Khandeshi language

Khandeshi
Khandeshi
Ahirani, Khandeshi
खान्देशी, अहिराणी
Native to	Maharashtra, India
Region	Khandesh
Native speakers	1.86 million (2011 census)
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Western Khandeshi; ; ; ;
Dialects	Khandeshi; Dangri; Ahirani;
Writing system	Devanagari
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either:; khn – Khandeshi; ahr – Ahirani (dialect)
Glottolog	khan1272 Khandesi; ahir1243 Ahirani (deprecated)
	Distribution of Khandeshi speakers (2011)

Khandeshi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Khandesh region of north-west Maharashtra and also in Gujarat. It consists of Khandeshi proper, and the Dangri and Ahirani dialects. Kunbi and Rangari also are dialects. The Ahirani dialect of this language is mostly spoken. Devanagari script is used to write Khandeshi language. The words "Ahirani" and "Khandeshi" are sometimes used interchangeably: Ahirani as the caste-based name (after Ahirs), and Khandesh as the region-based name. The Census of 1911, 1921 and 1931 counted the Ahirani speaking people as Gujaratis but in latter decades they have been recognized as a different language.