Andh

Andh language

Andh is a Dravidian language spoken by the Andh people, a Scheduled Tribe primarily found in the Indian states of Telangana, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. The Andh language belongs to the South-Central branch of the Dravidian language family.

Classification

Andh is classified as:

Dravidian languages
- South-Central Dravidian
  - Andh–Gondi subgroup

Geographic distribution

The Andh language is spoken in:

Telangana — mainly in districts bordering Maharashtra
Maharashtra — especially in Nagpur and adjoining districts
Madhya Pradesh — in scattered tribal pockets

Speakers of Andh are often bilingual, also speaking regional languages like Marathi, Telugu, and Hindi.

Speaker population

According to the **Census of India 2011**, approximately **100,000** people speak Andh, although exact figures vary. The language is considered vulnerable due to language shift towards dominant regional languages.

Linguistic features

Andh shares linguistic features with related Gondi languages, including:

Agglutinative morphology typical of Dravidian languages
Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order
Use of postpositions instead of prepositions

Writing system

Traditionally an oral language, Andh is now sometimes written using the **Devanagari script** in Maharashtra and **Telugu script** in Telangana. There is no standardized orthography yet.

Language status

Andh is considered a vulnerable language, with younger generations often shifting to dominant regional languages for education and employment. Preservation efforts include linguistic documentation and inclusion in tribal welfare programs.

References

"Andh". Ethnologue: Languages of the World. SIL International. Retrieved 2025-06-01. Andh is a Dravidian language spoken mainly in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh with about 100,000 speakers (2011 census).

Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003). The Dravidian Languages. Cambridge University Press. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-521-79205-8 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help). Andh is classified as a South-Central Dravidian language and shows linguistic affinities with the Gondi languages. Search this book on

Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. Statistical Profile of Scheduled Tribes in India 2013 (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 2025-06-01. The Andh tribe is recognized as a Scheduled Tribe primarily in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.

Bhaskar, V. (2019). "Sociolinguistic Profile of Andh Language" (PDF). International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics. 48 (1): 87–101. Retrieved 2025-06-01. The Andh language is vulnerable, facing pressure from regional dominant languages, with ongoing documentation efforts.

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