Sylheti language

Sylheti is an eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in Bangladesh’s Sylhet region and by diaspora communities, especially in India and the United Kingdom. It has distinctive phonology and a historical writing system called Sylheti Nagri.

Indo-Aryan languages: A branch of Indo-European languages spoken chiefly across South Asia. Sylheti belongs to this branch through its descent from eastern Indo-Aryan varieties.
Bengali language: An Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. Sylheti is often treated as a Bengali dialect, though many speakers regard it as a separate language.
Sylhet: A region in northeastern Bangladesh, historically connected to adjacent parts of northeastern India. The language takes its name from this region and remains rooted in its communities.
Sylheti in the United Kingdom: The use and transmission of Sylheti among communities of Bangladeshi origin in the United Kingdom. British Sylheti communities have made the language prominent in diaspora life.
Language endangerment: A process in which a language loses speakers and domains of use, raising the risk of its disappearance. Reduced transmission to younger generations can threaten Sylheti’s long-term vitality.
Eastern Indo-Aryan languages: A group of Indo-Aryan languages spoken mainly in eastern South Asia. Sylheti is commonly classified within this regional branch.
Assamese language: An eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Indian state of Assam. Its northeastern setting and related speech varieties invite comparison with Sylheti.
Sylheti Nagri literature: A body of religious and popular writing composed in Sylheti using the Sylheti Nagri script. These texts document a written tradition associated with Sylheti speakers.
Sylheti language maintenance: Efforts and practices that sustain Sylheti use across generations and social settings. Family and community transmission determine whether Sylheti remains a living home language.
Heritage language: A language associated with a person’s family or community that is not dominant in the wider society. Sylheti often functions as a heritage language for diaspora-born speakers.

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BengaliCompared with: Its relationship to Bengali is debated, and its speech differs from the standard varieties.