Santhali

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A language of India

ISO 639-3
sat
Alternate Names
Har, Hor, Samtali, Sandal, Sangtal, Santal, Santali, Santhiali, Satar, Sentali, Sonthal
Population

5,940,000 in India (2001 census). Population total all countries: 6,218,900.

Location

Bihar, Bhagalpur and Munger districts; Jharkhand, Manbhum and Hazaribagh districts; Odisha, Balasore district; West Bengal, Birbhum and Bankura districts; Assam; Mizoram; Tripura. Also in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational). Statutory language of provincial identity in Jharkhand State (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII), amended 2003.

Classification
Austro-Asiatic, Munda, North Munda, Kherwari, Santali
Dialects

Kamari-Santali, Karmali (Khole), Lohari-Santali, Manjhi, Paharia. Similar to Ho [hoc], Mundari [unr], and Munda [unx].

Typology

SOV; postpositions; noun head final; no noun classes or genders; content q-word in situ; 1 prefix, up to 3 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person and number; non-ergative; both tense and aspect; passives and voice; nontonal; 33 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 10%–30%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Taught in primary schools. Poetry. Magazines. New media. Radio programs. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1914–2005.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Santhali
Writing
Bengali script. Devanagari script, used in Nepal. Latin script, used in Bangladesh. Ol Chiki (Ol Cemet’, Ol, Santali) script. Oriya script.
Other Comments

A Scheduled Tribe. Language of Santhal tribals of Chota Nagpur Plateau (comprising the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh). Hindu, traditional religion.

Also spoken in:

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