| Title | मैथिलीMaithili (मैथिली)Maithilī Maithili |
|---|---|
| Description | Maithili is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken by over 34 million people in the Mithila region of Bihar, India, and the eastern Terai of Nepal. Historically written in the Tirhuta (Mithilakshar) script, it is now predominantly written in Devanagari. Maithili boasts a rich literary tradition dating back to the 12th century, epitomized by the poet Vidyapati. It features a complex verbal agreement system based on the honorific status of both the subject and the object, distinguishing it from neighboring languages. |
| Alternate Names & Variants | Native Names: मैथिली Indic Names: मैथिली English Names: Maithili Alternate Names: Mithilakshar Tirhutiya Dehati |
| Language ID | INHF-LNG-3283713981-48:50:12:07:01:26-MAIT |
| URI | |
| API URL | https://inheritage.foundation/api/v1/aat/languages/maithili |
| Language Family | Indo-Aryan(Eastern Indo-Aryan) |
| Status | Living |
| ISO Codes | ISO 639-3: mai |
| Glottolog Code | mait1254 |
| Wikidata URI | |
| Regions | Bihar (India) Terai (Nepal) |
| Time Periods | 12th c. CE – Present |
| Dynasties | Karnata Dynasty Oinwar Dynasty Khandavala Dynasty |
| Script Associations | Devanagari Tirhuta Kaithi |
| Related Languages | Bhojpuri Magahi Bengali Assamese |
| Literary Works | Vidyapati Padavali Varna Ratnakara Kirtilata |
| Inscription Types | Stone Inscriptions Copper Plates Palm-leaf Manuscripts |
| Speaker Count | 34,000,000 |
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Subject-Object-Verb (SOV)
Highly complex, agreeing with Subject and Object in person and honorific status (High/Mid/Low).
Two genders (often natural), two numbers (singular/plural), and a system of case markers/postpositions.