dance forming important aspects of community life. The Gondi language thus functions as a key component of cultural heritage in central India.