Bhili

/bɪˈliː/ noun

Definition

The Dravidian language spoken by the Bhil people of central and western India, or relating to the Bhil people.

Etymology

From the name of the Bhil people + the Hindi/Indian suffix -i indicating language or adjective form. The language itself belongs to the Dravidian language family, one of India's major language groups.

Kelly Says

Bhili is a Dravidian language that exists in a complex relationship with regional languages like Hindi and Gujarati—many Bhil speakers are multilingual, and the language is increasingly endangered as younger generations adopt dominant regional languages. Preserving Bhili is considered important for maintaining tribal cultural identity and indigenous knowledge.

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