Various languages are spoken worldwide; our country is an example. It is a home of diverse languages, every state has a language of its own, and those languages have different ways or dialects of speaking it.
Every language is evolved from some form of an older script. Indo-Aryan and Dravidian families are the two prominent families into which all our Indian languages can be divided. Hindi and Bengali are two examples of various languages spoken in India.
Key Takeaways
- Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in India, while Bengali is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
- Hindi uses the Devanagari script, while Bengali uses the Bengali script.
- Hindi has many dialects and regional variations, while Bengali is more homogeneous in its linguistic features.
Hindi vs. Bengali
Hindi is the official language of India and is spoken by more than 500 million people worldwide. It is part of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. Bengali s the official language of the Indian state of West Bengal and is also spoken in Bangladesh. It is part of the Bengali-Assamese branch of the Indo-Aryan language family.
Hindi is the most spoken (primary) language native to India. It is an Indo-Aryan language written in Devanagari script. It was developed or influenced by an ancient language of India, Sanskrit.
Bengali is the second most spoken language in India, after Hindi. It is an Indo- Aryan language. It is also known as Bangla and is the national language of Bangladesh. It is part of the 22 scheduled languages of India.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Hindi | Bengali |
|---|---|---|
| What is it | Based on the 22 scheduled languages of India, Hindi is the widely (primary) spoken language in India. | Based on the 22 scheduled languages of India, Bengali is the second most widely spoken language. |
| Widely Spoken In | Hindi belt region – Bihar, MP, UP, Rajasthan, etc | Bengal, Assam, Bangladesh, etc |
| Script | Devanagari script | Brahmi script |
| Early Forms | Sauraseni, apabhrama, old Hindi, etc | Magadhi Prakrit, old Bengali, etc |
| Used To Describe | A language | A language, culture, food, people, etc., from the Bengal region. |
| Dialects | Braj bhasha, Khari Boli, Haryanvi, etc | Chittagonian, man bhumi, rarhi, etc |
What is Hindi?
Hindi is a language spoken in India. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan family and is written in the Devanagari script (which contains 11 vowels and 33 consonants, written from left to right).
Hindi is derived from a classical Persian word, ‘Hendi’ (pronunciation) which means belonging to hind/ India. Awadhi, Maithil, etc., were replaced by the dialect of Delhi (Khari Boli), which is the basis of the modern standard Hindi.
There are various dialects in this language. The words in Hindi are divided into five principal categories – Tatsam, ardhatatsam, tadbhav, deshaj, and videshi.
Hindi is used while speaking and writing in many places. It is taught in schools and colleges as the first and second language (as per choice).
What is Bengali?
Bengali, or Bangla (internal name), is a language people speak in India and Bangladesh. It is an Indo-Aryan language; it is expected or the bridge language of the Bengal region, and is known as the national language of Bangladesh.
Bengali literature has developed and evolved since the Bengali Renaissance. The Bengali language movement (in east Bengal, now Bangladesh) was very famous in those days.
There are two types of forms in written Bengali –
- Cholitobhasha – known as the colloquial form ( idioms and short verbs)
- Sadhubhasha – a form of Bengali which is sankritised (with tatsama vocabulary)
Jana Gana Mana (India’s national anthem) and Amar Sonar Bangla (Bangladesh’s national anthem) are written in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore. Bengali is a cursive script derived from Brahmi script, an abugida type of segmental writing system.
Bengali is also used to describe the culture, people, food, etc., of Bengal, for example – Bengali sweets, Bengalis (people), etc.
Main Differences Between Hindi and Bengali
- The dialects of Hindi are Braj bhasha, Khari Boli, Haryanvi, etc., whereas the dialects of Bengali are Chittagonian, manbhumi, rarhi, etc.
- Early forms of Hindi are Sauraseni, apabhrama, and old Hindi, whereas the earlier forms of Bengali are Magadhi Prakrit, old Bengali, etc.
- https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=2z8OAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=hindi&ots=1I2NbsCCki&sig=PDWMEXkhkMGDA-rbZR28nJNHVi8
- https://ir.nbu.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/2082/1/19762.pdf
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
It is really interesting how languages are evolved over time and how they are part of the culture of each region.
This article was extremely educational. I now have a better understanding of the differences between Hindi and Bengali.
The article needed more focus on the impact of these languages on literature and culture.
I wholeheartedly agree.
It would be great to include some examples of Hindi and Bengali in the article
Seriously? That’s what you got from this article?
This article provides very useful information about the differences between Hindi and Bengali.
The diversity of languages in India is truly fascinating.
I would like to learn more about the historical origins of Hindi and Bengali.
I found the explanation regarding the script of both languages to be very interesting.
I appreciate the contrast provided between Hindi and Bengali. It’s quite detailed.
I think the article could have been more engaging by including more real-world examples.
I’d like to hear more about the modern usage of these languages.
The article does a great job at comparing Hindi and Bengali in terms of their respective early forms and dialects.
I agree, this was very informative.
I think the article could have elaborated more on the geographical distribution of these languages.
The article gives a comprehensive view of Hindi and Bengali, their history and usage.