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The Marathi language is important for many reasons, including: Cultural identity: Marathi is a key part of the cultural identity of Maharashtra and its people. It's a reflection of the region's traditions, expressions, and nuances. Literary heritage: Marathi has some of the oldest literature of modern Indian languages. It's known for its literary richness, and has produced many renowned poets, writers, and scholars. Preservation of history: Marathi preserves ancient literature, folktales, and historical records. Connection to the arts: Marathi is connected to the performing arts, theater, music, and cinema. Empowerment: Marathi helps empower Marathi-speaking communities. Resilience: Marathi has shown resilience in the face of globalization, and has always been open to accepting changes. Historical tradition: Marathi has a long historical tradition, which has played a vital role in its survival. Marathi is one of India's oldest languages, and ranks 13th in the world for the number of native speakers. The Government of India designated Marathi as a classical language in October 2024. Marathi Language Day is celebrated annually on February 27 to honor the language and its literary heritage. The day is marked by cultural events, literary gatherings, poetry recitals, and seminars. read less

The Marathi language is regulated by the Ministry of Marathi Language in the Maharashtra government, as well as other institutions, including the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad. The Ministry of Marathi Language is responsible for promoting the Marathi language in India and abroad. The language department of the Ministry offers free Marathi classes to non-Marathi speakers in Maharashtra. Some other acts related to the Marathi language include: The Maharashtra Official Languages Act, 1964: This act provides for the adoption of languages for official purposes of the state, including the state legislature. The Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020: This act mandates the teaching and learning of Marathi in schools. The Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022: This act provides for the use of Marathi for official purposes of local authorities in Maharashtra. Marathi is an official language of India in the states of Maharashtra, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. read less

Gujarati and Marathi are different in several ways, including: Official language Gujarati is the official language of Gujarat, while Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra. Grammar and syntax Gujarati uses more prefixes and suffixes to form words, while English relies more on word order. Gender system Gujarati uses a three-gender system for nouns (masculine, feminine, and neuter), while Hindi uses two (masculine and feminine). Pronunciation Marathi retains some Sanskrit pronunciation features, such as the original diphthong qualities of ⟨ऐ⟩ and ⟨औ⟩. Script Gujarati is written from left to right, and is not case-sensitive. Language structure Marathi is a hybrid language with elements from the Dravidian family, such as split ergativity and dual agreement patterns. Language origin Gujarati can be traced back to the 12th century CE. Marathi is an ancient language of India that is the modern form of Maharashṭrī Prakrit. read less

Marathi is spoken in the following regions of India: Maharashtra: The official language of Maharashtra, and spoken in the state and parts of neighboring states Goa: The official language of Goa Other states: Spoken in parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh Union territories: Spoken in Daman-diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli Marathi is also spoken by diaspora communities in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Mauritius. Here are some facts about Marathi: It's an Indo-Aryan language, similar to Hindi and Punjab It's written in Devanāgarī script The standard form of speech is from the city of Pune It's the third most common language in India It's the eleventh most spoken language in the world The dialects of Marathi include Are and Koli Some phrases to learn in Marathi include "Namaskar" (नमस्कार), which means "hello" and "Aabhari Aahe" (आभारी आहे), which means "thank you" read less