The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages. It consists of three language groups: the Indo-Aryan, Iranian and Dardic. The term Aryan is also used to refer to the Indo-Iranian languages. According to most Aryan migration theories, speakers of the Proto-Indo-Iranian language, who referred to themselves as Aryans, settled east and south of the Caspian Sea in Northern India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Their expansion is believed to have been connected with the invention of the chariot.

The contemporary Indo-Iranian languages form the largest sub-branch of Indo-European, with more than one billion speakers in total, stretching from Europe (Romani) and the Caucasus (Ossetian) to South India (Marathi). SIL in a 2005 estimate counts a total of 308 varieties, the largest in terms of native speakers being Hindustani (Hindi and Urdu, ca. 540 million), Bengali (ca. 200 million), Punjabi (ca. 100 million), Marathi and Persian (ca. 70 million each), Gujarati (ca. 45 million), Oriya (ca. 30 million), Kurdish and Pashto (ca. 25 million each) and Sindhi (ca. 20 million).

Subdivisions

Indo-Aryan languages:

• Vedic Sanskrit
• Sanskrit
• Mitanni
• Pāli
• Central Zone
  • Hindi language
  • Hindustani language
  • Punjabi language
  • Romany language – the language of the Roma and Sinti
  • Urdu
• Eastern Zone (Magadhan Prakrit languages)
  • Angika language
  • Assamese language
  • Bengali language
  • Bhojpuri language
  • Magadhi language
  • Maithili language
  • Oriya language
• Northern Zone (Pahari languages)
  • Nepali language
• Northwestern Zone
  • Sindhi language
• Southern Zone
  • Dhivehi language / Mahl language
  • Konkani language
  • Marathi language
  • Sinhala
• Western Zone
  • Gujarati language

Iranian languages:

• Eastern Iranian
  • Northeastern
    • Avestan language (extinct)
    • Scythian language (extinct)
      • Saka language (extinct)
    • Ossetian language
    • Sogdian (extinct), Yagnobi
    • Bactrian (extinct)
  • Southeastern
    • Pashto language
    • Pamiri
• Western Iranian
  • Northwestern
    • Dari language of Zoroastrians
    • Balochi language
    • Gilaki language
    • Kurdish language
    • Talysh language
  • Southwestern ("Persid")
    • Old Persian (extinct)
    • Middle Persian (extinct)
    • Persian language
    • Luri language
    • Tat language

Dardic languages:

• Dameli language
• Domaaki language
• Gawar-Bati language
• Kalasha-mun language
• Kashmiri language
• Khowar language
• Kohistani language
• Ningalami language
• Pashayi language
• Phalura language
• Shina language
• Shumashti language

Nuristani languages:

• Askunu language (Ashkun)
• Kamkata-viri language (Bashgali)
• Vasi-vari language (Prasuni)
• Tregami language
• Kalasha-ala language (Waigali)

See also

• Language families and languages
• Indo-Iranian Swadesh list

Indo-Iranian languages | Iranian peoples

Llinguas indoiranias | Индо-ирански езици | Indoiranski jezici | Llengües indoiranianes | Indoíránské jazyky | Indoiranske sprog | Indoiranische Sprachen | Lenguas indo-iranias | زبان‌های هندوایرانی | Langues indo-iraniennes | שפות הודו-איראניות | インド・イラン語派 | 인도이란어파 | Indoiráni nyelvek | Indo-Iraanse talen | Języki indoirańskie | Línguas indo-iranianas | Limbile indo-iraniene | Indoiranilaiset kielet | Indoiranska språk | ภาษากลุ่มอินโด-อิเรเนียน | 印度-伊朗语族