Tharu languages

Tharu
Tharu
थारु, थरुवा, थरुहट
Native to	Nepal, India
Region	Terai
Ethnicity	Tharu (incl. Bhoksa)
Native speakers	1.7 million in Nepal (2021 census); 370,000 or more in India (1997–2007)
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Central and Eastern Eastern Hindi and Bihari (Unclassified) Tharu; ; ; ; ; ;
Dialects	Rana Tharu; Sonha Tharu; Kochila Tharu; Kathariya Tharu; Dangaura Tharu; Chitwania Tharu;
Writing system	Devanagari
Official status
Official language in	Nepal Lumbini Province; Sudurpashchim;
Recognised minority; language in	India Uttarakhand; Uttar Pradesh;
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Variously:; thl – Dangaura Tharu; tkt – Kathariya Tharu; thr – Rana Tharu; the – Chitwania Tharu; thq – Kochila Tharu; tkb – Buksa; soi – Sonha
Glottolog	thar1284
	Regions in Nepal and India with significant Tharu population

The Tharu (Tharu: थारु, Hindi: थरुवा) or Tharuhat (Nepali: थरुहट) languages are any of the Indo-Aryan languages spoken by the Tharu people of the Terai region in Nepal, and neighboring regions of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India.

Tharu languages are spoken in the Tharu community. These languages are similar to other neighboring languages. Tharu language is one of the major languages spoken in Nepal.

Although their own precise classification within Indo-Aryan remains uncertain, Tharu languages have superficial similarities with neighbouring languages such as Kumaoni, Awadhi, Maithili, Bengali, Rajbanshi and Bhojpuri. The lexicon of certain Tharu households is indicative of an archaic, 'indigenous' substratum, potentially predating both Sino-Tibetan or Indo-Aryan settlement. Tharu languages appear to be transitional within the context of Indo-Aryan.