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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > India > Marwari

Marwari

A language of India

ISO 639-3: rwr

Population  5,600,000 in India (2007 SIL). Population total all countries: 5,622,600.
Region  Rajasthan, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Pali, Jalore districts; Gujarat; Madhya Pradesh; Punjab; Delhi; Haryana; Uttar Pradesh; thoughout India. Also in Nepal, Pakistan.
Alternate names   Marvari, Marwadi, Marvadi, Rajasthani
Dialects  Barmeri, Bikaneri, Jaisalmeri, Standard Marwari (Jodhpuri). The standard form of Marwari. May or may not be different from Marwari of Pakistan [mve]. 67% intelligibility by Shekhawati [swv], 61% by Godwari [gdx], 54% by Mewari [mtr], 54% by Dhundari [dhd], 45% by Harauti [hoj], 45% by Mewati [wtm]. 53% intelligibility of Shekawati by Marwari. Lexical similarity: 57%–69% between dialects; 49%–74% with Merwari [wry], 51%–68% with Shekhawati [swv], 50%–72% with Godwari [gdx], 56%–70% with Mewari [mtr], 53%–60% with Dhundari [dhd], 50%–60% with Harauti [hoj], 50%–61% with Mewati [wtm]; 80%–85% among some Gujarat and Rajasthan Marwari Bhil dialects; 75%–80% with Wagdi [wbr]; 75%–83% with the Patelia dialect of Bhili [bhb]; 67%–87% with Adiwasi Garasia [gas]; 67%–84% with Rajput Garasia [gra].
Classification  Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Rajasthani, Marwari
A member of macrolanguage Marwari [mwr] (India).
Language use  Vigorous. Home, village, market, religion. All ages. Positive attitude. Also use Marathi [mar] or Hindi.
Language development  Literacy rate in L1: 5%–10%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%–75%. Radio programs. Grammar. NT: 1820–1821.
Writing system  Devanagari script.
Comments  Hindu, Jain, Muslim.

Also spoken in:

Nepal

Language name   Marwari
Population  22,600 in Nepal (2001 census). Ethnic population: 43,971.
Region  Mechi zone, Jhapa District; Koshi zone, Morang and Sunsari districts; Narayani zone, Parsa District; some in Kathmandu.
Language maps  Eastern Nepal, reference number 66
Western Nepal, reference number 66
Alternate names  Marwadi
Language use  933 L2 speakers in Nepal (1991 census, under Marwadi).
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 88%.
Comments  Hindu.
 

Pakistan

Language name   Marwari
Region  Eastern upper Sindh Province.