Indo-Aryan (Central Pahari)
Kumaoni
कुमाऊँनी
- Where
- Kumaon
- Speakers
- About 2 million (Census 2011 recorded ~2.08 million)
- Script
- Devanagari
- Status
- Vulnerable — spoken at home, but fewer children are learning it, especially in towns and among migrants.
Kumaoni has a written literature going back at least to the poet Gumani Pant (1790–1846). Gaurda (Gauri Datt Pande), Sherda 'Anpadh' and Girish Tiwari 'Girda' made it a language of resistance and humour. George Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India divided it into eastern and western dialect groups.
Varieties: Khasparjiya (Almora), Pachhai, Phaldakotiya, Chaugarkhiya, Gangoli, Danpuriya, Soryali (Sor valley), Sirali, Askoti, Kumaiyya (Champawat), Johari
Indo-Aryan (Central Pahari)
Garhwali
गढ़वाली
- Where
- Garhwal
- Speakers
- About 2.5 million (Census 2011 recorded ~2.48 million)
- Script
- Devanagari
- Status
- Vulnerable — rich living song tradition, but everyday use is declining among younger generations.
Garhwali has a strong written and oral tradition — from the Pandav and Jagar ballads to poets like Kanhaiyalal Dandriyal and Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna, and the modern songs of Narendra Singh Negi, which have done more than anything to keep the language alive in every home.
Varieties: Srinagariya (standard), Tehriyali / Gangapariya, Badhani, Dasauli, Lohbya, Rathi, Majh-Kumaiyya, Nagpuriya, Salani, Rawalti
Indo-Aryan (Western Pahari)
Jaunsari
जौनसारी
- Where
- Jaunsar-Bawar, Dehradun
- Speakers
- Around 100,000+
- Script
- Devanagari
- Status
- Vulnerable
Closer to the Western Pahari languages of Himachal Pradesh than to Garhwali. It carries a large repertoire of festival songs (Bissu, Maroj) and ballads sung for Mahasu Devta.
Varieties: Jaunsari, Bawari
Tibeto-Burman (West Himalayish)
Rung languages (Bhotiya)
रङ / भोटिया बोलियाँ
- Where
- Darma, Byans, Chaudans (Pithoragarh); Niti–Mana (Chamoli)
- Speakers
- A few thousand each
- Script
- Traditionally oral; written in Devanagari
- Status
- Endangered — several are listed in UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.
'Bhotiya' is a broad administrative label covering several distinct communities of the high valleys who were traders on the routes to Tibet. Each valley speaks its own language; the Rung people prefer their own name over 'Bhotiya'. Rangkas, once spoken near Darma, is believed to be extinct.
Varieties: Byangsi, Darmiya, Chaudangsi, Rongpo (Marchha / Tolchha, Chamoli), Johari Shauka communities largely speak Kumaoni
Indo-Aryan
Tharu
थारू
- Where
- Terai — Khatima, Sitarganj, Nanakmatta (Udham Singh Nagar)
- Speakers
- Tens of thousands in Uttarakhand (Rana Tharu)
- Script
- Devanagari
- Status
- Vulnerable — shifting rapidly towards Hindi.
The Tharu are one of Uttarakhand's five Scheduled Tribes, long-time forest dwellers of the malarial Terai. Rana Tharu speech shares features with Kumaoni, Awadhi and the Tharu languages of Nepal. Their culture includes distinctive Holi dances, colourful embroidered dress and bamboo crafts.
Varieties: Rana Tharu
Indo-Aryan
Buksa
बुक्सा
- Where
- Terai & Bhabar — Bajpur, Kashipur, Doiwala, Vikasnagar
- Speakers
- Small community
- Script
- Devanagari
- Status
- Endangered
The Buksa (Boksa) are a Scheduled Tribe of the forest belt below the hills, traditionally farmers and forest workers. Much of their oral heritage is still unrecorded.
Tibeto-Burman
Raji
राजी
- Where
- Askot & Dharchula forests (Pithoragarh), parts of Champawat
- Speakers
- Fewer than a thousand
- Script
- Oral
- Status
- Severely endangered
The Raji (Ban Rawat) are among the smallest tribes in India, historically forest dwellers famed for wooden crafts. Their language is closely related to Raute of western Nepal. Every recording of a Raji speaker is precious.
