What does mother tongue mean in India?

In the Census of India, the definition of 'mother tongue' has evolved from 'language spoken by the individual from the cradle' in 1881, to 'parent language' in 1901, to 'language ordinarily used' in 1921 (Pattanayak quoted in Ladousa 2010).

What do you mean by mother's tongue?

Mother tongue refers to the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood by the person at the time the data was collected. If the person no longer understands the first language learned, the mother tongue is the second language learned.

Is English mother tongue of India?

The 2011 Census showed English is the primary language—mother tongue—of 256,000 people, the second language of 83 million people, and the third language of another 46 million people, making it the second-most widely spoken language after Hindi (which includes more than 50 so-called dialects like Bhojpuri which is ...

How many mother tongues are spoken In India?

So how many Indian languages are there? While India has 22 separate official languages , it is home to a total of 121 languages and 270 mother tongues. It's also home to the world's oldest language, Hindi.

Which language is mostly used In India?

According to the 2011 Indian Census, the Hindi language is the most spoken language in India, having 52.83 crore speakers and 43.63 per cent of the population speaking this language. Hindi is not only the official language of the central government but also the official language of various state governments.

Real meaning of Mother Tongue

What is the main religion In India?

While 94% of the world's Hindus live in India, there also are substantial populations of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and adherents of folk religions. For most Indians, faith is important: In a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, eight-in-ten Indians said religion is very important in their lives.

Do Indians speak English?

Only a few hundred thousand Indians, or less than 0.1% of the total population, spoke English as their first language, and around 30% of the Indian population can speak English to some extent.

What is the mother tongue of Kerala?

Malayalam is spoken mainly in India, where it is the official language of the state of Kerala and the union territory of Lakshadweep. It is also spoken by bilingual communities in contiguous parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In the early 21st century, Malayalam was spoken by more than 35 million people.

What is my first language as an Indian?

Hindi is our India's national language and I can own to call it my 'native language'. My father speaks a different language than my mother. And I was born in a state where a third different language is spoken than both of them.

What is the example of mother tongue?

Mother tongue is defined as the first language that a person learns and the language used in that person's home country. An example of mother tongue is English for someone born in America.

Is Hindi difficult to learn?

Though it is one of the toughest languages in the world for English speakers, Hindi shares words with Arabic, so those who already speak Arabic will have a leg up in terms of vocabulary!

How many cultures are in India?

Over the centuries, there has been a significant fusion of cultures between Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs and various tribal populations in India. India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and other religions. They are collectively known as Indian religions.

Can Hindus drink alcohol?

Hinduism. Hinduism does not have a central authority which is followed by all Hindus, though religious texts forbid the use or consumption of alcohol.

Can Hindus eat meat?

Diet. Most Hindus are vegetarian. The cow is viewed as a sacred animal so even meat-eating Hindus may not eat beef. Some Hindus will eat eggs, some will not, and some will also refuse onion or garlic; it is best to ask each individual.

Does Hindu celebrate Christmas?

In India, All Religions Join In 'The Big Day' Christians the world over are celebrating Christmas. India, the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism, marks the birth of Jesus with a national holiday.

Which is the hardest language to learn in India?

Malayalam

Google declares Malayalam (the official language of Kerala State) to be the most difficult language in India. When compared to any other language in India, it is both difficult to learn and to pronounce. It may be the world's second most difficult language, behind Chinese.

Which is the hardest language in the world?

1. Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons.

What is the prettiest language in India?

Bengali. India is famous for its linguistic diversity, and one of the most beautiful languages spoken on the Indian Subcontinent is certainly Bengali. It has a gorgeous writing system to begin with, and a flowing sound that one of the world's greatest poets, Rabindranath Tagore, used to create his art.

Why is mother tongue Day celebrated?

International Mother Language Day is being observed globally on February 21 (Monday) to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The idea to celebrate the International Mother Language Day was approved by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO in 1999.

Is mother tongue first language?

Mother tongue is the in-born language, which a baby has already familiarized even in the gestation of mother before it was born. The first language is the language which a child acquires either through schooling or socialization, such as family.

Where in India is Hindi spoken?

Hindi, along with English, are the official languages of India. Hindi is also the official language of Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.