Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by approximately 83 million speakers worldwide, including around 85-98 million in India (8-8.3% of India’s population). It ranks as the 15th most-spoken language globally. Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra, Goa (co-official with Konkani), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu union territory. On October 3, 2024, the Union Cabinet of India granted classical language status to Marathi, along with Bengali, Assamese, Pali, and Prakrit.
Origin:
Marathi is believed to have originated from Maharashtri Prakrit, which was spoken in ancient Maharashtra. Its evolution can be traced back to the 3rd century BCE, with the language taking a distinct form around the 7th century CE, making it over 1300 years old. A Marathi inscription dating back to the 8th century CE was found at the foot of the statue of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola in Mysore. The use of Old Marathi is also indicated in later inscriptions such as the edict of King Aparaditya (1183 CE), Pandharpur inscription (1273 CE) and inscriptions at Parel, Patan and Pur. The earliest known Marathi text is the Charyapada, dating back to the 9th-12th centuries. John Fryer’s ‘A New Account of East India Persia‘ (1698 CE) was among the early texts where the Marathi language was mentioned.
The origin of Marathi can be divided into four main historical periods:
12th-13th century: Association with Mahanubhava religion
Medieval times: Influence of Persian during Sultanate rule
1674 onwards: Prominence during the Maratha Empire
1800s: Standardization under British colonial influence
Script:
Marathi has been written in various scripts throughout its history: the Kadamba alphabet (until the mid-20th century), the Modi script (official until the mid-20th century), and the Balbodh script (a Devanagari variant currently used).
Dialects:
The major dialects of Marathi include Standard Marathi, Varhadi, Zadi Boli, Southern Indian Marathi, East Indian Marathi, and Judæo-Marathi. Several sub-dialects exist, including Ahirani, Dangi, and Khandeshi.