Gondi, Northern

Print

A language of India

ISO 639-3
gno
Alternate Names
Gaudi, Ghond, Godi, Gondi, Gondiva, Gondu, Gondwadi, Goondile, Goudi, Goudwal
Population

1,950,000 (1997 BSI). 2,630,000 all Gondi.

Location

Madhya Pradesh, Betul, Chhindwara, Seoni, Mandla, and Balaghat districts; Maharashtra State, Amravati, Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara, and Yavatmal districts.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Dravidian, South-Central, Gondi-Kui, Gondi
Dialects

Amravati, Betul, Bhandara, Chhindwara, Mandla, Nagpur, Seoni, Yavatmal. Inherent intelligibility between dialects 94%–97%. Speakers tested in other dialects understood Amravati 94%–97%; Betul 83%–96%, and Seoni 82%–97%. 58%–78% intelligibility of Southern Gondi [ggo]. Different from Muria [hlb], Maria [mrr] of Garhchiroli, Dandami Maria [daq], and Koya [kff]. Lexical similarity: 58%–90% among dialects.

Language Use

All ages. Positive attitudes. Use some Hindi [hin] in Madhya Pradesh and Marathi [mar] in Maharashtra, with low proficiency.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Radio programs. Films. NT: 1996.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Gondi, Northern
Writing
Devanagari script.
Other Comments

Traditional religion, Hindu.