Powari

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A language of India

ISO 639-3
pwr
Population

426,000 (2001 census). Ethnic population: 2,000,000 (1986 All India Powar Council).

Location

Madhya Pradesh, Balaghat, Seoni, Chindwara, and Betul districts; Maharashtra, Wardha, Bhandara, and Gondia districts.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone
Dialects

Bhoyar Powari (Bhomiyari, Bhoyari, Bhoyaroo, Bhuiyar, Bhuria, Bohoyeri), Govari of Seoni, Khalari, Koshti, Kumbhari, Lodhi, Marari, Vyneganga Powari. Reported intelligibility between Bhoyar and Vyneganga. Balaghat District dialect considered central among Bhoyar and Vyneganga varieties. Lexical similarity: 60%–87% among dialects; 80%–83% with Koshti, Kumbhari, and Khalari sub-groups; 49%–65% with Bagheli [bfy], 46%–64% with Bundeli [bns].

Language Use

Powari use is decreasing in the Bhoyar and Vyneganga dialect areas. Half the children learn Hindi or Marathi [mar] first. Home. Neutral attitudes. About half in Madhya Pradesh are adequately bilingual in Hindi [hin] or Marathi [mar].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 72% for Powari-speaking districts (2001 census).
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Powari
Other Comments

Younger generation is getting education. Hindu.