# Halbi language

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**Halbi** (also Bastari, Halba, Halvas, Halabi, Halvi) is an [Eastern Indo-Aryan](/source/Eastern_Indo-Aryan_languages) language, transitional between [Odia](/source/Odia_language) and [Marathi](/source/Marathi_language).[2] It is spoken by at least 766,297 people across the central part of [India](/source/India).

The Mehari (or Mahari) dialect is mutually intelligible with the other dialects only with difficulty. There are an estimated 200,000 second-language speakers (as of 2001). In Chhattisgarh educated people are fluent in [Hindi](/source/Hindi). Some first language speakers use [Bhatri](/source/Bhatri_language) as a second language.

Halbi is often used as a trade language, but there is a low literacy rate. It is written in the [Odia](/source/Odia_script) and [Devanagari](/source/Devanagari) scripts.[citation needed] It uses SOV word order (subject-object-verb), makes strong use of [affixes](/source/Affix), and places adjectives before nouns.

## Phonology

### Vowels

Halbi has 6 vowels: /i, e, ə, a, o, u/. All vowels show contrastive vowel nasalization.[3]

### Consonants

Labial Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal Nasal voiced m n (ɳ) (ɲ) ŋ breathy mʱ nʱ Stop/ Affricate voiceless p t ʈ tʃ k aspirated pʰ tʰ ʈʰ tʃʰ kʰ voiced b d ɖ dʒ g breathy bʱ dʱ ɖʱ dʒʱ gʱ Fricative s h Approximant voiced ʋ l j breathy lʱ Rhotic voiced r (ɽ) breathy rʱ (ɽʱ)

- /n/ is heard as a palatal [ɲ] when preceding palatal affricates, and as retroflex [ɳ] when before retroflex stops.
- Voiced retroflex stops /ɖ, ɖʱ/ are heard as retroflex flaps [ɽ, ɽʱ] when in word-medial positions.

## References

1. ["Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011"](http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language_MTs.html). *www.censusindia.gov.in*. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2018-07-07.

1. Masica (1991)

1. Kaushikkar, Chitra Vijay (1972). *A descriptive analysis of Halbi: An Indo-Aryan language*. Poona: Deccan College.

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