Linguistic Survey of India: 11 Volumes in 19 Parts (1973 Rare Edition)

Author(s): George Abraham Grierson
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass
Language: English
Total Pages:
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Description

The Linguistic Survey of India (LSI) is a comprehensive survey of the languages of British India, describing 364 languages and dialects. The Survey was first proposed by George Abraham Grierson, a member of the Indian Civil Service and a linguist who attended the Seventh International Oriental Congress held in Vienna in September 1886. He made a proposal for the linguistic survey and it was initially turned down by the Government of India. After persisting and demonstrating that it could be done using the existing network of government officials at a reasonable cost, it was approved in 1891. It was however formally begun only in 1894 and the survey continued for thirty years with the last of the results being published in 1928.

Grierson made use of Government officers to collect data from across the British Raj. He made forms and guidance material for the officers who gathered the information. There were numerous problems in ensuring uniformity of data gathering and clarity of understanding. One officer noted the difficulty even of noting the name of the language from a household. Interviewees would name their language after their caste.

The maps and boundaries indicated by Grierson have often been used by political groups seeking reorganizations of state boundaries.

The list of volumes published by Grierson from 1898 to 1928 are:

  • I. Part I Introduction
Part II Comparative Vocabulary of Indian Languages
  • II Mon-Khmer  & Tai Families
  • III Part I Himalayan Dialects, North Assam Groups
Part II Bodo–Naga & Kochin Groups of the Tibeto-Burman Languages
Part III Kuki-Chin & Burma Groups of the Tibeto-Burman Languages
  • IV. Munda & Dravidian Languages
  • V. Indo-Aryan Languages, (Eastern Group)
Part I Bengali-Assamese
Part II Bihari & Oriya
  • VI Indo-Aryan Languages, Mediate Group (Eastern Hindi)
  • VII Indo-Aryan Languages, Southern Group (Marathi)
  • VIII Indo-Aryan Languages, North-Western Group
Part I Sindhi & Lahnda
Part II Dardic or Pisacha Languages (including Kashmiri)
  • IX. Indo-Aryan Languages, Central Group
Part I Western Hindi & Punjabi 
Part II Rajasthani & Gujarati
Part III Bhil Languages including Khandesi, Banjari or Labhani, Bahrupia Etc.
Part IV Pahari Languages & Gujuri
  • X. Eranian Family
  • XI. "Gipsy" Languages