Urdu vs Hindi
Understanding the difference between Urdu and Hindi can be challenging if you are not familiar with the two languages. Hindi is the national language of India, spoken by a large majority of people in the Indo Gangetic belt (primarily in Northern India). Urdu is another popular language spoken by the Muslim population in India and other regions of South Asia, particularly Pakistan. Urdu is one of the 22 scheduled languages in India and is the official language in five states. There are many similarities between the languages, so much so that some language experts do not consider them as separate, distinct languages. However, there are significant differences, mainly in the form of Persian and Arabic influences that justify the categorization of Hindi and Urdu into two different languages with the same origins. This article seeks to clarify the differences between Hindi and Urdu for those who are not native and remain confused by these two languages.
What is Hindi? What is Urdu?
Urdu is a Central Indo-Aryan language that emerged with various influences, primarily those of Mughals, Turks, Arabic, Persian, and the local Hindi language. With the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in the 16th century and later the Mughal Empire, Urdu began to be recognized as a court language. However, if one listens to Urdu, it is almost identical to Hindi in phonetics and grammar due to their shared history and the same Indic base. In fact, in places where there are both Hindi and Urdu speakers in India, such as Lucknow or even Delhi, it is difficult to identify the differences as both have intermingled and given way to an entirely different spoken language better known as Hindustani or Hindi-Urdu. If we combine the number of Urdu, Hindi, and Hindustani speakers, we arrive at a figure that is the fourth highest in terms of languages globally.
When the Mughals arrived in India, they spoke Chagatai, a Turkish language. They adopted Persian as their court language, but to communicate effectively with local inhabitants, they had to incorporate Sanskrit-based words in their language that could be understood by the native people. Though the base was Hindi, technical and literary words from Arabic, Persian, and Turkish languages were retained in this new language that gradually evolved and replaced Hindi in Mughal dominated areas.
Key Takeaways
- Urdu uses a Perso-Arabic script, while Hindi uses Devanagari script.
- Hindi is written from left to right, whereas Urdu is written right to left.
- It is challenging to differentiate between modern Hindi and Urdu when spoken, as both contain many words from each other’s vocabulary.
