Maithili

Maithili is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal and northern India by 34.7 million people as of 2000, of which 2.8 million were resident in Nepal. It is written in the Devanagari script. In the past, Maithili was written primarily inMithilakshar.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 language of Nepal 

 

In India, Maithili is mainly spoken in northern Bihar in the districts of Madhubani, Darbhanga and in  part of the Supaul and Saharsadistricts. Madhubani and Darbhanga constitute cultural and linguistic centers. Native speakers also reside in Delhi, Calcutta andMumbai.

 

In Nepal, Maithili is spoken mainly in the Terai, viz in the districts of the Janakpur Zone such as Sarlahi, Mahottari and Dhanusa Districts, in the Sunsari District of the Koshi Zone, and in the Siraha and Saptari Districts of the Sagarmatha Zone. Janakpur is an important religious centre. It is spoken by castes and ethnic groups such as the Brahmin,Kayastha, Chamar, Khatawe, Kurmi, Rajput, Yadav, and Teli.A constitutional provision foresees the introduction of Maithili as medium of education at the primary school level.