Warhadi Dialect (Marathi) - Issues and Threats

Issues and Threats

In the era of globalization, many spoken dialects are on the verge of decline and Varhadi is not an exception. Varhadi has no official status. In Maharashtra, including Vidarbha, standard Marathi is used as a medium of instruction for education as well as language of communication in print & broadcasting media and government administration. Hence, Varhadi has become just a language of villagers. People in urban areas prefer to speak standard Marathi. Many qualified people feel ashamed of speaking Varhadi with a fear of being considered as a villager, uneducated or of lower class of society. In cities, Varhadi quotes are used to create humors. Also, many Vidarbhians who relocate for employment to other parts of Maharashtra (especially to Mumbai & Pune) try to speak standard Marathi with an assumption that if they speak Varhadi, they will be identified as Vidarbhians since, Vidarbha is considered as a backward part of Maharashtra.

The sociolect of Brahmin community in Vidarbha (which is a part of Deshastha Brahmin community of Maharashtra) tends to be closer to standard Marathi and gradually becoming similar to Marathi spoken by Brahmins of rest of Maharashtra and thereby, differing from Varhadi.