Manda language (India)

{{Short description|Dravidian language of Odisha, India}}

{{other |Manda (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Manda

|states=India

|region=Orissa

|speakers={{sigfig|4,040|2}}

|date=2000

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Dravidian

|fam2 = South-Central

|fam3 = Gondi–Kui

|fam4 = Manda–Pengo

|iso3=mha

|glotto=mand1413

|glottorefname=Manda (India)

| map2 = Lang Status 20-CR.svg

| mapcaption2 = {{center|{{small|Manda is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger}}{{Cite UNESCO Atlas|pages=46–47}}}}

}}

Manḍa is a Dravidian language of Odisha, spoken in the highlands of Thuamul Rampur block of Kalahandi district. It only became known to Western academia in 1964. Its speakers are generally known as 'Khond Parjas' by outsiders but self-identify as Manda Khonds. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the language was spoken in around 60 villages and the total number of speakers was estimated to be at 4000-5000. However the language is facing endangerment from Odia, which all speakers are bilingual in.{{Cite book|last=B.|first=Ramakrishna Reddy|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/926844057|title=Manda oral literature|date=2009|publisher=Central Institute of Indian Languages|oclc=926844057}}

A dictionary of Manda was published in 2009.{{Cite book|last=B.|first=Ramakrishna Reddy|title=Manda-English Dictionary|date=2009|publisher=Central Institute of Indian Languages|isbn=8173421854}}