Maithali language
| Maithili | |
|---|---|
| मैथिली | |
| Native to | India and Nepal |
| Region | Northern and eastern Bihar in India; Province No. 2 in Nepal |
| Ethnicity | Maithil |
|
Native speakers
|
12 million in India (2001) 3.1 million in Nepal (2011) |
| Dialects |
|
|
Tirhuta (Mithilakshar) Kaithi (Maithili style) Devanagari |
|
| Official status | |
|
Official language in
|
 India 8th schedule of Constitution of India, Bihar Nepal Interim Constitution 2007 and Constitution 2016 |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | mai |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | mait1250 |
Maithili (/ˈmaɪtᵻli/;Maithilī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Mithila region which is today mainly situated in northern and eastern Bihar of India and a few districts of the Nepal Terai. It is one of the largest languages in India and the second largest language in Nepal. Less commonly, it was written with a Maithili variant of Kaithi, a script used to transcribe other neighboring languages such as Bhojpuri, Magahi, and Awadhi.
In 2002, Maithili was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which allows it to be used in education, government, and other official contexts. It is recognized as one of the largest languages in India and is the second most widely used language in Nepal.
In 2007, Maithili was included in the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2063, Part 1, Section 5 as a Nepalese language.
In the past, Maithili was written primarily in Mithilakshar, but today it is written in the Devanagari script. Native speakers are referred to as Maithils.
In India, Maithili is spoken mainly in northern Bihar in the districts of Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Begusarai, Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj, sheohar, Bhagalpur, Madhepura, Araria, Supaul, Vaishali and Saharsa. Madhubani and Darbhanga constitute cultural and linguistic centers. Native speakers also reside in Delhi, Kolkata, Ranchi and Mumbai.
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