what is the most widely spoken language in south asia course hero

Full Answer

What is South Asia?

South Asia is a vast region that consists of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan and Maldives are often considered a part of South Asia as well. This region is often referred to as the Indian subcontinent since it is located on the Indo-Gangetic Plain and peninsular India. However, this term more frequently used ...

What is the fastest growing language in the world?

While some South Asian languages are disappearing, others like Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi are among the top 10 fastest growing languages in the world. The languages of South Asia are gaining more and more popularity and in the next decades they will most likely take over the world.

How many people speak Marathi?

It has one of the highest numbers of native speakers in India – 84 million people. Around 11 million people speak it as an L2. Marathi spoken by the Marathi people from the Indian state of Maharashtra. This is the 15th most widely spoken language in the world with 84 million speakers and 12 million L2 speakers.

How many speakers does Hindi have?

Hindi or Modern Standard Hindi is spoken mainly in India. It has nearly 530 million native speakers in India, nearly 140 million L2 speakers, and approximately 25 million L3 speakers.

What is the most spoken language in Bangladesh?

The most spoken language in Bangladesh and in India, after Hindi. It has 228 million L1 speakers and 37 million L2 speakers. It is the fifth most spoken native language and the sixth most spoken language in terms of the total number of speakers in the world. Nearly 98% of the population of Bangladesh speak Bengali.

What is the British Raj?

The countries of this geographical area define the British Raj. In other words, the region ruled by the British Crown and was often referred to as the Indian Empire . The territory of the British Raj or India covered more or less the territory of the whole region of South Asia.

When was English introduced?

English was introduced and reinforced by the British Empire in the 17th century. Also Read: Languages of North East India. 5. The English language in South Asia. English is among the most frequently spoken languages in this region – it is an official language in India, Pakistan, and the Maldives.