Learn Oriya
The Oriya language, also known as Odia, is the official regional language of the Indian state of Odisha where it is spoken by up to 75% of the population. It is also widely spoken in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. It is one of India’s 22 official languages and the earliest known inscription in Oriya dates back to the 10th century AD. Most of Oriya’s vocabulary derives from Sanskrit. The language also includes loanwords from Persian and Arabic.
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Where is it spoken?
India
Number of speakers
37,000,000
Language family
Indo-European
Indo-Iranian
Indo-Aryan
Fun facts — Oriya
There’s an Oriya word, chimeyi jiba, to describe biscuits that have been left out for a long time and gone soft.
India has designated Oriya a Classical Language because of the originality and quality of its ancient literature which is considered a valuable heritage.
It’s thought that the rounded shapes of the Odia characters were a result of writing on palm fronds with a sharp stylus. Straight lines and sharp angles would have torn the fronds.
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