Maithili language

In 2003, Maithili was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution as a recognised Indian language, which allows it to be used in education, government, and other official contexts in India. The Maithili language is included as an optional paper in the UPSC Exam. In March 2018, Maithili received the second official language status in the Indian state of Jharkhand.{{Cite news |date=2018 |title=झारखंड : रघुवर कैबिनेट से मगही, भोजपुरी, मैथिली व अंगिका को द्वितीय भाषा का दर्जा |trans-title=Jharkhand: Raghuvar Cabinet gives second language status to Magahi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and Angika |language=hi |work=Prabhat Khabar |url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/jharkhand/ranchi/1135878 |access-date=6 February 2021}}

Gopal Jee Thakur of the Bharatiya Janata Party is the first Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha who speaks in the Maithili language in the Parliament of India.{{cite news |author=The Hindu Net Desk |date=18 November 2019 |title=Parliament proceedings updates: Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill under consideration in Lok Sabha |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/winter-session-of-parliament-day-1-live-updates/article30004519.ece |access-date=28 February 2023 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}} He is currently the MP for Darbhanga.{{cite web |date=2 September 2022 |title=Darbhanga Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 Live Updates: Bihar Lok Sabha Election (Polls) Results 2019, Winner, Runner-Up |url=https://indianexpress.com/elections/darbhanga-lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-winner-runner-up/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902172405/https://indianexpress.com/elections/darbhanga-lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-winner-runner-up/ |archive-date=2 September 2022 |access-date=28 February 2023}}

The Nepalese Languages Commission has made Maithili an official Nepalese language used for administration in Koshi province and Madhesh Province.{{cite report |title=सरकारी कामकाजको भाषाका आधारहरूको निर्धारण तथा भाषासम्बन्धी सिफारिसहरू (पञ्चवर्षीय प्रतिवेदन- साराांश) २०७८ |trans-title=Determination of language bases of government work and language recommendations (five-year report - summary) 2078 |date=2021 |author=Language Commission |publisher=Government of Nepal |url=https://languagecommission.gov.np/list/resource/632?parent=2281 |access-date=23 October 2023 |language=ne |archive-date=6 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906171816/https://languagecommission.gov.np/files/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A3%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%BE.pdf }}

On 26 November 2024, during the occasion of the Constitution Day, Maithili version of the Indian constitution was launched by the President of India Droupadi Murmu.{{cite news |title=President Murmu releases Maithili and Sanskrit versions of Constitution |url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/president-murmu-releases-maithili-and-sanskrit-versions-of-constitution-calls-it-living-progressive-document |work=National Herald |agency=PTI |date=26 November 2024 |access-date=26 November 2024 }}

In India, it is mainly spoken in Darbhanga, Madhubani, Tirhut, Kosi, Purnia, Bhagalpur and Munger divisions of Bihar & in Santhal Pargana division of Jharkhand.{{Cite web |year=2021 |title=बिहार में मैथिली भाषा आजकल सुर्खियों में क्यों है? त्रेता युग से अब तक मैथिली का सफर |trans-title=Why is Maithili language in the news these days in Bihar? Maithili's journey from Treta Yuga till now |work=NBT |url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/bihar/patna/why-is-maithili-language-in-the-headlines-in-bihar-these-days-journey-of-maithili-since-treta-yug/articleshow/81190077.cms}}{{Cite news |date=6 March 2018 |title=मैथिली को भी मिलेगा दूसरी राजभाषा का दर्जा |language=hi |work=Hindustan |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/jharkhand/story-maithili-will-get-second-state-language-status-in-jharkhand-1835624.html |access-date=3 September 2020}}

In Nepal, Maithili is spoken in Madhesh Province and Koshi Province.{{sfnp|National Statistics Office|2023|pp=210, 212, 218–220}}

Darbhanga, Madhubani, and Janakpur constitutes important cultural and linguistic centers of Maithili language.

In 1870s, Beames considered Maithili a dialect of a Bengali. Hoernlé initially treated it as a dialect of Eastern Hindi, but after comparing it with the Gaudian languages, recognised that it shows more similarities with the Bengali language than with Hindi. Grierson recognised it as a distinct language, grouped under 'Bihari' and published its first grammar in 1881.{{cite book |last1=Yadav |first1=Ramawatar |title=A Reference Grammar of Maithili |date=1996 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-014558-8 |pages=1–5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G6k03mvHoBwC&pg=PA1 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Yadav |first=R. |title=Maithili Phonetics and Phonology |publisher=Doctoral Dissertation, University of Kansas, Lawrence |year=1979 |chapter=Maithili language and Linguistics: Some Background Notes |access-date=9 May 2012 |chapter-url=http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/kailash/pdf/kailash_08_0102_04.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517085054/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/kailash/pdf/kailash_08_0102_04.pdf |archive-date=17 May 2017 |url-status=dead}}

Chatterji grouped Maithili with the Magadhi Prakrit.Chatterji, S. K. (1926). The origin and development of the Bengali language. University Press, Calcutta.

Maithili varies greatly in dialects.Brass, P. R. (2005). Language, Religion, and Politics in North India. iUniverse, Lincoln, NE.

• The standard form of Maithili is Sotipura also called Central Maithili{{Cite journal |last=Yadav |first=R. |year=1992 |title=The Use of the Mother Tongue in Primary Education: The Nepalese Context |journal=Contributions to Nepalese Studies |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=178–190|url=http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/contributions/pdf/CNAS_19_02_02.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410144313/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/contributions/pdf/CNAS_19_02_02.pdf |archive-date=10 April 2016 |access-date=18 June 2016}} which is mainly spoken in Darbhanga, Madhubani, Supaul, Madhepura, Purnia, Samastipur, Araria and Saharsa districts of India and in Nepal it is spoken in Dhanusha, Mahottari, Siraha, Saptari, Sarlahi and Sunsari, and Morang districts.{{cite journal |author=Choudhary, P.K. |year=2013 |title=Causes and Effects of Super-stratum Language Influence, with Reference to Maithili |journal=Journal of Indo-European Studies |volume=41 |issue=3/4 |pages= 378–391}}
• Bajjika dialect also known as Western Maithili {{Cite web |title=Bajjika a major dialect of Maithili Language. |url=http://lisindia.ciil.org/Maithili/Maith_vari.html }} is mainly spoken in Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Sheohar districts of Bihar, India & Rautahat, and Sarlahi districts of Nepal.{{Cite web |title=Nepal Language census 2021 |url=https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/files/result-folder/Caste%20Ethnicity_report_NPHC_2021.pdf }} It is listed as a distinct language in Nepal and overlaps by 76–86% with Maithili dialects spoken in Dhanusa, Morang, Saptari and Sarlahi Districts.{{Cite web |year=2018 |editor-last=Simons, G. F. |editor2-last=Fennig, C. D. |title=Maithili. Ethnologue: Languages of the World |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mai |access-date=7 December 2018 |publisher=SIL International |location=Dallas}}
• Thēthi dialect is spoken mainly in Kosi, Purnia and Munger divisions and Mokama in Bihar and some adjoining districts of Nepal.Ray, K. K. (2009). Reduplication in Thenthi Dialect of Maithili Language. Nepalese Linguistics 24: 285–290.
• Angika dialect is mainly spoken in and around Bhagalpur, Banka,{{Cite book |date=2011 |title=Census of India |chapter=Population By Mother Tongue |publisher= |chapter-url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16.html}} Munger{{cite web |title=language {{!}} Munger District, Government of Bihar {{!}} India |url=https://munger.nic.in/language/ |website=Munger |access-date=12 March 2022}} districts of Bihar and Godda, Sahebganj, Dumka, districts of Jharkhand.{{Cite web |title=Languages spoken in Jharkhand, census 2011** |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10207}}
• Several other dialects of Maithili are spoken in India and Nepal, including Dehati, Deshi, Kisan, Bantar, Barmeli, Musar, Tati and Jolaha. All the dialects are intelligible to native Maithili speakers.

The name Maithili is derived from the word Mithila, an ancient kingdom of which King Janaka was the ruler (see Ramayana). Maithili is also one of the names of Sita, the wife of King Rama and daughter of King Janaka. Scholars in Mithila used Sanskrit for their literary work and Maithili was the language of the common folk (Abahattha).

The beginning of Maithili language and literature can be traced back to the 'Charyapadas', a form of Buddhist mystical verses, composed during the period of 700-1300 AD. These padas were written in Sandhya bhasa by several Siddhas who belonged to Vajrayana Buddhism and were scattered throughout the territory of Assam, Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Several of the Siddhas were from the Mithila region such as Kanhapa, Sarhapa etc. Prominent scholars like Rahul Sankrityanan, Subhadra Jha and Jayakant Mishra provided evidence and proved that the language of Charyapada is ancient Maithili or proto Maithili.{{Cite book |last=Mishra |first=J. |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.135722 |title=A History Of Maithili Literature |date=1949 |volume=1}}

Apart from Charyapadas, there has been a rich tradition of folk culture, folk songs and which were popular among the common folks of the Mithila region.{{Cite web |title=Madhubani Paintings: People's Living Cultural Heritage |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1527/madhubani-paintings-peoples-living-cultural-herita/ |access-date=19 November 2020 |website=World History Encyclopedia}}

After the fall of the Pala Empire, disappearance of Buddhism, establishment of the Karnat dynasty and patronage of Maithili under Harisimhadeva (1226–1324) of Karnāta dynasty dates back to the 14th century (around 1327 AD). Jyotirishwar Thakur (1280–1340) wrote a unique work Varna Ratnakara in Maithili prose.{{Cite book |last=Chatterji, S. K. |title=Varna Ratnakara Of Jyotirisvara Kavisekharacarya |date=1940 |publisher= |place= |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283961}} The Varna Ratnākara is the earliest known prose text, written by Jyotirishwar Thakur in Mithilakshar script, and is the first prose work not only in Maithili but in any modern Indian language.{{Cite book |title=Reading Asia : new research in Asian studies |date=2001 |publisher=Curzon |isbn=0700713719 |location=Richmond, Surrey |oclc=48560711}}

In 1324, Ghyasuddin Tughluq, the emperor of Delhi invaded Mithila, defeated Harisimhadeva, entrusted Mithila to his family priest and a great Military Scholar Kameshvar Jha, a Maithil Brahmin of the Oiniwar Dynasty. But the disturbed era did not produce any literature in Maithili until Vidyapati Thakur (1360 to 1450), who was an epoch-making poet under the patronage of Shiva Simha Singh and his queen Lakhimadevi. He produced over 1,000 immortal songs in Maithili on the theme of love of Radha and Krishna and the domestic life of Shiva and Parvati as well as on the subject of suffering of migrant labourers of Morang and their families; besides, he wrote a number of treaties in Sanskrit. His love-songs spread far and wide in no time and enchanted saints, poets and youth. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw the divine light of love behind these songs, and soon these songs became themes of Vaishnavism in Bengal. Rabindranath Tagore, out of curiosity, imitated these songs under the pseudonym Bhanusimha Thakurer Padabali. Vidyapati influenced the religious literature of Assam, Bengal, Utkala Kingdom and gave birth to a new Brajavali dialect.{{Cite book |title=The History and Culture of the Indian People |date=1960 |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |editor-last=Majumdar |editor-first=Ramesh Chandra |editor-link=R. C. Majumdar |volume=VI: The Delhi Sultanate |location=Bombay |page=515 |quote="During the sixteenth century, a form of an artificial literary language became established ... It was the Brajabulī dialect ... Brajabulī is practically the Maithilī speech as current in Mithilā, modified in its forms to look like Bengali." |editor-last2=Pusalker |editor-first2=A. D. |editor-last3=Majumdar |editor-first3=A. K.}}{{Cite book |last=Morshed |first=A. K. M. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |year=2012 |editor-last=Islam |editor-first=Sirajul |editor-link=Sirajul Islam |edition=Second |chapter=Brajabuli |editor-last2=Jamal |editor-first2=A. A. |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Brajabuli}}

The earliest reference to Maithili or Tirhutiya is in Amaduzzi's preface to Beligatti's Alphabetum Brammhanicum, published in 1771.{{Cite book |last=Clementi Ded. St. Borgiae |first=XIV. Praef. J. Chr. Amadutii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Djfl_uZqLAC |title=Alphabetum Brammhanicum Seu Indostanum Universitatis Kasi |publisher=Palala Press |year=1771 |isbn=9781173019655 |pages=viii |language=la}} This contains a list of Indian languages among which is 'Tourutiana.' Colebrooke's essay on the Sanskrit and Prakrit languages, written in 1801, was the first to describe Maithili as a distinct dialect.{{Cite book |last=Colebrooke |first=T. H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DToCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1 |title=Miscellaneous essays. With life of the author by his son Sir T.E. Colebrooke, Volume 3 |year=1873 |isbn=9781145371071 |pages=26}}

Many devotional songs were written by Vaisnava saints, including in the mid-17th century, Vidyapati and Govindadas. Mapati Upadhyaya wrote a drama titled Pārijātaharaṇa in Maithili. Professional troupes, mostly from dalit classes known as Kirtanias, the singers of bhajan or devotional songs, started to perform this drama in public gatherings and the courts of the nobles.

Lochana (c. 1575 – c. 1660) wrote Rāgatarangni, a significant treatise on the science of music, describing the rāgas, tālas, and lyrics prevalent in Mithila.{{cite book |last=Mishra |first=Amar Kant |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZHp7DwAAQBAJ |title=Ruling Dynasty Of Mithila: Dr.Sir Kameswar Singh |date=23 November 2018 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-64429-762-9 |language=en}}

During the Malla dynasty's rule Maithili spread far and wide throughout Nepal from the 16th to the 17th century.{{cite book |author=Ayyappappanikkar, K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9sljAAAAMAAJ |title=Medieval Indian literature: an anthology |volume=3 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |date=1999 |isbn=9788126007882 |pages=69 |access-date=19 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219172743/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9sljAAAAMAAJ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-ra3n8JrSAhVDC8AKHa4dDGsQ6AEIHzAB |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=live}}{{Cite book |last1=Gellner |first1=D. |title=Nationalism and Ethnicity in a Hindu Kingdom: The Politics and Culture of |last2=Pfaff-Czarnecka |first2=J. |last3=Whelpton |first3=J. |date=2012 |isbn=9781136649561 |pages=243 |publisher=Routledge |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n4FQMEiZcrIC&pg=PA243 |access-date=19 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219173751/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=n4FQMEiZcrIC&pg=PA243&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwih_rGx8ZrSAhVsIcAKHYYsC3wQ6AEIKzAD#v=onepage&q=malla%20dynasty%20maithili&f=false |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=live}} During this period, at least seventy Maithili dramas were produced. In the drama Harishchandranrityam by Siddhinarayanadeva (1620–57), some characters speak pure colloquial Maithili, while others speak Bengali language, Sanskrit or Prakrit.{{cite book |last=Rahmat, J. |title=Comparative literature : a case of Shaw and Bharatendu |date=2004 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |isbn=81-7625-487-8 |edition=1st |location=New Delhi |pages=121 |oclc=58526278}} One notable Malla King who patronised Maithili was Bhupatindra Malla who composed 26 plays in the Maithili language during his lifetime.{{cite journal |last1=Yadav |first1=R. |title=Medieval Maithili stagecraft in the Nepalamandala: the Bhaktapur school |journal=Contributions to Nepalese Studies |volume=38 |issue=2 |date=2011 |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA303641405&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=03767574&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E34d7228b&aty=open-web-entry}}

After the demise of Maheshwar Singh, the ruler of Darbhanga Raj, in 1860, the Raj was taken over by the British Raj as regent. The Darbhanga Raj returned to his successor, Maharaj Lakshmishvar Singh, in 1898. The Zamindari Raj had a lackadaisical approach toward Maithili. The use of Maithili language was revived through personal efforts of MM Parameshvar Mishra, Chanda Jha, Munshi Raghunandan Das and others.{{Cite journal |last=Jha |first=P. K. |date=1996 |title=Language and Nation : The Case of Maithili and Mithila in the First Half of Twentieth Century |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44133363 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=57 |pages=581–590 |jstor=44133363}}{{Cite news |last=Tripathi |first=S. |date=2010 |title=Moments for masses |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/Moments-for-masses/article15780022.ece |access-date=19 November 2020}}

Publication of Maithil Hita Sadhana (1905), Mithila Moda (1906), and Mithila Mihir (1908) further encouraged writers. The first social organisation, Maithil Mahasabha,{{Cite book |last=Vijay Deo Jha |first=Mithila Research Society |url=http://archive.org/details/MaithilMahasabhaKaSankshiptItihasBriefHistoryOfMaithiliMahasabhaPanditChandranathMishraAmar |title=Maithil Mahasabha Ka Sankshipt Itihas ( Brief History Of Maithili Mahasabha) Pandit Chandranath Mishra Amar |date=9 March 2019}} was established in 1910 for the development of Mithila and Maithili. It blocked its membership for people outside of the Maithil Brahmin and Karna Kayastha castes. Maithil Mahasabha campaigned for the official recognition of Maithili as a regional language. Calcutta University recognised Maithili in 1917, and other universities followed suit.{{Cite journal |last=Mishra |first=Jayakanta |date=1977 |title=Social Ideals and Patriotism in Maithili Literature (1900-1930) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24157493 |journal=Indian Literature |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=96–101 |issn=0019-5804 |jstor=24157493}}

Babu Bhola Lal Das wrote Maithili Grammar (Maithili Vyakaran). He edited a book Gadya Kusumanjali and edited a journal Maithili.{{Cite book |last=Chatterjee |first=Ramananda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sQXSAAAAMAAJ |title=The Modern Review |date=1964 |publisher=Prabasi Press Private, Limited |page=215 |language=en}}

In 1965, Maithili was officially accepted by Sahitya Academy, an organisation dedicated to the promotion of Indian literature.{{Cite journal |last=Jha |first=Ramanath |date=1969 |title=The Problem of Maithili |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24157120 |journal=Indian Literature |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=5–10 |issn=0019-5804 |jstor=24157120}}{{Cite web |title=Parliament of India |url=https://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/lsdeb/ls10/ses3/3108059204.htm |access-date=21 September 2021 |website=parliamentofindia.nic.in}}

In 2002, Maithili was recognised on the VIII schedule of the Indian Constitution as a major Indian language; Maithili is now one of the twenty-two Scheduled languages of India.Singh, P. & Singh, A. N. (2011). Finding Mithila between India's Centre and Periphery. Journal of Indian Law & Society 2: 147–181.

The publishing of Maithili books in Mithilakshar script was started by Acharya Ramlochan Saran.{{Cite book |last=Horst |first=Kristen Nehemiah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=loWepwAACAAJ |title=Acharya Ramlochan Saran |date=12 October 2011 |publisher=Dign Press |isbn=978-613-7-39524-0 |language=en}}{{Cite tweet |number=1227092541939433472 |user=biharfoundation |title=Acharya Ramlochan Saran, born on 11 February 1889, in #Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, was a Hindi littérateur, grammarian and publisher.}}

{{Main|Maithili Grammar#Phonology}}

• All vowels have nasal counterparts, represented by "~" in IPA and ँ on the vowels, like आँ ãː .
• All vowel sounds are realised as nasal when occurring before or after a nasal consonant.{{Cite book |last=Yadav |first=Ramawatar |title=A Reference Grammar of Maithili |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter |year=1996 |location=Berlin |pages=15–27}}
• Sounds eː and oː are often replaced by diphthongs əɪ̯ and əʊ̯.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}
• ɔ is replaced by ə in northern dialects and by o in southernmost dialects.
• There are three short vowels that were described by Grierson, but are not counted by modern grammarians. But they could be understood as syllable break: ॳ {{IPA|/ɘ̆/}}, इ {{IPA|/ɪ̆/}}, उ {{IPA|/ʊ̆/}} . Or as syllable break ऺ in Devanagari and "." in IPA.
• ꣾ is a Unicode letter in Devanagari, (IPA {{IPA|/əe̯/}}) which is not supported currently on several browsers and operating systems, along with its mātrā (vowel sign).

The following diphthongs are present:{{Cite web |title=Maithili |url=http://lisindia.ciil.org/Maithili/Maithili.html |access-date=7 January 2023 |website=lisindia.ciil.org}}

: अय़(ꣾ) {{IPA|/əe̯/ ~ /ɛː/}} - अय़सन (ꣾ सन) {{IPA|/əe̯sən/ ~ /ɛːsɐn/}} 'like this'

: अव़(ॵ) {{IPA|/əo̯/ ~ /ɔː/}}- चव़मुख(चॏमुख) {{IPA|/tɕəo̯mʊkʰ/ ~ /tɕɔːmʊkʰ/}} 'four faced'

: अयॆ {{IPA|/əe̯/}} - अयॆलाः {{IPA|/əe̯laːh/}} 'came'

: अवॊ (अऒ) {{IPA|/əo̯/}} - अवॊताः {{IPA|/əo̯taːh/}} 'will come'

: आइ {{IPA|/aːi̯/}} - आइ {{IPA|/aːi̯/}} 'today'

: आउ {{IPA|/aːu̯/}} - आउ {{IPA|/aːu̯/}} 'come please'

: आयॆ (आऎ) {{IPA|/aːe̯/}} - आयॆल {{IPA|/aːe̯l/}} 'came'

: आवॊ (आऒ) {{IPA|/aːo̯/}} - आवॊब {{IPA|/aːo̯b/}} 'will come'

: यु (इउ) {{IPA|/iu̯/}} - घ्यु {{IPA|/ɡʱiu̯/}} 'ghee'

: यॆ (इऎ) {{IPA|/ie̯/}} - यॆः {{IPA|/ie̯h/}} 'only this'

: यॊ (इऒ) {{IPA|/io̯/}} - कह्यो {{IPA|/kəhio̯/}} 'any day'

: वि (उइ) {{IPA|/ui̯/}} - द्वि {{IPA|/dui̯/}} 'two'

: वॆ (उऎ) {{IPA|/ue̯/}} - वॆ: {{IPA|/ue̯h/}} 'only that'

A peculiar type of phonetic change is recently taking place in Maithili by way of epenthesis, i.e. backward transposition of final /i/ and /u/ in all sort of words. Thus:

Standard Colloquial - Common Pronunciation

: अछि {{IPA|/ətɕʰi/}} - अइछ {{IPA|/əitɕʰ/}} 'is'

: रवि {{IPA|/rəbi/}} - रइब {{IPA|/rəib/}} 'Sunday'

: मधु {{IPA|/mədʱu/}} - मउध {{IPA|/məudʱ/}} 'honey'

: बालु {{IPA|/ba:lu/}} - बाउल {{IPA|/ba:ul/}} 'sand'

Maithili has four classes of stops, one class of affricate, which is generally treated as a stop series, related nasals, fricatives and approximant.

• Fricative sounds {{IPA|[ʂ, ɕ]}} only occur marginally, and are typically pronounced as a dental fricative {{IPA|/s/}} in most styles of pronunciation. {{IPA|[h]}} ः is always added after a vowel.

There are four series of stops- bilabials, coronals, retroflex and velar, along with an affricate series. All of them show the four way contrast like most of the modern Indo-Aryan languages:

• tenuis, as {{IPA|/p/}}, which is like ⟨p⟩ in English spin
• voiced, as {{IPA|/b/}}, which is like ⟨b⟩ in English bin
• aspirated, as {{IPA|/pʰ/}}, which is like ⟨p⟩ in English pin, and
• murmured or aspirated voiced, as {{IPA|/bʱ/}}.

Apart from the retroflex series, all the rest four series show full phonological contrast in all positions. The retroflex tenius {{IPA|/ʈ/}} and {{IPA|/ʈʰ/}} show full contrast in all positions. {{IPA|/ɖ/}} and {{IPA|/ɖʱ/}} show phonological contrast mainly word-initially.{{Cite book |last=Grierson |first=George Abraham |url=https://archive.org/details/introductiontoma00grierich |title=An introduction to the Maithili dialect of the Bihari language as spoken in North Bihar |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bengal |year=1909 |edition=2 |location=Calcutta}} Both are defective phonemes, occurring intervocalically and word finally only if preceded by a nasal consonant. Word finally and postvocalically, {{IPA|/ɖʱ/}} surfaces as {{IPA|[ɽʱ~rʱ]}}.{{Cite book |last=Yadav |first=Ramawatar |title=A Reference Grammar of Maithili |location=Berlin |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter. |year=1996 |chapter=Trends in Linguistics: Documentation, 11. |pages=15–27}} Non-initially, both are interchangeable with {{IPA|[ɽ~ɾ]}} and {{IPA|[ɽʱ~rʱ]}} respectively.

{{IPA|/s/}} and {{IPA|/ɦ/}} are most common fricatives. They show full phonological opposition. {{IPA|[ɕ]}}, which is present in tatsama words, is replaced by {{IPA|/s/}} most of the times, when independent, and prevocalic {{IPA|[ʂ]}} is replaced by {{IPA|/kʰ/}}, {{IPA|[x]}} or {{IPA|/s/}}. {{IPA|[ɕ]}} occurs before {{IPA|/tɕ/}} and {{IPA|[ʂ]}} before {{IPA|/ʈ/}}. {{IPA|[x]}} and {{IPA|[f]}} occurs in Perso-Arabic loanwords, generally replaced by {{IPA|/kʰ/}} and {{IPA|/pʰ/}} respectively. {{IPA|[x]}} and {{IPA|[ɸ]}} also occurs in Sanskrit words (jihvamuliya and upadhmaniya), which is peculiar to Maithili.

{{IPA|/m/}} and {{IPA|/n/}} are present in all phonological positions. {{IPA|/ŋ/}} occurs only non-initially and is followed by a homorganic stop, which may be deleted if voiced, which leads to the independent presence of {{IPA|/ŋ/}}. {{IPA|/ɳ/}} occurs non-initially, followed by a homorganic stop, and is independent only in tatsama words, which is often replaced with {{IPA|/n/}}. {{IPA|[ɲ]}} occurs only non-initially and is followed by a homorganic stop always. It is the only nasal which does not occur independently.

• In most styles of pronunciation, the retroflex flap {{IPA|[ɽ]}} occurs marginally. It is usually pronounced as an alveolar tap {{IPA|[ɾ]}} sound, and is often interchanged with {{IPA|/r/}}.
• Approximant sounds {{IPA|[ʋ, w, j]}} and fricative sounds {{IPA|[ɸ, f, z, ɕ, ʑ, ʂ, x]}}, mainly occur in words that are borrowed from Sanskrit or in words of Perso-Arabic origin. The conjunct ष्प (IAST ṣp) is pronounced {{IPA|[ɸp]}} in Maithili e.g. पुष्प {{IPA|[puɸp(ə)]}}. The conjunct ह्य (IAST hy) is pronounced {{IPA|[ɦʑ]}} as in ग्रऻह्य (grahya) {{IPA|[graɦʑə]}}.

There are four non-syllabic vowels in Maithili-

i̯, u̯, e̯, o̯ written in Devanagari as य़, व़, य़ॆ, व़ॊ. Most of the times, these are written without nukta.

{{Main|Maithili grammar}}

An example declension:

The difference between adjectives and nouns is very minute in Maithili. However, there are marked adjectives there in Maithili.

{{Main|Maithili grammar#Pronouns}}

Pronouns in Maithili are declined in similar way to nominals, though in most pronouns the genitive case has a different form. The lower forms below are accusative and postpositional. The plurals are formed periphrastically.

File:The consonants of the Mithilakshar script and the corresponding Devnagari.jpg]]

Beginning in the 14th century, the language was written in the Tirhuta script (also known as Mithilakshara or Maithili), which is related to the Bengali-Assamese script. By the early 20th century, this script was largely associated with the Mithila Brahmans, with most others using Kaithi, and Devanagari spreading under the influence of the scholars at Banaras.{{cite book |last=Brass |first=P. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SylBHS8IJAUC&pg=PP1 |title=Language, Religion and Politics in North India |publisher=iUniverse |year=2005 |isbn=0-595-34394-5 |location=Lincoln |page=67 |access-date=1 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511082055/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SylBHS8IJAUC&lpg=PA67&pg=PP1 |archive-date=11 May 2018 |url-status=live |orig-year=1974}} Throughout the course of the century, Devanagari grew in use eventually replacing the other two, and has since remained the dominant script for Maithili.Yadava, Y. P. (2013). Linguistic context and language endangerment in Nepal. [http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/nepling/pdf/Nep_Ling_28.pdf Nepalese Linguistics 28] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231341/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/nepling/pdf/Nep_Ling_28.pdf |date=3 March 2016}}: 262–274. Tirhuta retained some specific uses (on signage in north Bihar as well as in religious texts, genealogical records and letters), and has seen a resurgence of interest in the 21st century.{{cite report |url=http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n3765.pdf |title=Towards an Encoding for the Maithili Script in ISO/IEC 10646 |last=Pandey |first=Anshuman |page=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514002714/http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n3765.pdf |archive-date=14 May 2011 |year=2009}}.

The Tirhuta and Kaithi scripts are both currently included in Unicode.

{{Main|Maithili literature}}

The following sample text is Maithili translation of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Maithili in the Tirhuta alphabet

{{Block indent|{{Lang|mai|{{script|Tirh|𑒁𑒢𑒳𑒔𑓂𑒕𑒹𑒠 𑓑: 𑒮𑒦 𑒧𑒰𑒢𑒫 𑒖𑒢𑓂𑒧𑒞𑓁 𑒮𑓂𑒫𑒞𑒢𑓂𑒞𑓂𑒩 𑒁𑒕𑒱 𑒞𑒟𑒰 𑒑𑒩𑒱𑒧𑒰 𑒂 𑒁𑒡𑒱𑒏𑒰𑒩𑒧𑒹 𑒮𑒧𑒰𑒢 𑒁𑒕𑒱। 𑒮𑒦𑒏𑒹𑒿 𑒁𑒣𑒢–𑒁𑒣𑒢 𑒥𑒳𑒠𑓂𑒡𑒱 𑒂 𑒫𑒱𑒫𑒹𑒏 𑒕𑒻𑒏 𑒂𑒍𑒩 𑒮𑒦𑒏𑒹𑒿 𑒋𑒏 𑒠𑒼𑒮𑒩𑒏 𑒣𑓂𑒩𑒞𑒱 𑒮𑒾𑒯𑒰𑒩𑓂𑒠𑒣𑒴𑒩𑓂𑒝 𑒫𑓂𑒨𑒫𑒯𑒰𑒩 𑒏𑒩𑒥𑒰𑒏 𑒔𑒰𑒯𑒲।}}}}}}

Maithili in the Devanagari alphabet

{{Block indent|{{lang|mai|अनुच्छेद १: सभ मानव जन्मतः स्वतन्त्र अछि तथा गरिमा आ अधिकारमे समान अछि। सभकेँ अपन–अपन बुद्धि आ विवेक छैक आओर सभकेँ एक दोसरक प्रति सौहार्दपूर्ण व्यवहार करबाक चाही।}}}}

Maithili in IAST

{{Block indent|Anuccheda Eka: Sabha mānaba janmataha svatantra achi tathā garimā ā adhikārme samāna achi. Sabhkẽ apana-apana buddhi ā bibeka chaika āora sabhkẽ eka dosarāka prati sauhardapurna byabahāra karabāka cāhī.}}

Translation

{{Block indent|Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They possess conscience and reason. Therefore, everyone should act in a spirit of brotherhood towards each other.}}

• Languages with official status in India
• List of Indian languages by total speakers
• Maithili Cinema

{{notelist|refs=

{{efn|name="supA"|text=The notation ^a can be used for non-final weak schwa, Maithili weakens the non-final schwa, instead of deleting it (pronounced as /ə̆/). Grierson also used ^a for the purpose, but sometimes used apostrophe (') also for the purpose.}}

{{efn|name="final-writ"|text=Final schwa is deleted in Maithili, though written in native scripts.}}

{{efn|name="older texts"|text=In older texts, ◌꣱ or ः are used, not in current use though.}}

{{efn|name="recent"|text=Occurrence of æ~ɛ is a recent phenomenon.}}

}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{citation |author1=((National Statistics Office)) |title=National report on caste/ethnicity, language & religion |url=https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/downloads/caste-ethnicity |work=National Population and Housing Census 2021 |publisher=Government of Nepal, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014072320/https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/files/result-folder/Caste%20Ethnicity_report_NPHC_2021.pdf |archive-date=14 October 2023 |date=June 2023}}
• {{cite book |title=A Survey of Maithili Literature |first=Radhakrishna |last=Choudhary |location=Delhi |publisher=Shruti Publications |date=2010 |isbn=978-93-80538-36-5}}

{{InterWiki|code=mai}}

{{Commons category|Maithili language}}

{{wikivoyage|Maithili phrasebook|Maithili|a phrasebook}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101230084755/http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?menu=004&LangID=199 UCLA Language Materials Project : Maithili]
• [https://archive.today/20121219224725/http://www.ntm.org.in/languages/maithili/default_maithili.asp National Translation Mission's (NTM) Maithili Pages]
• [http://www.videha.co.in/ Videha Ist Maithili] {{ISSN|2229-547X}}

{{Bihari languages}}

{{Languages of India}}

{{Languages of Nepal}}

{{Maithili language}}

{{Authority control}}

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