Angika

Angika
  • अंगिका
  • अङ्गिका
  • অঙ্গিকা
  • 𑂃𑂑𑂹𑂏𑂱𑂍𑂰
Aṁgikā, Aṅgikā
The word "Angika" written in Devanagari script
Pronunciation[ɐ̃ŋgiˈka]
Native toIndia and Nepal
RegionAnga (eastern Bihar and northeastern Jharkhand, as well as Morang and Sunsari districts, Nepal)
EthnicityAngika people
Native speakers
  • L1: 740,000 (1997/2011)
  • L2: 1,700 (2011, Nepal)
  • Total census: 750,000
  • Total estimate: 30–50 million (2001)
Early forms
Dialects
  • Northern (Dharampuria)
  • Central (Bhagalpuria)
  • Thethi (Mungeria)
  • Surjapuria
  • Khotta
Official status
Official language in
 India
Recognised minority
language in
 Nepal (protected under mother-tongue provisions)
Language codes
ISO 639-2anp
ISO 639-3anp
Glottologangi1238
Linguasphere59-AAF-sk
Map of eastern India and Nepal showing the region where Angika is spoken.
Classified as "Vulnerable" (VU) by UNESCO's Atlas of the world's languages in danger.

Angika (also known as Anga, Angikar or Chhika-Chhiki) is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in some parts of the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand, as well as in parts of Nepal.

Angika is closely related to neighbouring Indic languages such as Maithili, Bengali, Bhojpuri and Magahi. Historically it was written in a separate script known as 'Anga Lipi'. Later writers shifted to Kaithi Script and eventually to Devanagari Script. Angika has been declared as an additional official language of Jharkhand.