Odia

Odia is an Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in the Indian state of Odisha and by Odia communities in neighboring states and abroad. Known in older English usage as Oriya, the modern name Odia is the preferred designation. The language has about 33 million native speakers in India (as of the 2011 census) and a substantial number of second-language speakers, including a global diaspora.

Odia belongs to the Eastern zone of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is written in the Odia script, an abugida derived from Brahmi. The script is noted for its rounded letter forms and is used in education, government, media, and literature within Odisha.

Status and standard forms: Odia is the official language of Odisha and one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. It was designated a classical language of India in 2014. The language has several regional dialects, with Standard Odia used in education and mass media. Major dialect groups include Sambalpuri (west Odisha), Desia, and Baleswari Odia, among others.

Literature and language development: Odia has a long literary history, with early works by poets such as Sarala Das in the 15th–16th centuries. It contributed to the growth of modern Odia literature through writers like Fakir Mohan Senapati, Gopinath Mohanty, and Pratibha Ray. The language incorporates rich Sanskritic loanwords and, over time, has absorbed influences from Persian and English through contact.

Diaspora and usage: Odia is spoken by communities around the world, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Africa, and it continues to evolve in both conventional and digital media.