Topic summary

Lodhi language

Lodhi language

Lodhi (Lodi, Lohi, Lozi) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in India. Ethnologue notes high levels of lexical similarity (50–75%) with Oriya, Bengali and Kharia Thar which is spoken only by one quarter of ethnic Lodhi in Orissa. However, while admitting that Lodhi is related to Sora, a Munda language, Ethnologue also classifies Lodhi as an Indic (Bengali–Assamese) language and it is considered a variety of Hindi in the Indian census. It may be that there are both Munda and Indic varieties subsumed under the name Lodhi.

However, Anderson (2008:299) suggests that Lodhi (Lodha) of northern Orissa may be an Indo-Aryan lect rather than endangered Munda language; some members use the autonym Sabar or Sabara.