JALNA

Jalna is a district located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, sharing borders with several other districts and regions that have historically influenced its linguistic landscape. This geographic positioning has contributed to a diverse mix of speech forms shaped by both internal traditions and surrounding linguistic influences.

The district is home to multiple speech communities, groups of people who use and understand the same language or dialect, each maintaining its own linguistic practices. While Marathi is the predominant language spoken across Jalna, Urdu and Hindi are also widely used. In addition, the district is home to communities such as the Bhils, Kolhatis, and Banjaras, each of whom carry distinct speech traditions that contribute to Jalna’s linguistic diversity.

Remarkably, the 2011 Census of India data reveals that several languages are spoken as mother tongues in Jalna district. At the time of the Census (2011), Jalna district had a total population of approximately 19.59 lakh (19,59,046).

Of this population, 76.16% reported Marathi as their first language. Urdu was spoken by 9.16%, followed by Hindi (7.74%) and Banjari (3.96%). Other languages spoken as mother tongues included Marwari (0.77%), Telugu (0.65%), and Lamani/Lambadi (0.50%). Smaller linguistic groups included Wadari (0.25%), Gujarati (0.16%), Sindhi (0.09%), Bhili/Bhilodi (0.08%), Handuri (0.08%), Kaikadi (0.06%), and Rajasthani (0.06%).

Wadari is a language variety spoken by the Wadar community, which is spread across several parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. In Jalna, according to the 2011 Census of India, Wadari was spoken as a mother tongue by 0.25% of the population, which amounts to 4,830 speakers.

The community is known by different names in these regions, such as Odde, Wadde, Wadu, Wadar, Wadr, and Ur. The name Odde, in particular, it is said, suggests that this community may have come from Odisha, while the word ‘Wadu' means ‘those who shape stones' in Kannada. On the contrary, a few believe that they originated from Andhra Pradesh because the Wadari language variety has a strong Telugu influence.

The language contains many words that are distinct and not directly traceable to surrounding regional languages. These terms reflect the community’s independent linguistic identity and longstanding usage.

Some Wadari words, however, have come from contact with other languages. In Maharashtra, Marathi has had a strong influence on Wadari. Some of these words are used directly, while others have been adapted in form or shortened in daily use. A few examples are as follows:

One example of this type of change is the word नारिगी (naarigi), which means orange in Wadari. It likely comes from the Marathi phrase नारिंगी रंग (nāriṅgī raṅg), meaning orange colour.

This process of word formation, where part of a longer phrase is dropped, and only the beginning is kept, is what linguists call back-clipping. Here’s how the change may have happened:

नारिंगी रंग (nāriṅgī raṅg) → नारिगी (naarigi)

Back-clipping is common in everyday speech, especially when longer expressions are shortened for ease or efficiency in conversation.

Bhilli, also known as Bhillori or Dehwali, is a language variety spoken by the Bhil community, who are regarded to be among the oldest living communities inhabiting India. The Bhils are spread across several states in western India, and their language reflects this geographic and cultural diversity.

Pushpa Gavit, in the volume Languages of Maharashtra (2017) notably, mentions that the history of Bhilli shows that “it [likely] evolved from Shauraseni Prakrit Prakrit Abrahamsa.” (an old language family) Over time, it has developed into a cluster of related varieties, each shaped by the sub-group of Bhils who speak it and the languages spoken in nearby regions. As a result, Bhilli today shows influences from Khandeshi, Marathi, Gujarati, and Rajasthani.

Bhilli is marked by several distinct phonological (sound) features that set it apart from other regional languages:

• It does not include the vowel ए (e) or the consonants छ (chha), ळ (ḷa), and ष (ṣa).
  
• The cluster क्ष (kṣa) and the consonants ल (la) and न (na) are often replaced by ख (kha).
  
• The sound ह (ha) is frequently used in place of स (sa), श (sha), ष (ṣa), and ळ (ḷa).
  
• च (cha) often replaces झ (jha). So, for instance, the word झाड (jhaad) becomes चाड (chaad) in Bhilli.
  

These kinds of substitutions contribute to Bhilli’s unique sound pattern, one that often feels very different from others to outside ears.

Bhilli uses a pronoun system that includes forms not seen in Marathi, Hindi, or Gujarati, or might slightly vary from them when it comes to sound and the way they are spelt. These reflect both collective identity and grammatical uniqueness.

A common feature that can be seen in many Bhilli words is the use of the “-yo” suffix (word endings) in verbs, especially in past or completed actions. This gives the verbs a distinct rhythmic feel.

This “yo” ending is also used in many day names, giving Bhilli a recognisable and patterned structure in how it marks the calendar.

Reduplication (repeating part or all of a word) is a common feature in Bhilli. In some cases, this repetition is semantic (it adds or changes meaning), and in others, it is rhythmic or emphatic (used for effect or sound).

These constructions often rhyme or play with sounds, giving Bhilli a lively and oral quality, especially in conversation and storytelling.

Like many other languages, Bhilli includes expressive proverbs and idioms that reflect everyday life and the values of the community.

These idioms carry practical wisdom and often use physical imagery (like food or walking) to reflect deeper truths about behaviour and responsibility.

Because the Bhil community reside across multiple states, the Bhilli language has naturally absorbed borrowed words from neighbouring languages — most notably Gujarati, Marathi, and at times, Rajasthani. These borrowed forms often appear in daily vocabulary and reflect the linguistic environments in which Bhilli is spoken.

For example, the word for “two” in Bhilli is Ben, which closely resembles be in Gujarati. Similarly, the word हकाल (hakāl), meaning “morning,” is likely a regional variation of the Marathi word सकाळ (sakāl).

The Kolhati language is spoken by the Kolhati community, a group historically associated with performance arts such as acting, dancing, singing, and gymnastics. Their language, like their traditions, has evolved through generations, reflecting both their unique cultural identity and social history.

There is a very interesting legend which is tied to the origins of this community. According to this story, when Bhagwan Shiv narrated the origins of mankind to Devi Parvati, he described eighty-four different yonis (species) on Earth, with humans being one of them. Curious about the origins of different castes, Parvati inquired further, to which Shiva explained that every caste descended from a rishi. One particular verse, “Kumbhak Rushi prasidha jagati, Kolhati garbhaj,” (transliterated as ‘Kumbhak Rishi is renowned in the world; the Kolhati community is born from him), he says, suggests that Kumbhak Rishi is regarded as the progenitor of the Kolhati community. This legend is one of the reasons why many perceive the Kolhatis to be an ancient community. This perception, in many ways, adds to the richness and history of their linguistic traditions.

The Kolhati community is spread across various regions of Maharashtra. According to Arun Gajanan Musle in Languages of Maharashtra (2017), Kolhati speakers can be found in many districts of Maharashtra, including Jalna.

Every language evolves uniquely, influenced by its speakers’ history, environment, and social interactions. The Kolhati language, like many others, has a vocabulary enriched by indigenous words as well as borrowings from surrounding languages.

Kinship terms, or words used to describe family relationships, vary widely across languages and cultures. In Kolhati, these terms carry distinct phonetic features and reflect cultural nuances in how family relationships are expressed.

They demonstrate the phonetic distinctiveness of Kolhati, particularly through aspirated consonants like /pʰ/ and vowel variations, which shape the rhythm and articulation of the language.

The way seasons are named in Kolhati offers insight into the community’s deep-rooted connection with nature. These seasonal terms, while distinct, exhibit similarities to those in Marathi and Hindi. This suggests a process linguists refer to as ‘borrowing’, which occurs when one language adopts words or structures from another.

The phrase “पाणी के दिन” (Paani ke Din) literally translates to “Days of Water,” capturing the essence of the monsoon season in a way that is unique to Kolhati culture. This construction is likely influenced by Hindi, yet it reflects how Kolhati speakers conceptualise and express their environmental cycles. Such expressions, in many ways, show how language carries cultural meaning, shaping the way a community experiences and articulates its world.