Bhojpuri, spoken predominantly in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, and spoken by Indian diaspora communities around the world, is a member of the Eastern Indo-Aryan language group. According to the eLinguistics.net analysis using specific software modules to assess linguistic relationships, the five languages most similar to Bhojpuri are Magahi, Dogri, Punjabi, Hindi, and Odia. Note that Urdu is not included because it is a dialect of Hindi.
- Magahi (90.7)
Magahi is arguably the closest linguistic relative to Bhojpuri. They are spoken in neighboring regions. In fact, speakers of Bhojpuri and Magahi can often understand each other without formal study. This is because they have a lot of shared vocabulary. - Dogri (88.2)
Dogri is spoken in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. While the vocabulary differs more significantly than Magahi, the grammatical backbone and Indo-Aryan heritage make Dogri somewhat intelligible to Bhojpuri speakers, especially in formal or literary contexts. - Punjabi (84.2)
Punjabi is yet another Indo-Aryan language with strong historical and linguistic ties to Bhojpuri. Many idioms and phrases in Bhojpuri are relatable to speakers of Punjabi. What distinguishes Punjabi is its tone system and heavy Persian influence, which Bhojpuri lacks. - Hindi (83.3)
Hindi, India’s official language, is another language closely related to Bhojpuri. Despite regional variations and cultural influences, Bhojpuri and Hindi exhibit significant lexical similarities. In fact, Bhojpuri is often treated as a dialect of Hindi in official contexts. Many Bhojpuri speakers grow up bilingual. - Odia (80.6)
Odia is slightly more distinct but still shares deep Eastern Indo-Aryan roots with Bhojpuri. Spoken in the southeastern region adjoining parts of Jharkhand and Bihar, it has influenced and been influenced by neighboring dialects. There are many Sanskrit-derived words common to both languages.
(to be considered for the list, the language must be spoken by at least one million people)