View source for Awadhi language

{{short description|Indo-Aryan language}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Awadhi
| nativename       = अवधी · 𑂃𑂫𑂡𑂲
| states           = [[India]] and [[Nepal]]
| region           = [[Awadh]]
| ethnicity        = [[Awadhi people|Awadhis]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|4.352658|3}} million
| date             = 2011
| ref              = <ref>{{cite news |date=2011 |title=Census of India 2011 |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/42458/download/46089/C-16_25062018.pdf |work=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |page=8 |access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2011 |title=National Population and Housing Census 2011|url=https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2020/07/National-Population-and-Housing-Census-2011-Caste-ethnicity-and-mother-tongue.pdf |work=Census of Nepal |page=138 |access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref>
| speakers2        = (additional speakers counted under Hindi)
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
| fam3             = [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]]
| fam4             = [[Central Indo-Aryan languages|Central Indo-Aryan]]
| fam5             = [[Eastern Hindi languages|Eastern Hindi]]
| script           = {{unbulleted list
|[[Devanagari]] (current)
|[[Kaithi]] (historical)
|[[Perso-Arabic script|Perso-Arabic]]
|[[Latin script|Latin-Roman]]
}}
| ancestor         = [[Ardhamagadhi Prakrit]]
| ancestor2        = [[Apabhraṃśa|Ardhamagadhi Apabhraṃśa]]
| iso2             = awa
| iso3             = awa
| glotto           = awad1243
| glottorefname    = Awadhi
| lingua           = 59-AAF-ra
| notice           = IPA
| dia1             = Pardesi
| dia2             = Gangapari
| dia3             = Uttari
| dia4             = [[Fiji Hindi]]
| dia5             = [[Caribbean Hindustani]]
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|hi|əʋ.d̪ʱi|}}
| map              = Awadhilanguage area.png
| nation           = {{FIJ}} {{small|(as [[Fiji Hindi]])}}
| altname          = {{IAST2|''Avadhī''}}
| image            = Awadhi language.svg
| imagecaption     = The word "Awadhi" written in Devanagari script
}}
{{Contains special characters|Indic}}

'''Awadhi''',{{efn|({{IPA|hi|əʋ.d̪ʱi}}; [[Devanagari]]: अवधी, [[Kaithi]]: 𑂃𑂫𑂡𑂲)}} also known as '''Audhi''',{{efn|<ref>{{cite book |last=Oldenburg |first=Veena Talwar |author-link= |date= |title=The Making of Colonial Lucknow, 1856–1877 |url= |location= |publisher=Princeton University Press |page=5 |isbn=}}</ref> ({{lang|hi|औधी}}, 𑂌𑂡𑂲)}} is an [[Indo-Aryan language]] spoken in the [[Awadh]] region of [[Uttar Pradesh]] in northern [[India]] and in [[Terai|Terai region]] of western [[Nepal]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Meaning |first=Nepali |date=2023-08-12 |title=Origin, Structure, Development, and Situation of Awadhi Language in Nepal - Nepali Meaning |url=https://nepalimeaning.com/origin-structure-development-and-situation-of-awadhi-language-in-nepal/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=nepalimeaning.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Harvcoltxt|Saxena|1971|p=1}}</ref><ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Grierson|1904|p=1}}</ref> The name ''Awadh'' is connected to [[Ayodhya]], the ancient city, which is regarded as the homeland of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] deity [[Rama]], the earthly [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]]. Awadhi is also widely spoken by the diaspora of Indians descended from those who left as [[Indian indenture system|indentured laborers]] during the colonial era. Along with [[Braj Bhasha|Braj]], it was used widely as a literary vehicle before gradually merging and contributing to the development of standardized [[Hindi]] in the 19th century. Though distinct from standard Hindi, it continues to be spoken today in its unique form in many districts of central [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref name=":2">{{Harvcoltxt|Saxena|1971|p=6}}</ref>

It is regarded by the Indian government to be a dialect of Hindi, and the area where Awadhi is spoken to be a part of the Hindi-language area owing to their cultural proximity, meanwhile Standard Hindi also serves as the [[lingua franca]]<ref name="fulllangdatacensus 2011">{{cite web |last=Kawoosa |first=Vijdan Mohammad |date=22 November 2018 |title=How languages intersect in India |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-languagesintersect-in-india/story-g3nzNwFppYV7XvCumRzlYL.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015014438/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-languagesintersect-in-india/story-g3nzNwFppYV7XvCumRzlYL.html |archive-date=Oct 15, 2022 |publisher=Hindustan Times}}</ref> of the region. As a result, [[Hindi]], rather than Awadhi, is used for school instruction as well as administrative and official purposes; and its literature falls within the scope of [[Hindi literature]].<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Masica|1993|p=9}}- A vast central portion of the subcontinent, consisting of the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, plus the Union Territory of Delhi, is known as the "HINDI area", because the official and general written language, that is to say, that of administration, press, school instruction, and modern literature, is Hindi, sometimes called MODERN STANDARD HINDI, and the whole area is heir to the "Hindi literary tradition" – Hindi being used here in a different and wider sense, to refer to pre-modern literature in Braj and Awadhi, and often to those languages proper to Rajasthan and Bihar as well</ref> Some of the most culturally significant works in Indian literature like the ''[[Ramcharitmanas]]'' and ''[[Hanuman Chalisa]]'' have been written in Awadhi.

Alternative names of Awadhi include ''Baiswāri'' (after the subregion of [[Baiswara]]),<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Grierson|1904|p=10}}</ref> as well as the sometimes ambiguous ''Pūrbī'', literally meaning "eastern", and ''Kōsalī'' (named after the ancient [[Kosala|Kosala Kingdom]]).<ref name=":0" />

==Geographic distribution==
=== In India ===
Awadhi is predominantly spoken in the [[Awadh]] region encompassing central [[Uttar Pradesh]], along with the lower part of the [[Ganges|Ganga]]-[[Yamuna]] [[doab]].<ref name=":0"/><ref name=":1">{{Harvcoltxt|Grierson|1904|pp=9–10}}</ref> In the west, it is bounded by Western Hindi, specifically [[Kannauji language|Kannauji]] and [[Bundeli language|Bundeli]], while in the east, [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] from the [[Bihari languages|Bihari]] group of [[Eastern Indo-Aryan languages]] is spoken.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Saksena |first=Baburam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WfkWvgqk5c4C&dq=Awadhi+east+bhojpuri+language&pg=PA5 |title=Evolution of Awadhi (a Branch of Hindi). |date=1971 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-0855-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Verbeke |first=Saartje |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=63iC56LeJ_MC&dq=Hindi+is+central+indo+aryan+bhojpuri+eastern+indo+aryan&pg=PA67 |title=Alignment and Ergativity in New Indo-Aryan Languages |date=2013-03-22 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-029267-1 |language=en}}</ref>  In the north, it is bounded by the country of [[Nepal]] and in the south by [[Bagheli language|Bagheli]], which shares a great resemblance with Awadhi.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Saxena|1971|pp=2–5}}</ref>

The following districts of North and Central UP speak Awadhi-
* [[Kanpur]] (along with [[Kannauji language|Kannauji]])
* [[Lakhimpur Kheri district|Lakhimpur Kheri]]
* [[Sitapur district|Sitapur]]
* [[Hardoi district|Hardoi]] (along with [[Kannauji language|Kannauji]])
* [[Unnao district|Unnao]]
* [[Fatehpur district|Fatehpur]]
* [[Barabanki district|Barabanki]]
* [[Lucknow district|Lucknow]]
* [[Raebareli district|Rae Bareli]]
* [[Amethi district|Amethi]]
* [[Bahraich district|Bahraich]]
In eastern parts of UP the Awadhi language changes its form to a special dialect called "Eastern Standard Awadhi." This region makes boundary with [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] speaking districts of Purvanchal. This part include districts of-
* [[Ayodhya district|Ayodhya]]
* [[Ambedkar Nagar district|Ambedkar Nagar]]
* [[Prayagraj district|Prayagraj]]
* [[Jaunpur district|Jaunpur]] (western parts)
* [[Bhadohi district|Bhadohi]] (western parts)
* [[Sultanpur district|Sultanpur]](western parts)
* [[Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh|Pratapgarh]]
* [[Gonda district|Gonda]]
* [[Basti district|Basti]] (western parts)
* [[Siddharthnagar district|Siddharthnagar]] (western parts)
* [[Kaushambi district|Kaushambi]]

=== In Nepal ===
The [[Language Commission (Nepal)|Language Commission of Nepal]] has recommended [[Tharu language|Tharu]] and Awadhi as official language in Lumbini province.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=सरकारी कामकाजको भाषाका आधारहरूको निर्धारण तथा भाषासम्बन्धी सिफारिसहरू (पञ्चवर्षीय प्रतिवेदन- साराांश) २०७८ |url=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 |url-status=live |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 |archive-date=6 September 2021 |access-date=28 October 2021 |website=Language Commission}}</ref> Awadhi is spoken in two provinces in Nepal:
* [[Lumbini Province]]
** [[Banke District]]
** [[Bardiya District]]
** [[Dang District, Nepal|Dang District]]
** [[Kapilvastu District]]
* [[Sudurpashchim Province]]
** [[Kailali District]]
** [[Kanchanpur District]]

=== Outside South Asia ===
{{further|Fiji Hindi|Caribbean Hindustani}}
A language influenced by Awadhi (as well as other languages) is also spoken as a ''lingua franca'' for [[Indo-Fijians|Indians]] in [[Fiji]] and is referred to as [[Fiji Hindi|Fijian Hindi]]. According to ''[[Ethnologue]]'', it is a type of Awadhi influenced by [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] and is also classified as Eastern-Hindi.<ref>{{e25|hif|Fiji Hindi}}</ref> [[Caribbean Hindustani]] spoken by [[Indo-Caribbeans|Indians]] in [[Suriname]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]], and [[Guyana]] is based on Bhojpuri and partly on Awadhi. The Hindustani that is spoken in [[South Africa]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mesthrie|first=Rajend|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aIivedw-oZYC&q=awadhi|title=Language and Social History: Studies in South African Sociolinguistics|date=1995|publisher=New Africa Books|isbn=978-0-86486-280-8|language=en}}</ref> and the Bhojpuri spoken in [[Mauritius]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Awadhi language|url=https://omniglot.com/writing/awadhi.htm|access-date=17 December 2020|website=omniglot.com}}</ref> is also partly influenced by Awadhi.

== Classification ==
[[File:Awadhi classification.png|alt=|thumb|Linguistic classification of Awadhi language.]]

Awadhi is an [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European language]] and belongs to the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] sub-group of the [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]] language family. Within the Indo-Aryan [[dialect continuum]], it falls under the East-Central zone of languages and is often recognised as Eastern-Hindi. It is generally believed that an older form of [[Ardhamagadhi Prakrit|Ardhamagadhi]], which agreed partly with [[Shauraseni language|Sauraseni]] and partly with [[Magadhi Prakrit]], could be the basis of Awadhi.<ref name="auto">{{Harvcoltxt|Grierson|1904|p=2}}</ref>

The closest relative of Awadhi is the [[Bagheli language]] as genealogically both descend from the same 'Half-Magadhi'. Most early Indian linguists regarded Bagheli merely as 'the southern form of Awadhi', but recent studies accept Bagheli as a separate dialect at par with Awadhi and not merely a sub-dialect of it.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=__DaXf3XedoC|title=Patterns of Regional Geography: Indian perspective|last=Mandal|first=R. B.|date=1990|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-291-0|pages=127–129|language=en}}</ref>

==Literature==
{{See also|List of Awadhi-language poets}}

=== Late-medieval and early-modern India ===
In this period, Awadhi became the vehicle for [[epic poetry]] in northern India.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Grierson|1904|p=13}}</ref> Its literature is mainly divided into: bhaktīkāvya (devotional poetry) and premākhyān (romantic tales).

====Bhaktīkāvyas====
The most important work, probably in any modern [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan language]], came from the poet-saint [[Tulsidas]] in the form of ''[[Ramcharitmanas]]'' (1575 C.E.) or "The Lake of the Deeds of [[Rama]]", written in [[Doha (poetry)|doha]]-[[Chaupai (poetry)|chaupai]] [[Metre (poetry)|metre]]. Its plot is mostly derivative, either from the original ''[[Ramayana|Rāmāyaṇa]]'' by [[Valmiki]] or from the ''[[Adhyatma Ramayana|Adhyātma Rāmāyaṇa]]'', both of which are in [[Sanskrit]].<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Saxena|1971|pp=11–12}}</ref> [[Mahatma Gandhi]] had acclaimed the ''Ramcharitmanas'' as "the greatest book of all devotional literature" while western observers have christened it as "the Bible of [[Northern India]]".<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Lutgendorf|1991|p=1}}</ref> It is sometimes synonymously referred as 'Tulsidas Ramayana' or simply 'the Ramayana'.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Lutgendorf|1991|p=12}}—Since the Ramcaritmanas is a text in the Ramayana tradition, for which the Sanskrit epic of Valmiki is the accepted archetype, it is commonly referred to simply as "the Ramayan" and many popular editions bear only this name on their spine and cover, perhaps adding above it in small print: "composed by Goswami Tulsidas".</ref>
{{multiple image
| align = right
| header_background = #FDF5E6
| header = Illustrations to the [[Ramcharitmanas]] of [[Tulsidas]]
| direction = vertical
| footer_align = center
| image_style = border:none;
| total_width = 280
| image1 = 5_Illustration_from_the_Ramcharitmanas_of_Tulsidas_(1532–1623)_Jodhpur,_c._1775;_62.7_x_134.5_cm_Mehrangarh_Museum_Trust.jpg
| image2 = 7 Rama's Army reaches Lanka from the Ram Charit Artist Unknown, ca. 1780, 63x125.8cm Mehrangarh Museum Trust.jpg
| footer = (a) Death of Vali: [[Rama]] and [[Lakshmana]] Wait Out the Monsoon, (b) Rama's Army Crossing the Ocean to Lanka.
| alt1 =
| caption1 =
| caption2 =
}}
[[Tulsidas]]'s compositions ''[[Hanuman Chalisa]]'',<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MX1SDwAAQBAJ&q=awadhi&pg=PT151|title=Hanuman Chalisa: Verse by Verse Description|last=Padam|first=Sandeep|date=21 March 2018|publisher=Notion Press|isbn=978-1-64249-611-6|language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UFE4DwAAQBAJ&q=hanuman+chalisa+awadhi&pg=PA42|title=Lucknow Poetica|last=Shamim|first=Dr Rupali Saran Mirza Dr and Amna|date=14 November 2016|publisher=Idea Publishing|page=42|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tlduDwAAQBAJ&q=hanuman+chalisa+awadhi&pg=PA11|title=Sri Hanuman Chalisa: Commentary on the Praises to the Eternal Servant|last=Vishwananda|first=Paramahamsa Sri Swami|date=13 March 2018|publisher=BoD – Books on Demand|isbn=978-3-96343-015-2|page=11|language=en}}</ref> ''Pārvatī Maṅgala'' and ''Jānakī Maṅgala'' are also written in Awadhi.<ref name="Saxena 1971 12">{{Harvcoltxt|Saxena|1971|p=12}}</ref>

{{Verse translation|lang=awa|अंडकोस प्रति प्रति निज रूपा।
देखेउँ जिनस अनेक अनूपा॥
<u>अवधपुरी</u> प्रति भुअन निनारी।
<u>सरजू</u> भिन्न भिन्न नर नारी॥|In each universe I saw my own self,
As well as many an object beyond compare;
Each universe had its own <u>Ayodhya</u>,
With its own <u>Saryu</u> and its own men and women.|italicsoff=y|attr1=[[Tulsidas]], 7.81.3 chaupai, [[Ramcharitmanas]]|attr2=Translation by R.C Prasad<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Tulasīdāsa|1999|p=747}}</ref>}}
{{Verse translation|lang=awa|सिंधु तीर एक भूधर सुंदर।
कौतुक कूदि चढ़ेउ ता-ऊपर॥
बार-बार रघुबीर सँभारी।
तरकेउ <u>पवनतनय</u> बल भारी॥|On the sea-shore there was a mountain lovely,
He hopped to its peak sportively;
Over and again, the Lord he did recall
And the <u>Son of Wind </u>darted with energy no small.|italicsoff=y|attr1=[[Tulsidas]], 5.1.3 chaupai, [[Ramcharitmanas]]|attr2=Translation<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Rao|first=I. Panduranga|date=1998|title=Review of The Beautiful Verses (Ram-Charit Manas, "Sunder-Kand" and Hanuman Chalisa of Goswami Tulsidas rendered into English verse)|journal=Indian Literature|volume=41|issue=1 (183)|pages=240–241|issn=0019-5804|jstor=23341337}}</ref>}}

The first Hindi vernacular adaptation of the 'Dasam Skandha' of the ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'', the "Haricharit" by Lalachdas, who hailed from Hastigram (present-day Hathgaon near [[Raebareli district|Rae Bareilly]]), was concluded in 1530 C.E. It circulated widely for a long time and scores of manuscript copies of the text have been found as far as eastern Uttar Pradesh and [[Bihar]], [[Malwa]] and [[Gujarat]], all written in the [[Kaithi]] script.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Orsini|2014|p=200}}—"That Brahmin ''kathavachaks'' were not the only tellers of the story is proved by the first Hindi vernacular adaptation of the Dasam Skandha, the Haricharit in the Chaupai Doha by Lalach Kavi, a ''Kayastha'' from "Hastigram" (present-day Hathgaon) near Rae Bareilly, concluded in 1530 (VS1587)."</ref>

''Satyavatī'' (ca. 1501) of Ishvaradas (of Delhi) under the reign of [[Sikandar Lodi|Sikander Lodi]] and ''Avadhabilāsa'' (1700 C.E.) of Laladas were also written in Awadhi.

Awadhi appeared as a major component in the works of ''Bhakti'' saints like [[Kabir]], who used a language often described as being a ''pancmel khicṛī'' or "a hotch-potch" of several vernaculars.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Vaudeville|1990|p=260}}–The first editor of the ''Kabir Granthavali'', S.S Das, also stresses the composite character of Kabir's language, giving examples in his introduction, of ''vanis'' composed in Khariboli (i.e. Standard Hindi), Rajasthani, and Panjabi, besides Awadhi.</ref><ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Vaudeville|1990|p=264}}–Among the dialects or languages "melted" in the Hindavi language, the most important is Avadhi, mentioned above. The language of Kabir himself an Easterner, retains old Eastern forms, especially the old Avadhi forms.</ref> The language of [[Kabir]]'s major work ''[[Bijak]]'' is primarily Awadhi.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Vaudeville|1990|p=260}}–Chaturvedi has shown that the same ''pada'' may be found with more characteristic Avadhi forms in the ''Bijak'', with more Khari-boli in the Guru Granth and with Braj forms in the Kabir Granthavali.</ref><ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Vaudeville|1990|p=259}}–According to Grierson, however, there is not a single word typical of the Bhojpuri language in the Bijak. According to him, the basic language of the Bijak is old Avadhi...</ref>

====Premākhyāns====
{{multiple image
| total_width       = 200
| caption_align     = center
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| image_style       = border:none;
| image1            = Queen Nagamati talks to her parrot, Padmavat, c1750.jpg
| caption1          = Queen Nagamati talks to her parrot, [[Padmavat]], 1750 C.E.
| image2            = Meister des Madhu-Malati-Manuskripts 001.jpg
| caption2          = Lovers shoot at a tiger in the jungle. From the mystical Sufi text [[Madhumalati]].
| alt1              = 
| header            = Illustrations to Awadhi [[Sufi]] texts
| header_background = #FDF5E6
}}

Awadhi also emerged as the favourite literary language of the Eastern Sufis from the last quarter of the 14th century onwards. It became the language of ''premākhyāns'', romantic tales built on the pattern of Persian ''[[Mathnawi (poetic form)|masnavi]]'', steeped in Sufi [[mysticism]] but set in a purely Indian background, with a large number of [[Motif (narrative)|motifs]] directly borrowed from Indian lore. The first of such ''premākhyān'' in the Awadhi language was Candāyan (1379 C.E.) of Maulana Da'ud.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Vaudeville|1990|p=263}}</ref> The tradition was carried forward by [[Malik Muhammad Jayasi|Jayasi]], whose masterpiece, the [[Padmavat|Padmāvat]] (1540 C.E.) was composed under the reign of the famous ruler [[Sher Shah Suri]]. The Padmavat travelled far and wide, from [[Arakan]] to the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]], and was eagerly copied and retold in [[Persian language|Persian]] and other languages.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Orsini|2014|p=213}}</ref>

Other prominent works of [[Malik Muhammad Jayasi|Jayasi]]—Kānhāvat,<ref>{{Citation|last=Hawley|first=John Stratton|title=Did Surdas Perform the Bhāgavata-purāṇa?|date=2015|work=Tellings and Texts|page=212|editor-last=Orsini|editor-first=Francesca|series=Music, Literature and Performance in North India|edition=1|publisher=Open Book Publishers|isbn=978-1-78374-102-1|quote=Then there are the Ahirs whose performances of the Krishna story fascinated Malik Muhammad Jayasi, as he tells us in his Kanhavat of 1540;...|editor2-last=Schofield|editor2-first=Katherine Butler|jstor=j.ctt17rw4vj.15}}</ref> Akhrāvaṭ<ref name="Saxena 1971 12"/> and Ākhrī Kalām<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Singh|first=Virendra|date=2009|title=An Avadhi language account of an earthquake in medieval North India circa AD 1500|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/296774084|journal=Current Science|volume=96|pages=1648–1649}}</ref> are also written in Awadhi.
{{Rquote
| text = I'll tell you about my great town, the ever-beautiful Jais.<br />
In the ''[[Satya Yuga|satyayuga]]'' it was a holy place, then it was called the "Town of
Gardens."<br />
Then the ''[[Treta Yuga|treta]]'' went, and when the ''[[Dvapara Yuga|dvapara]]'' came, there was a great rishi
called ''Bhunjaraja''.<br />
88,000 rishis lived here then, and dense ... and eighty-four ponds.<br />
They baked bricks to make solid ghats, and dug eight-four wells.<br />
Here and there they built handsome forts, at night they looked like stars
in the sky.<br />
They also put up several orchards with temples on top.<br />
<br />
Doha: They sat there doing tapas, all those human'' avataras''.They crossed this world doing ''homa'' and ''japa ''day and night.
| author = [[Malik Muhammad Jayasi|Jayasi]]
| source = Kanhavat, ed. Pathak (8), 7–8.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Orsini|2014|p=209}}</ref>
|right}}
The Awadhi romance Mirigāvatī (ca.1503) or "The Magic Doe", was written by Shaikh 'Qutban' Suhravardi, who was an expert and storyteller attached to the court-in-exile of Sultan Hussain Shah Sharqi of [[Jaunpur district|Jaunpur]].<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Kutban|2012|p=9}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Harvcoltxt|Saxena|1971|p=15}}</ref> Another romance named [[Madhumalati|Madhumālatī]] or "Night Flowering Jasmine" by poet Sayyid Manjhan Rajgiri was written in 1545 C.E.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Manjhan|2001|p=xi}} —"Manjhan's birthplace Rajgir is in the present-day state of Bihar, not far away from Patna in northern India, and the poem itself is written in Awadhi or eastern Hindavi".</ref>

[[Amir Khusrau]] (d. 1379 C.E) is also said to have written some compositions in Awadhi.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jafri|first=Saiyid Zaheer Husain|date=2016|title=Sectional President's Address: 'MAKING' OF THE COMPOSITE CULTURE IN PRE-NAWABI AWADH|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress|volume=77|page=148|issn=2249-1937|jstor=26552634}}</ref>

=== Modern India ===
The most significant contributions to the Awadhi literature in the modern period have come from writers like [[Ramai Kaka]] (1915–1982 C.E.), Balbhadra Prasad Dikshit better known as ‘Padhees’(1898–1943 C.E.) and Vanshidhar Shukla (1904–1980 C.E.).  

‘Krishnayan’ (1942 C.E.) is a major Awadhi epic-poem that Dwarka Prasad Mishra wrote in imprisonment during the [[Indian independence movement|Freedom Movement of India]]. In 2022 Dr. [[Vidya Vindu Singh]] has been awarded [[Padma Shri]] for her contribution in Awadhi literature.{{clear}}

== Phonology ==
=== Vowels ===
Awadhi possesses both voiced and [[Voicelessness|voiceless]] vowels. The voiced vowels are: /ə/, /ʌ/, /aː/, /ɪ/, /iː/, /ʊ/, /uː/, /e/, /eː/, /o/, /oː/.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Saxena|1971|p=23}}</ref> The voiceless vowels, also described as "whispered vowels" are: /i̥/, /ʊ̥/, /e̥/.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/onlanguageselect0000gree|url-access=registration|quote=awadhi.|title=On Language: Selected Writings of Joseph H. Greenberg|last1=Greenberg|first1=Joseph Harold|last2=Kemmer|first2=Suzanne|date=1990|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=9780804716130|pages=[https://archive.org/details/onlanguageselect0000gree/page/85 85]|language=en}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! 
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Near-front vowel|Near-front]]
! [[Central vowel|Central]]
! [[Near-back vowel|Near-back]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| iː i̥
| 
| 
| 
| uː
|-
! [[Near-close vowel|Near-close]]
| 
| ɪ
| 
| ʊ ʊ̥
| 
|-
! [[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
| e eː e̥
| 
| 
| 
| o oː
|-
! [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| 
| 
| ə
| 
| 
|-
! [[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
| 
| 
| 
| 
| ʌ
|-
! [[Near-open vowel|Near-open]]
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| aː
| 
| 
| 
| 
|}





==== Vowel combinations ====
{{mw-datatable}}
{| class="wikitable mw-datatable"
|+Diphthongs
! rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Combination
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Example
! rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Meaning
|-
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
![[ISO 15919|Transliteration]]
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ɪaː/
||/d͡ʒɪaː/
||jiā
||"elder sister"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ɪeː/
||/d͡ʒɪeː/
||jiē
||"became alive"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʌiː/
||/nʌiː/
||naī
||"new"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʌɪ/
||/bʰʌɪ/
||bhai
||"became"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʌeː/
||/gʌeː/
||gaē
||"(they) went"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʌʊ/
||/t̪ʌʊ/
||tau
||"then"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʌuː/
||/gʌuː/
||gaū
||"cow"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʊʌ/
||/kʊ̃ʌn/
||kũan
||"wells (obl.)"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʊiː/
||/d̪ʊiː/
||duī
||"two"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʊaː/
||/bʊaː/
||buā
||"father's sister"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/uːiː/
||/ruːiː/
||rūī
||"cotton"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/aːoː/
||/aːoː/
||āō
||"come"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/aːeː/
||/kʰaːeː/
||khāē
||"eaten"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/aːiː/
||/aːiː/
||āī
||"came"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/aːuː/
||/naːuː/
||nāū
||"barber"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/eːiː/
||/d̪eːiː/
||dēī
||"will give"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/eːʊ/
||/d̪eːʊ/
||dēu
||"give"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/oːɪ/
||/hoːɪ/
||hōi
||"may be"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/oʊ/
||/hoʊ/
||hōu
||"be"
|}
{| class="wikitable mw-datatable"
|+Triphthongs
! rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Combination
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Example
! rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Meaning
|-
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
![[ISO 15919|Transliteration]]
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ɪeʊ/
||/pɪeʊ/
||pieu
||"(you) drank"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʊɪaː/
||/gʰʊ̃ɪaː/
||ghũiā
||"the root of Arum"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/aːeʊ/
||/kʰaːeʊ/
||khāeu
||"(you) ate"
|- style="text-align: center;"
||/ʌɪaː/
||/bʰʌɪaː/
||bhaiā
||"brother"
|}

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Consonant Phonemes of Awadhi Language
! colspan="3" |
![[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
![[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br />[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
![[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
!<small>unaspirated</small>
|{{IPA link|m}}
|{{IPA link|n}}
|({{IPA link|ɳ}})
|({{IPA link|ɲ}})
|({{IPA link|ŋ}})
|
|-
!<small>[[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]]</small>
|{{IPA link|mʱ}}
|{{IPA link|nʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="4" |[[Plosive]]/<br />[[Affricate]]
! rowspan="2" |<small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
!<small>unaspirated</small>
|{{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|t̪|t}}
|{{IPA link|ʈ}}
|{{IPA link|tʃ}}
|{{IPA link|k}}
|
|-
!<small>[[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]]</small>
|{{IPA link|pʰ}}
|{{IPA link|tʰ}}
|{{IPA link|ʈʰ}}
|{{IPA link|tʃʰ}}
|{{IPA link|kʰ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
!<small>unaspirated</small>
|{{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|d̪|d}}
|{{IPA link|ɖ}}
|{{IPA link|dʒ}}
|{{IPA link|ɡ}}
|
|-
!<small>[[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]]</small>
|{{IPA link|bʱ}}
|{{IPA link|dʱ}}
|{{IPA link|ɖʱ}}
|{{IPA link|dʒʱ}}
|{{IPA link|ɡʱ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Fricative]]
! colspan="2" |<small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
|
|{{IPA link|s}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|h}}
|-
! colspan="2" |<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
|
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|ɦ}}
|-
! rowspan="4" |[[Liquid consonant|Liquid]]
! rowspan="2" |<small>[[Rhotic consonant|rhotic]]</small>
!<small>unaspirated</small>
|
|{{IPA link|r}}
|{{IPA link|ɽ}}
|
|
|
|-
!<small>[[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]]</small>
|
|{{IPA link|rʱ}}
|{{IPA link|ɽʱ}}
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |<small>[[Lateral consonant|lateral]]</small>
!<small>unaspirated</small>
|
|{{IPA link|l}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>[[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]]</small>
|
|{{IPA link|lʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="3" |[[Approximant]]
|{{IPA link|ʋ}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|j}}
|
|
|}

== Grammar ==

=== Comparative grammar ===
Awadhi has many features that separate it from the neighbouring [[Western Hindi]] and [[Bihari languages|Bihari]] vernaculars. In Awadhi, [[noun]]s are generally both short and long, whereas Western Hindi has generally short while Bihari generally employs longer and long forms. The [[Grammatical gender|gender]] is rigorously maintained in Western Hindi, Awadhi is a little loose yet largely preserved, while Bihari is highly attenuated. Regarding [[Preposition and postposition|postpositions]], Awadhi is distinguished from Western Hindi by the absence of agentive postposition in the former, agreeing with Bihari dialects. The [[Accusative case|accusative]]-[[Dative case|dative]] postposition in Awadhi is /kaː/ or /kə/ while Western Hindi has /koː/ or /kɔː/ and Bihari has /keː/. The [[Locative case|locative]] postposition in both Bihari and Western Hindi is /mẽː/ while Awadhi has /maː/. The [[pronoun]]s in Awadhi have /toːɾ-/, /moːɾ-/ as personal genitives while /teːɾ-/, /meːɾ-/ are used in Western Hindi. The oblique of /ɦəmaːɾ/ is /ɦəmɾeː/ in Awadhi while it is /ɦəmaːɾeː/ in Western Hindi and /ɦəmrən'kæ/ in Bihari.<ref name=":2" />

Another defining characteristic of Awadhi is the [[affix]] /-ɪs/ as in /dɪɦɪs/, /maːɾɪs/ etc. The neighbouring [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] has the distinctive (i) /laː/ enclitic in [[present tense]] (ii) /-l/ in [[past tense]] (iii) dative postposition /-laː/ which separates it from the Awadhi language.<ref name="auto"/>

=== Pronouns ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|+First Person Pronouns of Awadhi<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Masica|1993|p=252}}</ref><ref name=":3" />
!
! colspan="5" |Singular 'I/me/my'
! colspan="5" |Plural 'we/us/our'
|-
!
!Dir.
!Ag.
!Obl.
!Dat.
!Gen.
!Dir.
!Ag.
!Obl.
!Dat.
!Gen.
|-
!Modern Standard Hindi
|mãĩ <small>मैं</small>
|mãĩ'nē <small>मैंने</small>
|mujh <small>मुझ</small>
|mujhē <small>मुझे</small>
|mērā<sup>*</sup> <small>मेरा</small>
|ham <small>हम</small>
| ham'nē <small>हमने</small>
|ham <small>हम</small>
|hamē̃ <small>हमें</small>
|hamārā<sup>*</sup> <small>हमारा</small>
|-
!Awadhi
|mai (mãy) <small>मै</small>
| –
|ma(h)i <small>महि</small>
| –
|mōr{{ref|asterisk|*}} <small>मोर</small>
|ham <small>हम</small>
| –
|ham <small>हम</small>
|hamai <small>हमै</small>
|hamār{{ref|asterisk |*}} <small>हमार</small>
|-
!<small>(Substitute or other forms in Awadhi)</small>
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
| –
|mō <small>मो</small>
|mai'kā <small>मइका,</small> mō'kā <small>मोका</small>
| –
| –
| –
| –
|ham'kā <small>हमका</small>
| –
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|+Second Person Pronouns of Awadhi<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/rosettaproject_awa_morsyn-1|title=Linguistic Survey of India|last=Grierson|first=G. A.|date=1967|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|others=The Long Now Foundation}}</ref><ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Saxena|1971|p=169}}</ref>
!
! colspan="6" |
Singular <br />
! colspan="6" |Plural
|-
!
!Dir.
!Ag.
!Obl.
!Dat.
!Gen.
!Hon.
!Dir.
!Ag.
!Obl.
!Dat.
!Gen.
!Hon.
|-
!Modern Standard Hindi
|tū
|tū'nē
|tujh
|tujhē
|tērā{{ref|asterisk |*}}
| –
|tum
| tum'nē
|tum
|tumhē̃
|tumhārā<sup>*</sup>
|āp–
|-
!Awadhi
|tū, tui (toi), taĩ (tãy)
| –
|tu(h)i
|  –
|tōr{{ref|asterisk |*}}
|āpu̥
|tum
| –
|tum
|tumai, tohaĩ (tohãy)
|tumār{{ref|asterisk |*}}/tohār{{ref|asterisk |*}}
|āp–
|-
!<small>(Substitute or other forms in Awadhi)</small>
| –
| –
|tō
|tui'kā, tō'kā (tõh'kā)
| –
|
| –
| –
| –
|tum'kā
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|}

;<nowiki>Notes:</nowiki>

:{{note|asterisk|*}}indicates a form inflectable for [[Grammatical gender|gender]] and [[Grammatical number|number]] :
:# mor → ''mōrā (masculine), mōrī (feminine), mōrē (plural)''
:# hamār → ''hamrā (masc.), hamrī (fem.), hamrē (pl.)''
:# tōr→ ''torā (masc.), torī (fem.), torē (pl.)''
:# tumar→ ''tumrā (masc.), tumrī (fem.), tumrē (pl.)''
:# tohār→ ''tohrā (masc.), tohrī (fem.), tohrē (pl.)''

== Word formation ==

Following are the morphological processes of stem formation in the Awadhi language:

'''Affixation'''

An affix is used to alter the meaning or form of a word. It can be either a prefix or a suffix.
* Example: Prefix ''bē–'' preceding the root ''saram'' means "shameless" while ''apna'' followed by ''–pan'' means "belonging-ness".

'''Compounding'''

Two or more stems are combined to form one stem.
* Example: ''nīlkanṭh'' means "blue bird" and ''banmānus'' means "forest man" or "chimpanzee".

'''Reduplication'''

This process involves the repetition of certain forms. It may be complete, partial, or interrupted.

# '''Complete reduplication:''' It denotes continuity of action.
#* Example: ''jāt-jāt'' for "going on".
# '''Partial''' '''reduplication:''' It denotes similarity of one object to other.
#* Example: ''hãpaṭ-dãpaṭ'' for "panting".
# '''Interrupted reduplication:''' It stresses on the instant condition of the action that follows and expresses abundance of something.
#* Example: ''khētaī khēt'' "between the fields"; ''garmaī garam'' "the very hot".

== In popular culture ==

=== Entertainment ===
The 1961 film ''[[Gunga Jumna]]'' features Awadhi being spoken by the characters in a neutralised form. [[Gabbar Singh (character)|Gabbar Singh's]] speech in the 1975 film ''[[Sholay]]'' was a mix of [[Kauravi dialect|Khariboli]] and Awadhi, inspired by [[Dilip Kumar]]'s dacoit character Gunga from ''Gunga Jumna''.<ref name="Chopra">{{Cite web|last=Chopra|first=Anupama|author-link=Anupama Chopra|date=11 August 2015|title=Shatrughan Sinha as Jai, Pran as Thakur and Danny as Gabbar? What 'Sholay' could have been|url=https://scroll.in/article/745687/shatrughan-sinha-as-jai-pran-as-thakur-and-danny-as-gabbar-what-sholay-could-have-been|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108092131/http://scroll.in/article/745687/shatrughan-sinha-as-jai-pran-as-thakur-and-danny-as-gabbar-what-sholay-could-have-been|archive-date=8 November 2015|access-date=|website=[[Scroll.in]]}}</ref> In the 2001 film ''[[Lagaan]]'', a neutralized form of Awadhi language was used to make it understandable to audiences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2000/feb/21aamir1.htm|title=rediff.com, Movies: Exclusive!!! Aamir Khan on the sets of Lagaan|website=www.rediff.com|access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Lagaan-Just-perfect/articleshow/2134618786.cms|title='Lagaan: Just perfect' – Times of India|work=The Times of India|access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref> The 2009 film ''[[Dev.D]]'' features an Awadhi song, "Paayaliya", composed by [[Amit Trivedi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/jul/21amit.htm|title=Making music, from Aamir to Dev D|website=www.rediff.com|access-date=5 September 2018}}</ref> In the television series ''[[Yudh (TV series)|Yudh]]'', [[Amitabh Bachchan]] spoke parts of his dialogue in Awadhi, which received critical acclaim from the ''[[Hindustan Times]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/television/yudh-review-amitabh-bachchan-s-show-limps-back-to-sluggish-pace/article1-1241418.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802030602/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/television/yudh-review-amitabh-bachchan-s-show-limps-back-to-sluggish-pace/article1-1241418.aspx|archive-date=2 August 2014|title=Yudh review: Amitabh Bachchan's show limps back to sluggish pace – Hindustan Times|date=2 August 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref> Awadhi is also spoken by the residents of [[Ayodhya]] and other minor characters in [[Ramanand Sagar]]'s 1987 television series ''[[Ramayan (1987 TV series)|Ramayan]]''. It is believed that the tune and lyrics of the song "[[Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali]]", from the movie ''[[Silsila (1981 film)|Silsila]]'' starring Amitabh Bachchan and [[Rekha]], are taken from a [[Music of Rajasthan|Rajasthani]] and [[Music of Haryana|Haryanvi]] folk [[bhajan]] about [[Meera]]. However the lyrics are slightly altered into the Awadhi dialect of [[Hindi]] to mould the song into appropriate context of the movie script. The Awadhi folk song "Mere Angne Mein Tumhara Kya Kaam Hai" has become popular in Bollywood with a neutralized version of it being in the 1981 film ''[[Laawaris (1981 film)|Laawaris]]'' starring Amitabh Bachchan, as well as being in the 1970 film ''[[Bombay Talkie]]'' and the 1975 film ''Maze Le Lo'', it was also released as a single by [[Neha Kakkar]] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bobbytalkscinema.com/recentpost/the-curious-case-of-mere-angn-2137/ |title=The curious case of |access-date=20 April 2022 |archive-date=28 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528082456/https://www.bobbytalkscinema.com/recentpost/The-curious-case-of-Mere-Angn-2137 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another Awadhi folk song that became popular through Bollywood was "Holi Khele Raghuveera", which was neutralized and sung by Amitabh Bachchan and put into the 2003 film ''[[Baghban (2003 film)|Baghban]]'' starring Amitabh Bachchan and [[Hema Malini]]. The hit 1994 Bollywood hit film ''[[Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!]]'' is based on an Awadhi film from 1982 ''[[Nadiya Ke Paar (1982 film)|Nadiya Ke Paar]]'', which itself is partly based on the novel ''Kohbar Ki Shart'' by Keshav Prasad Mishra.

=== Folk ===
The genres of folklore sung in Awadh include Sohar, Sariya, Byaah, Suhag, Gaari, Nakta, Banraa (Banna-Banni), Alha, Sawan, Jhula, Hori, Barahmasa, and [[Kajari|Kajri]].<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Pandey|2011|p=31}}</ref>

== Sample phrases ==
The Awadhi language comes with its dialectal variations. For instance, in western regions, the auxiliary /hʌiː/ is used, while in central and eastern parts /ʌhʌiː/ is used.

The following examples were taken from Baburam Saxena's ''Evolution of Awadhi'', and alternative versions are also provided to show dialectal variations.
{| style="margin:auto;"  class="wikitable"
|-
!style="background:#ffdead;"| English
!style="background:#ffdead;"| Awadhi ([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]])
!style="background:#ffdead;"| Awadhi ([[Devanagari]])
|- style="background:#ffe;"
| rowspan="2"|'''Who were there?'''
||{{IPA|ɦʊãː koː or kəʊn ɾəɦəĩ}}
||{{lang|awa|हुआँ को (कउन) रहें?}}
|- style="background:#ffe;"
||'''''alt'''.'' {{IPA|ɦʊãː keː or kəʊn ɾəɦəin}}
||'''''alt'''''. {{lang|awa|हुआँ के/कउन रहेन?}}
|- style="background:#ffe;"
| rowspan="2"|'''This boy is fine in seeing and hearing.'''
||{{IPA|ɪʊ lʌɾɪkaː d̪eːkʰʌiː sʊnʌiː mə ʈʰiːk hʌiː}}
||{{lang|awa|इउ लरिका देखई सुनई म ठीक है।}}
|- style="background:#ffe;"
||'''''alt.''''' {{IPA|ɪ lʌɾɪkaː d̪eːkʰʌiː sʊnʌiː mə ʈʰiːk ʌhʌiː}}
||'''''alt'''''. {{lang|awa|इ लरिका देखई सुनई म ठीक अहै।}}
|- style="background:#ffe;"
| rowspan="2"|'''(She) said, let (me) eat a little and give a little to this one too.'''
|| {{IPA|kʌɦɪn laːoː t̪ʰoːɽaː kʰaːɪ leːiː t̪ʰoːɽaː jʌhu kɘ d̪ʌɪ d̪eːiː}}
|| {{lang|awa|कहिन, लाओ थोड़ा खाई लेई, थोड़ा यहु का दै देई।}}
|- style="background:#ffe;"
||'''''alt.''''' {{IPA|kʌɦɪn lyaːvː t̪ʰoːɽaː kʰaːɪ leːiː raːçi keː jʌnhu kɘ d̪ʌɪ d̪eːiː}}
||'''''alt'''''. {{lang|awa|कहिन, ल्याव थोड़ा खाई लेई, रचि के एन्हुं के दै देई।}}
|- style="background:#ffe;"
| rowspan="2"|'''Those who go will be beaten.'''
|| {{IPA|d͡ʒoː d͡ʒʌɪɦʌĩ soː maːrʊ̥ kʰʌɪɦʌĩ}}
|| {{lang|awa|जो जइहैं सो मारउ खइहैं।}}
|- style="background:#ffe;"
||'''''alt'''''. {{IPA|d͡ʒèː d͡ʒʌɪɦʌĩ soː maːr kʰʌɪɦʌĩ}}
||'''''alt''.''' {{lang|awa|जे जइहैं सो मार खइहैं।}}
|- style="background:#ffe;"
| rowspan="2"|'''Do not shoot at the birds.'''
||{{IPA|cɪɾʌɪjʌn pʌɾ chʌrːaː nə cʌlaːoː}}
||{{lang|awa|चिरइयन पर छर्रा न चलाओ।}}
|- style="background:#ffe;"
||'''''alt'''''. {{IPA|cɪɾʌɪjʌn peː chʌrːaː jin cʌlaːwː}}
||'''''alt'''''. {{lang|awa|चिरइयन पे छर्रा जिन चलाव।}}
|}

==See also==
* [[Awadh]]
* [[Bagheli language]]
* [[Fijian Hindustani]]
* [[Caribbean Hindustani]]

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==References==
{{refbegin|indent=yes|3}}
* {{Cite book|last=Saxena|first=Baburam|date=1971|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WfkWvgqk5c4C&pg=PP1|title=Evolution of Awadhi|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publication|isbn=9788120808553|location=Allahabad}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.32106|title=Linguistic survey of India, Vol. 6, Mediate Group|last=Grierson|first=George Abraham|publisher=Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing|year=1904|location=India}}
* {{Citation|last=Singh|first=Ravindra Pratap|title=Nature, Climate and Self: Reading select texts of Awadhi Baramasa|url=https://www.rjoe.org.in/Files/vol4issue2/new/RJOE-luknow%20sir%20-2(26-34).pdf|work=Research Journal of English|volume=4|issue=2|date=2019|issn=2456-2696}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wT5v79lMmzEC|title=Awadhi Granthavali Volume 5|last=Pandey|first=Jagdish Prasad|publisher=Vani Prakashan|year=2011|isbn=978-81-8143-905-5|location=India|language=hi}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VV7leonJ8aQC|title=Sri Ramacaritamanasa|last=Tulasīdāsa|date=1999|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.|isbn=978-81-208-0762-4|page=747|language=en}}
* {{Citation|last=Orsini|first=Francesca|title=Inflected Kathas: Sufis and Krishna Bhaktas in Awadh|date=2014|url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/19887/|work=Religious Interactions in Mughal India|pages=195–232|editor-last=Dalmia|editor-first=Vasudha|publisher=Oxford University Press|language=en|isbn=978-0-19-808167-8|editor2-last=Faruqui|editor2-first=Munis}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Vaudeville|first=Charlotte|date=1990|title=Kabīr's language and languages, Hinduī as the language of non-conformity|journal=Indo-Iranian Journal|volume=33|issue=4|pages=259–266|doi=10.1163/000000090790083572|issn=0019-7246}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kA7HB8s621cC|title=The Magic Doe: Qutban Suhravardi's Mirigavati|last=Kutban|date=2012|publisher=Oxford University Press, USA|isbn=978-0-19-984292-6|language=en}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b3iHIOwV3mYC|title=Madhumalati: An Indian Sufi Romance|last=Manjhan|date=2001|publisher=OUP Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-160625-0|language=en}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=19zvfkwXyzUC|title=The Life of a Text: Performing the Rāmcaritmānas of Tulsidas|last=Lutgendorf|first=Philip|date=1991|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-06690-8|language=en}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J3RSHWePhXwC&q=central+portion |title=The Indo-Aryan languages|last=Masica|first =Colin P.|date=1993|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-23420-4|location=Cambridge|oclc=18947567}}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book|url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/loves-subtle-magic-9780195146707?cc=in&lang=en&|title=Love's Subtle Magic: An Indian Islamic Literary Tradition, 1379-1545|date=29 November 2012|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-514670-7|editor-last=Behl|editor-first=Aditya|location=Oxford, New York|editor2-last=Doniger|editor2-first=Wendy}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.7679/page/n3|title=Evolution of Awadhi: A Branch of Hindi|last=Saksena|first=Baburam|publisher=Indian Press; Allahabad|year=1938|isbn=|location=}}

==External links==
{{InterWiki|code=awa}}
{{wiktionarycat|type=Awadhi|category=Awadhi language}}
* [[:iso639-3:awa|Entry for Awadhi at SIL International]]
* [https://www.digitallibrary.io/awa Awadhi Books]

{{Hindi topics}}
{{Central Indo-Aryan languages}}
{{Languages of India}}
{{Languages of Nepal}}

{{Language phonologies}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Central Indo-Aryan languages]]
[[Category:Languages of India]]
[[Category:Languages of Fiji]]
[[Category:Languages of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Culture of Awadh]]
[[Category:Languages of Lumbini Province]]
[[Category:Languages of Sudurpashchim Province]]
[[Category:Awadhi language]]
[[Category:Languages written in Devanagari]]
[[Category:Languages listed as Hindi dialects in latest census]]