Hindi is a direct descendant of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages (dating all the way back to the second millennium BCE) that still has living speakers today.
The script that Hindi is written in is called devanagari, which translates into English as “from the abode of the divine”. Its alphabetical table, called the varṇamālā, has an equally lyrical translation: “garland of letters”.
September 14th marks the celebration of Hindi Diwas, the anniversary of Hindi’s adoption by the Constituent Assembly of India as the country’s official language in 1949.
Contrary to popular belief, Hindi is not the national language of India. According to the Indian constitution, Hindi is one of 22 recognized regional languages; it holds official status alongside English as a language of administration.
Hindi has loaned a large number of words to the English language. Aside from the more obvious examples like karma, nirvana, chutney, guru, and yoga, there are also many terms in common use today that are borrowed or adapted from Hindi but are likely to fly under most people’s radar:
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Bandanna
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Bangle
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Bungalow
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Cot
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Dinghy
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Juggernaut
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Jungle
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Mantra
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Punch (the drink)
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Pundit
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Shampoo
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Thug