View source for Maithili language

{{Short description|Indo-Aryan language spoken in India and Nepal}}
{{Distinguish|text=the [[Meithei language]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox language
| name           = Maithili
| nativename     = मैथिली
| pronunciation  = {{IPA-mai|ˈməi̯tʰɪli|}}
| image            = Maithili language.svg
| imagecaption     = The word "Maithili" written in Devanagari script
| imagescale       = 
| states           = [[India]] and [[Nepal]]
| nation           = {{IND|India}}{{Efn|It is one of 22 [[Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India|Eighth Schedule language]]s}}
* [[Jharkhand]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=झारखंड : रघुवर सरकार कैबिनेट से मगही, भोजपुरी, मैथिली व अंगिका को द्वितीय भाषा का दर्जा |url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/news/ranchi/jharkhand-raghubar-das-cabinet-decision-maithili-bhojpuri-angika-magahi-second-language/1135878.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321180643/https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/news/ranchi/jharkhand-raghubar-das-cabinet-decision-maithili-bhojpuri-angika-magahi-second-language/1135878.html |archive-date=21 March 2018 |access-date=21 March 2018}}</ref> (additional)
| region           = [[Mithila (region)|Mithila]]{{efn|Eastern [[Bihar]] and northeastern [[Jharkhand]] in India;<ref name="Archived copy">{{Cite web |date=21 March 2018 |title=मैथिली लिपि को बढ़ावा देने के लिए विशेषज्ञों की जल्द ही बैठक बुला सकते हैं प्रकाश जावड़ेकर |url=https://khabar.ndtv.com/news/india/prakash-javadekar-likely-to-call-meeting-of-experts-to-promote-maithili-script-1826774 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321192835/https://khabar.ndtv.com/news/india/prakash-javadekar-likely-to-call-meeting-of-experts-to-promote-maithili-script-1826774 |archive-date=21 March 2018 |access-date=21 March 2018 |website=NDTV}}</ref><ref name="m.livehindustan.com">{{Cite web |date=6 March 2018 |title=मैथिली को भी मिलेगा दूसरी राजभाषा का दर्जा |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/jharkhand/story-maithili-will-get-second-state-language-status-in-jharkhand-1835624.html |access-date=3 January 2020 |website=Hindustan}}</ref> [[Province No. 2]] and [[Province No. 1]] in Nepal)}}
| ethnicity        = [[Maithil]]
| speakers         = 34 million<!--Indian census has only 14M, an obvious undercount-->
| date             = 2000
| ref              = e21
| map              = Maithili_map.png
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
| fam3             = [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]]
| fam4             = [[Eastern Indic languages|Eastern]]
| fam5             = [[Bihari languages|Bihari]]
| ancestor         = [[Magadhi Prakrit]]
| ancestor2        = Magadhan [[Apabhraṃśa]]
| ancestor3        = [[Abahattha]]
| dia1             = [[Thēthi]]
| script           = [[Devanagari]] and [[#Writing system|others]]
| iso2             = mai
| iso3             = mai
| glotto           = mait1250
| glottorefname    = Maithili
| agency           = *[[India]] ([[Sahitya Akademi]])
**[[Bihar]] ([[Maithili Academy]])
**[[Delhi]] ([[Maithili - Bhojpuri Academy, Delhi]])
*[[Nepal]] ([[Nepal Academy]])
| mapcaption       = Maithili-speaking region of India and Nepal
}}
{{Constitutionally recognised languages in India}}
{{Contains special characters
| special    = uncommon [[Unicode]] characters
| fix        = Help:Multilingual support#Tirhuta script
| image      = Replacement character.svg
| link       = Specials (Unicode block)#Replacement character
| alt        = <?>
| compact    = yes
}}

'''Maithili''' ({{IPAc-en|lang|ˈ|m|aɪ|t|ᵻ|l|i}}<ref>{{OED|Maithili}}</ref>) is an [[Indo-Aryan language]] spoken in parts of [[Languages of India|India]] and [[Languages of Nepal|Nepal]]. It is native to the [[Mithila region]], which encompasses parts of the Indian states of [[Bihar]] and [[Jharkhand]] as well as Nepal's eastern [[Terai]]. It is one of the 22 [[Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India|officially recognised languages]] of India<ref name="mha.nic.in">{{Cite web |title=Constitutional provisions relating to Eighth Schedule |url=http://mha.nic.in/hindi/sites/upload_files/mhahindi/files/pdf/Eighth_Schedule.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010536/http://mha.nic.in/hindi/sites/upload_files/mhahindi/files/pdf/Eighth_Schedule.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2016 |access-date=27 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="Archived copy" /><ref name="m.livehindustan.com" /> and the second most spoken [[Languages of Nepal|language in Nepal]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Nepal |language=en |work=Ethnologue |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/NP/languages |access-date=17 July 2018}}</ref><ref name="Sah2013">{{Cite journal |last=Sah, K. K. |year=2013 |title=Some perspectives on Maithili |journal=Nepalese Linguistics |issue=28 |pages=179–188}}</ref>It was once described by linguist Sir [[George Abraham Grierson]] as the "sweetest language".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Maithili gets cultural boost |language=en |work=Hans India|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/amp/posts/index/Young-Hans/2018-02-05/Maithili-gets-cultural-boost/356643 |access-date=5 February 2018}}</ref>

The language is predominantly written in [[Devanagari]], but there were two other historically important scripts: [[Tirhuta script|Tirhuta]], which has retained some use until the present, and [[Kaithi script|Kaithi]].

==Official status==
In 2003, Maithili was included in the [[8th Schedule|Eighth Schedule]] of the [[Indian Constitution]] as a recognised [[language of India|Indian language]], which allows it to be used in education, government, and other official contexts in India.<ref name="mha.nic.in" /> Maithili language is included as an optional paper in the [[Union Public Service Commission|UPSC]] Exam. In March 2018, Maithili received the second official language status in the [[Indian state]] of [[Jharkhand]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 March 2018 |title=झारखंड : रघुवर कैबिनेट से मगही, भोजपुरी, मैथिली व अंगिका को द्वितीय भाषा का दर्जा |language=hi |work=Prabhat Khabar |url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/jharkhand/ranchi/1135878 |access-date=6 February 2021}}</ref>

[[Gopal Jee Thakur]] of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] is the first [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha]] who speaks in the Maithili language in the [[Parliament of India]].<ref>{{Cite news |author=The Hindu Net Desk |date=18 November 2019 |title=Parliament proceedings updates: Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill under consideration in Lok Sabha |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/winter-session-of-parliament-day-1-live-updates/article30004519.ece |access-date=28 February 2023 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> He is currently the MP for [[Darbhanga Lok Sabha constituency|Darbhanga]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 September 2022 |title=Darbhanga Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 Live Updates: Bihar Lok Sabha Election (Polls) Results 2019, Winner, Runner-Up |url=https://indianexpress.com/elections/darbhanga-lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-winner-runner-up/ |access-date=28 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902172405/https://indianexpress.com/elections/darbhanga-lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-winner-runner-up/ |archive-date=2 September 2022 }}</ref>

The [[Language Commission (Nepal)|Language Commission of Nepal]] has recommended Maithili language to be made an official administrative language in [[Koshi province]] and [[Madhesh Province]].<ref name="langcomreport">{{Cite web |title=सरकारी कामकाजको भाषाका आधारहरूको निर्धारण तथा भाषासम्बन्धी सिफारिसहरू (पञ्चवर्षीय प्रतिवेदन- साराांश) २०७८ |url=https://languagecommission.gov.np/files/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A3%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%BE.pdf |access-date=28 October 2021 |website=Language Commission |archive-date=6 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906171816/https://languagecommission.gov.np/files/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A3%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%BE.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Geographic distribution==
In India, Maithili is spoken mainly in [[Bihar]] and [[Jharkhand]] in the districts of [[Darbhanga district|Darbhanga]], [[Saharsa district|Saharsa]], [[Samastipur district|Samastipur]], [[Madhubani District|Madhubani]], [[Muzaffarpur district|Muzaffarpur]], [[Sitamarhi district|Sitamarhi]], [[Begusarai district|Begusarai]], [[Munger district|Munger]], [[Khagaria district|Khagaria]], [[Purnia district|Purnia]], [[Katihar district|Katihar]], [[Kishanganj district|Kishanganj]], [[Sheohar district|Sheohar]], [[Bhagalpur district|Bhagalpur]], [[Madhepura district|Madhepura]], [[Araria district|Araria]], [[Supaul district|Supaul]], [[Vaishali district|Vaishali]] and [[Deoghar district|Deoghar]] as well as other districts of [[Santhal Pargana division]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=बिहार में मैथिली भाषा आजकल सुर्खियों में क्यों है? त्रेता युग से अब तक मैथिली का सफर |url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/bihar/patna/why-is-maithili-language-in-the-headlines-in-bihar-these-days-journey-of-maithili-since-treta-yug/articleshow/81190077.cms}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 March 2018 |title=मैथिली को भी मिलेगा दूसरी राजभाषा का दर्जा |language=hi |work=Hindustan |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/jharkhand/story-maithili-will-get-second-state-language-status-in-jharkhand-1835624.html |access-date=3 September 2020}}</ref> [[Darbhanga]], [[Madhubani, India|Madhubani]], [[Saharsa]] and [[Purnia]] constitute cultural and linguistic centers.<ref name="e16">{{Cite book |url=http://archive.ethnologue.com/16/show_language.asp?code=mai |title=Ethnologue: Languages of the World |publisher=SIL International |year=2009 |editor-last=Lewis, M. P. |edition=Sixteenth |location=Dallas, Texas |chapter=Maithili |access-date=19 August 2013 |chapter-url=http://archive.ethnologue.com/16/show_language.asp?code=mai |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922005007/http://archive.ethnologue.com/16/show_language.asp?code=mai |archive-date=22 September 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In Nepal, Maithili is spoken mainly in the [[Terai#Outer Terai|Outer Terai]] districts including [[Sarlahi District|Sarlahi]], [[Mahottari District|Mahottari]], [[Dhanusa District|Dhanusa]], [[Sunsari District|Sunsari]], [[Siraha District|Siraha]], [[Morang District|Morang]] and [[Saptari District]]s. [[Janakpur]] is an important linguistic centre of Maithili.<ref name="e16" />

==Classification==
In the 19th century, linguistic scholars considered Maithili as a dialect of a [[Bihari language]] along with other languages of Bihar. [[Rudolf Hoernlé|Hoernlé]] compared it with the [[Gauḍa (region)|Gaudian]] languages and recognised that it shows more similarities with the [[Bengali language]]s than with Hindi. [[George Abraham Grierson|Grierson]] recognised it as a distinct language and published its first [[grammar]] in 1881.<ref name="Yadav1979">{{Cite book |last=Yadav |first=R. |title=Maithili Phonetics and Phonology |publisher=Doctoral Dissertation, University of Kansas, Lawrence |year=1979 |chapter=Maithili language and Linguistics: Some Background Notes |access-date=9 May 2012 |chapter-url=http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/kailash/pdf/kailash_08_0102_04.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517085054/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/kailash/pdf/kailash_08_0102_04.pdf |archive-date=17 May 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Yadav, R. (1996). ''A Reference Grammar of Maithili''. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.</ref>

[[Suniti Kumar Chatterji|Chatterji]] grouped Maithili with the [[Magadhi Prakrit]].<ref>Chatterji, S. K. (1926). The origin and development of the Bengali language. University Press, Calcutta.</ref>

=== Dialects ===
{{Unreliable sources|section|date=October 2022}}<!--the text has been edited over and over again so it's impossible to tell what comes from the sources listed and what doesn't; some of the sources are also outdated and there are inconsistencies on they way they're used-->
Maithili varies greatly in dialects.<ref>Brass, P. R. (2005). Language, Religion, and Politics in North India. iUniverse, Lincoln, NE.</ref> The standard form of Maithili is  Central Maithili<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Yadav |first=R. |year=1992 |title=The Use of the Mother Tongue in Primary Education: The Nepalese Context |url=http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/contributions/pdf/CNAS_19_02_02.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Contributions to Nepalese Studies |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=178–190 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410144313/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/contributions/pdf/CNAS_19_02_02.pdf |archive-date=10 April 2016 |access-date=18 June 2016}}</ref> which is mainly spoken in [[Darbhanga district|Darbhanga]], [[Begusarai district]] , [[Madhubani district]] and [[Saharsa district]] in Bihar, India.<ref>Choudhary, P.K. 2013. Causes and Effects of Super-stratum Language Influence, with Reference to Maithili. Journal of Indo-European Studies 41(3/4): 378–391.</ref>
*[[Bajjika]] (Western Maithili) is spoken in [[Sitamarhi district|Sitamarhi]], [[Muzaffarpur district|Muzaffarpur]], [[Vaishali district|Vaishali]] and [[Sheohar district|Sheohar]] districts of [[Bihar]] in India. Western Maithili is listed as a distinct language in Nepal and overlaps by 76–86% with Maithili dialects spoken in [[Dhanusa District|Dhanusa]], [[Morang District|Morang]], [[Saptari District|Saptari]], and [[Sarlahi District]]s.<ref name="ethnologue2">{{Cite web |year=2018 |editor-last=Simons, G. F. |editor2-last=Fennig, C. D. |title=Maithili. Ethnologue: Languages of the World |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mai |access-date=7 December 2018 |publisher=SIL International |location=Dallas}}</ref>
*[[Thēthi|Thēthi Maithili]] is spoken mainly in [[Kosi division|Kosi]], [[Purnia division|Purnia]] and [[Munger division]]s and [[Mokama|Patna's Mokama]] in [[Bihar]], [[India]] and some adjoining districts of [[Nepal]].<ref>Ray, K. K. (2009). Reduplication in Thenthi Dialect of Maithili Language. Nepalese Linguistics 24: 285–290.</ref>
*[[Angika|Angika Dialect]] (Southern Maithili) is spoken in and around the [[Bhagalpur]], [[Banka, Bihar|Banka]],<ref name="Language">[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16.html 2011 Census of India, Population By Mother Tongue]</ref> [[Jamui]], [[Munger]]<ref>{{cite web |title=language {{!}} Munger District, Government of Bihar {{!}} India |url=https://munger.nic.in/language/ |website=munger.nic.in |access-date=12 March 2022}}</ref> and [[Santhal Pargana division]].<ref name="dsal">{{Cite web |title=LSI Vol-5 part-2 |url=http://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/lsi/lsi.php?volume=5-2&pages=466#page/110/mode/1up |publisher=dsal |page=95 |quote="Southern Maithili"}}</ref><ref name="dsal1">{{Cite web |title=LSI Vol-5 part-2 |url=http://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/lsi/lsi.php?volume=5-2&pages=466#page/27/mode/1up |publisher=dsal |page=13}}</ref>
*Eastern Maithili mainly spoken in [[Kishanganj]], [[Araria]], [[Purnia]] also some part of [[Katihar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mustgo.com/worldlanguages/maithili/%3famp|title=  Eastern Maithili Dialect "www.mustgo.com|access-date= 12 September 2022}}</ref>
*Several other dialects of Maithili are spoken in India and Nepal, including Dehati, Deshi, Kisan, Bantar, Barmeli, Musar, Tati and Jolaha. All the dialects are intelligible to native Maithili speakers.<ref name="e16" />

==Origin and history==
The name Maithili is derived from the word [[Mithila (ancient)|Mithila]], an ancient kingdom of which King [[Janaka]] was the ruler (see [[Ramayana]]). Maithili is also one of the names of [[Sita]], the wife of King [[Rama]] and daughter of King [[Janaka]]. Scholars in Mithila used Sanskrit for their literary work and Maithili was the language of the common folk ([[Abahattha]]).

The beginning of Maithili language and literature can be traced back to the '[[Charyapada]]s', a form of Buddhist mystical verses, composed during the period of 700-1300 AD. These padas were written in [[Twilight language|Sandhya bhasa]] by several Siddhas who belonged to [[Vajrayana Buddhism]] and were scattered throughout the territory of [[Assam]], [[Bengal]], [[Bihar]] and [[Odisha]]. Several of Siddas were from Mithila region such as Kanhapa, Sarhapa etc. Prominent scholars like [[Rahul Sankrityayan|Rahul Sankrityanan]], Subhadra Jha and [[Jayakant Mishra]] provided evidence and proved that the language of  [[Charyapada]] is ancient Maithili or proto Maithili.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mishra |first=J. |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.135722 |title=A History Of Maithili Literature |date=1949 |volume=1}}</ref>
Apart from Charyapadas, there has been rich tradition of folk culture, folk songs and which were popular among common folks of Mithila region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madhubani Paintings: People's Living Cultural Heritage |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1527/madhubani-paintings-peoples-living-cultural-herita/ |access-date=19 November 2020 |website=[[World History Encyclopedia]]}}</ref>

After the fall of [[Pala Empire|Pala]] rule, disappearance of [[Buddhism]], establishment of [[Karnat dynasty|Karnāta]] kings and patronage of Maithili under Harisimhadeva (1226–1324) of Karnāta dynasty dates back to the 14th century (around 1327 AD). [[Jyotirishwar Thakur]] (1280–1340) wrote a unique work ''[[Varna Ratnakara|Varnaratnākara]]'' in Maithili prose.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chatterji, S. K. |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283961 |title=Varna Ratnakara Of Jyotirisvara Kavisekharacarya |date=1940}}</ref> The ''Varna Ratnākara'' is the earliest known prose text, written by [[Jyotirishwar Thakur]] in [[Mithilakshar|Mithilaksar script]],<ref name="Yadav1979" /> and is the first prose work not only in Maithili but in any modern Indian language.<ref name="Maithili literature">{{Cite book |title=Reading Asia : new research in Asian studies |date=2001 |publisher=Curzon |isbn=0700713719 |location=Richmond, Surrey |oclc=48560711}}</ref>

In 1324, Ghyasuddin Tughluq, the emperor of [[Delhi]] invaded Mithila, defeated [[Harisimhadeva]], entrusted Mithila to his family priest and a great Military Scholar Kameshvar Jha, a [[Maithil]] [[Brahmin]] of the [[Oiniwar Dynasty|Oinwar dynasty]]. But the disturbed era did not produce any literature in Maithili until [[Vidyapati|Vidyapati Thakur]] (1360 to 1450), who was an epoch-making poet under the patronage of king Shiva Singh and his queen Lakhima Devi. He produced over 1,000 immortal songs in Maithili on the theme of love of [[Radha]] and [[Krishna]] and the domestic life of [[Shiva]] and [[Parvati]] as well as on the subject of suffering of migrant labourers of [[Morang District|Morang]] and their families; besides, he wrote a number of treaties in [[Sanskrit]]. His [[Love song|love-songs]] spread far and wide in no time and enchanted [[saint]]s, [[poet]]s and [[youth]]. [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]] saw the divine light of love behind these songs, and soon these songs became themes of [[Vaishnavism|Vaisnava]] sect of [[Bengal]]. [[Rabindranath Tagore]], out of curiosity, imitated these songs under the pseudonym [[Bhanusimha Thakurer Padabali|Bhanusimha]]. Vidyapati influenced the religious literature of [[Assam|Asama]], [[Bengal]], [[Utkala Kingdom|Utkala]] and gave birth to a new [[Brajabuli]] language.<ref name="Majumdar1960">{{Cite book |title=[[The History and Culture of the Indian People]] |date=1960 |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |editor-last=Majumdar |editor-first=Ramesh Chandra |editor-link=R. C. Majumdar |volume=VI: The Delhi Sultanate |location=Bombay |page=515 |quote="During the sixteenth century, a form of an artificial literary language became established ... It was the ''Brajabulī'' dialect ... ''Brajabulī'' is practically the Maithilī speech as current in Mithilā, modified in its forms to look like Bengali." |editor-last2=Pusalker |editor-first2=A. D. |editor-last3=Majumdar |editor-first3=A. K.}}</ref><ref name="Banglapedia-Brajabuli">{{Cite book |last=Morshed |first=Abul Kalam Manjoor |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |year=2012 |editor-last=Islam |editor-first=Sirajul |editor-link=Sirajul Islam |edition=Second |chapter=Brajabuli |editor-last2=Jamal |editor-first2=Ahmed A. |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Brajabuli}}</ref>

The earliest reference to Maithili or Tirhutiya is in Amaduzzi's preface to Beligatti's ''Alphabetum Brammhanicum'', published in 1771.<ref name="Tourutiana">{{Cite book |last=Ded. St. Borgiae Clementi |first=XIV. Praef. J. Chr. Amadutii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Djfl_uZqLAC |title=Alphabetum Brammhanicum Seu Indostanum Universitatis Kasi |publisher=Palala Press |year=1771 |isbn=9781173019655 |pages=viii |language=la}}</ref> This contains a list of Indian languages amongst which is 'Tourutiana.' Colebrooke's essay on the Sanskrit and Prakrit languages, written in 1801, was the first to describe Maithili as a distinct dialect.<ref name="Colebrooke's">{{Cite book |last=Thomas Colebrooke |first=H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DToCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1 |title=Miscellaneous essays. With life of the author by his son Sir T.E. Colebrooke, Volume 3 |year=1873 |isbn=9781145371071 |pages=26}}</ref>

Many devotional songs were written by Vaisnava saints, including in the mid-17th century, Vidyapati and Govindadas. Mapati Upadhyaya wrote a drama titled ''Pārijātaharaṇa'' in Maithili. Professional troupes, mostly from [[dalit]] classes known as [[Kirtan]]ias, the singers of [[bhajan]] or devotional songs, started to perform this drama in public gatherings and the courts of the nobles.
Lochana (c. 1575 – c. 1660) wrote ''Rāgatarangni'', a significant treatise on the science of music, describing the rāgas, tālas, and lyrics prevalent in Mithila.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mishra |first=Amar Kant |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZHp7DwAAQBAJ |title=Ruling Dynasty Of Mithila: Dr.Sir Kameswar Singh |date=23 November 2018 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-64429-762-9 |language=en}}</ref>

During the [[Malla (Nepal)|Malla dynasty]]'s rule Maithili spread far and wide throughout [[Nepal]] from the 16th to the 17th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ayyappappanikkar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9sljAAAAMAAJ |title=Medieval Indian literature: an anthology, Volume 3 |last2=Akademi |first2=Sahitya |date=January 1999 |isbn=9788126007882 |pages=69 |access-date=19 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219172743/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9sljAAAAMAAJ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-ra3n8JrSAhVDC8AKHa4dDGsQ6AEIHzAB |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Gellner |first1=D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n4FQMEiZcrIC&pg=PA243 |title=Nationalism and Ethnicity in a Hindu Kingdom: The Politics and Culture of ... |last2=Pfaff-Czarnecka |first2=J. |last3=Whelpton |first3=J. |date=6 December 2012 |isbn=9781136649561 |pages=243 |access-date=19 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219173751/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=n4FQMEiZcrIC&pg=PA243&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwih_rGx8ZrSAhVsIcAKHYYsC3wQ6AEIKzAD#v=onepage&q=malla%20dynasty%20maithili&f=false |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> During this period, at least seventy Maithili dramas were produced. In the drama ''Harishchandranrityam'' by Siddhinarayanadeva (1620–57), some characters speak pure colloquial Maithili, while others speak [[Bengali language|Bengali]], Sanskrit or [[Prakrit]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rahmat Jahan, 1960- |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/58526278 |title=Comparative literature : a case of Shaw and Bharatendu |date=2004 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |isbn=81-7625-487-8 |edition=1st |location=New Delhi |pages=121 |oclc=58526278}}</ref>

After the demise of Maheshwar Singh, the ruler of [[Raj Darbhanga|Darbhanga Raj]], in 1860, the Raj was taken over by the [[British Raj|British Government]] as regent. The Darbhanga Raj returned to his successor, Maharaj [[Lakshmeshwar Singh|Lakshmishvar Singh]], in 1898. The Zamindari Raj had a lackadaisical approach toward Maithili. The use of Maithili language was revived through personal efforts of MM Parameshvar Mishra, Chanda Jha, Munshi Raghunandan Das and others.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jha |first=Pankaj Kumar |date=1996 |title=Language and Nation : The Case of Maithili and Mithila in the First Half of Twentieth Century |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44133363 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=57 |pages=581–590 |jstor=44133363 |access-date=19 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tripathi |first=Shailaja |date=14 October 2010 |title=Moments for masses |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/Moments-for-masses/article15780022.ece |access-date=19 November 2020}}</ref>

Publication of ''Maithil Hita Sadhana'' (1905), ''Mithila Moda'' (1906), and ''Mithila Mihir'' (1908) further encouraged writers. The first social organisation, Maithil Mahasabha,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vijay Deo Jha |first=Mithila Research Society |url=http://archive.org/details/MaithilMahasabhaKaSankshiptItihasBriefHistoryOfMaithiliMahasabhaPanditChandranathMishraAmar |title=Maithil Mahasabha Ka Sankshipt Itihas ( Brief History Of Maithili Mahasabha) Pandit Chandranath Mishra Amar |date=9 March 2019}}</ref> was established in 1910 for the development of Mithila and Maithili. It blocked its membership for people outside of the [[Maithil Brahmin]] and [[Karan Kayastha|Karna Kayastha]] castes. Maithil Mahasabha campaigned for the official recognition of Maithili as a regional language. [[Calcutta University]] recognised Maithili in 1917, and other universities followed suit.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mishra |first=Jayakanta |date=1977 |title=Social Ideals and Patriotism in Maithili Literature (1900-1930) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24157493 |journal=Indian Literature |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=96–101 |issn=0019-5804 |jstor=24157493}}</ref>

Babu Bhola Lal Das wrote ''Maithili Grammar'' (''Maithili Vyakaran''). He edited a book ''Gadya Kusumanjali'' and edited a journal ''Maithili''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chatterjee |first=Ramananda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sQXSAAAAMAAJ |title=The Modern Review |date=1964 |publisher=Prabasi Press Private, Limited |page=215 |language=en}}</ref>
In 1965, Maithili was officially accepted by [[Sahitya Academy]], an organisation dedicated to the promotion of [[Indian literature]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jha |first=Ramanath |date=1969 |title=The Problem of Maithili |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24157120 |journal=Indian Literature |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=5–10 |issn=0019-5804 |jstor=24157120}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliament of India |url=https://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/lsdeb/ls10/ses3/3108059204.htm |access-date=21 September 2021 |website=parliamentofindia.nic.in}}</ref>

In 2002, Maithili was recognised on the [[Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India|VIII schedule of the Indian Constitution]] as a major Indian language; Maithili is now one of the twenty-two [[Languages of India#Scheduled languages|Scheduled languages of India]].<ref name="Singh2011">Singh, P. & Singh, A. N. (2011). Finding Mithila between India's Centre and Periphery. ''Journal of Indian Law & Society'' 2: 147–181.</ref>

The publishing of Maithili books in [[Tirhuta script|Mithilakshar]] script was started by [[Acharya Ramlochan Saran]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Horst |first=Kristen Nehemiah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=loWepwAACAAJ |title=Acharya Ramlochan Saran |date=12 October 2011 |publisher=Dign Press |isbn=978-613-7-39524-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1227092541939433472 |user=biharfoundation |title=Acharya Ramlochan Saran, born on 11 February 1889, in #Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, was a Hindi littérateur, grammarian and publisher.}}</ref>

==Phonology==
===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |[[Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan="2" |[[Central vowel|Central]]
! colspan="2" |[[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
!<small>short</small>
!<small>long</small>
!<small>short</small>
!<small>long</small>
!<small>short</small>
!<small>long</small>
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA link|ɪ}} {{grapheme|इ}}
| {{IPA link|iː}} {{grapheme|ई}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|ʊ}} {{grapheme|उ}}
| {{IPA link|uː}} {{grapheme|ऊ}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| {{IPA link|e}} {{grapheme|ऎ}}
| {{IPA link|eː}} {{grapheme|ए}}
| {{IPA link|ə}}~{{IPA link|ɐ}} {{grapheme|अ}}
| {{IPA link|əː}} {{grapheme|अऽ}}
| {{IPA link|o}} {{grapheme|ऒ}}
| {{IPA link|oː}} {{grapheme|ओ}} 
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan="2" | {{IPA link|æ}}~{{IPA link|ɛ}} {{grapheme|ऍ}}
| {{IPA link|ä|a}} {{grapheme|ॴ}}
| {{IPA link|äː|aː}} {{grapheme|आ}}
| colspan="2" | {{IPA link|ɔ}} {{grapheme|अ꣱}}
|-
![[Diphthongs]]
| colspan="2" |əɪ̯ {{Grapheme|ऐ}} əe̯ {{grapheme|ꣾ}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |əʊ̯ {{Grapheme|औ}} əo̯ {{grapheme|ॵ}}
|}

*All vowels have [[Nasalised vowel|nasal]] counterparts, represented by "~" in IPA and ँ on the vowels, like आँ  ãː .
*All vowel sounds are realised as nasal when occurring before or after a [[nasal consonant]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Yadav |first=Ramawatar |title=A Reference Grammar of Maithili |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter |year=1996 |location=Berlin |pages=15–27}}</ref>
* Sounds eː and oː are often replaced by diphthongs əɪ̯ and əʊ̯.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}
*ɔ is replaced by ə in northern dialects and by o in southernmost dialects.
*There are three short vowels that were described by Grierson, but are not counted by modern grammarians. But they could be understood as syllable break: ॳ / ɘ̆ /,  इ/ ɪ̆ /,  उ/ ʊ̆ / . Or as syllable break ऺ in Devanagari and "." in IPA.
* ꣾ is a Unicode letter in Devanagari, (IPA /əe̯/) which is not supported currently on several browsers and operating systems, along with its mātrā (vowel sign).
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File: Devanagari extended AY.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.5|[[Devanagari Extended]] AY vowel|link=Special:FilePath/Devanagari_extended_AY.jpg]] --><!-- Deleted image removed: [[File: Devanagari extended AY vowelsign.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.5|[[Devanagari Extended]] AY vowel sign]] -->

The following [[diphthongs]] are present:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maithili |url=http://lisindia.ciil.org/Maithili/Maithili.html |access-date=7 January 2023 |website=lisindia.ciil.org}}</ref>
: अय़(ꣾ) / əe̯ / ~ /ɛː/ - अय़सन (ꣾ सन) / əe̯sən / ~ /ɛːsɐn/ 'like this'
: अव़(ॵ) / əo̯ / ~ /ɔː/- चव़मुख(चॏमुख) / tɕəo̯mʊkʰ / ~ /tɕɔːmʊkʰ/ 'four faced'
: अयॆ / əe̯ / - अयॆलाः / əe̯laːh / 'came'
: अवॊ (अऒ) / əo̯ / - अवॊताः / əo̯taːh / 'will come'
: आइ / aːi̯ / - आइ / aːi̯ / 'today'
: आउ / aːu̯ / - आउ / aːu̯ / 'come please'
: आयॆ (आऎ) / aːe̯ / - आयॆल / aːe̯l / 'came'
: आवॊ (आऒ) / aːo̯ / - आवॊब / aːo̯b / 'will come'
: यु (इउ) / iu̯/ - घ्यु / ghiu̯ / 'ghee'
: यॆ (इऎ) / ie̯ / - यॆः / ie̯h / 'only this'
: यॊ (इऒ) / io̯ / - कह्यो / kəhio̯ / 'any day'
: वि (उइ) / ui̯ / - द्वि / dui̯ / 'two'
: वॆ (उऎ) /ue̯/ -  वॆ: / ue̯h / 'only that'

A peculiar type of phonetic change is recently taking place in Maithili by way of [[epenthesis]], i.e. backward transposition of final i and u in all sort of words.<ref name="Maithili">{{Cite web |title=Maithili |url=http://lisindia.ciil.org/Maithili/Maithili.html |access-date=22 April 2020 |website=lisindia.ciil.org}}</ref> Thus:

Standard Colloquial - Common Pronunciation
: अछि / əchi / - अइछ / əich / 'is'
: रवि / rəbi / - रइब / rəib / 'Sunday'
: मधु / mədhu / - मउध / məudh / 'honey'
: बालु / ba:lu / - बाउल / ba:ul / 'sand'

===Consonants===
Maithili has four classes of [[Stop consonant|stops]], one class of [[Affricate consonant|affricate]], which is generally treated as a stop series, related [[Nasal consonant|nasals]], [[Fricative consonant|fricatives]] and [[Approximant consonant|approximant]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" |
![[Labial consonant|Labial]]
![[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br />[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
![[Palatal]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}} {{grapheme|म}}
| {{IPA link|n}} {{grapheme|न}}
| {{IPA link|ɳ}} {{grapheme|ण}}
| ({{IPA link|ɲ}}) {{grapheme|ञ}}
| {{IPA link|ŋ}} {{grapheme|ङ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[Plosive]]/<br/>[[Affricate]]
! rowspan="2" | <small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
! <small>unaspirated</small>
| {{IPA link|p}} {{grapheme|प}}
| {{IPA link|t}} {{grapheme|त}}
| {{IPA link|ʈ}} {{grapheme|ट}}
| {{IPA link|tɕ}} {{grapheme|च}}
| {{IPA link|k}} {{grapheme|क}}
|
|-
! <small>[[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]]</small>
| {{IPA|pʰ}} {{grapheme|फ}}
| {{IPA|tʰ}} {{grapheme|थ}}
| {{IPA|ʈʰ}} {{grapheme|ठ}}
| {{IPA|tɕʰ}} {{grapheme|छ}}
| {{IPA|kʰ}} {{grapheme|ख}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | <small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
! <small>unaspirated</small>
| {{IPA link|b}} {{grapheme|ब}}
| {{IPA link|d}} {{grapheme|द}}
| {{IPA link|ɖ}} {{grapheme|ड}}
| {{IPA link|dʑ}} {{grapheme|ज}}
| {{IPA link|ɡ}} {{grapheme|ग}}
|
|-
! <small>[[voiced aspirated|aspirated]]</small>
| {{IPA|bʱ}} {{grapheme|भ}}
| {{IPA|dʱ}} {{grapheme|ध}}
| {{IPA|ɖʱ}} {{grapheme|ढ}}
| {{IPA|dʑʱ}} {{grapheme|झ}}
| {{IPA|ɡʱ}} {{grapheme|घ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
! colspan="2" | <small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
| ({{IPA link|ɸ}}~{{IPA link|f}}) {{grapheme|फ़}}
| {{IPA link|s}} {{grapheme|स}}
| ({{IPA link|ʂ}}) {{grapheme|ष}}
| ({{IPA link|ɕ}}) {{grapheme|श}}
| ({{IPA link|x}}) {{grapheme|ख़}}
| -({{IPA link|h}})* {{grapheme|ः}}
|-
! colspan="2" | <small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
|
| ({{IPA link|z}}) {{grapheme|ज़}}
|
| ({{IPA link|ʑ}}) {{grapheme|झ़}}
|
| ({{IPA link|ɦ}}) {{grapheme|ह}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]
! colspan="2" | <small>unaspirated</small>
|
| {{IPA link|ɾ}}~{{IPA link|r}} {{grapheme|र}}
| ({{IPA link|ɽ}}) {{grapheme|ड़}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | <small>aspirated</small>
|
|
| ({{IPA|ɽʱ}}) {{grapheme|ढ़}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]
|
| {{IPA link|l}} {{grapheme|ल}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Approximant]]
| ({{IPA link|ʋ}}~{{IPA link|w}}) {{grapheme|व}}
|
|
| ({{IPA link|j}}) {{grapheme|य}}
|
|
|}

====Stops====
There are four series of stops- [[Bilabial stop|bilabials]], [[Coronal stop|coronals]], [[Retroflex stop|retroflex]] and [[Velar stop|velar]], along with an [[Palatal affricate|affricate]] series. All of them show the four way contrast like most of the modern [[Indo-Aryan languages]]:

* [[Tenuis consonant|tenuis]], as /p/, which is like ⟨p⟩ in English ''spin''
* [[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]], as /b/, which is like ⟨b⟩ in English ''bin''
* [[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]], as /pʰ/, which is like ⟨p⟩ in English ''pin'', and
* [[Breathy voice|murmured]] or [[aspirated voiced]], as /bʱ/.

Apart from the retroflex series, all the rest four series show full phonological contrast in all positions. The retroflex tenius ʈ and ʈʰ show full contrast in all positions. ɖ and ɖʱ show phonological contrast mainly word-initially.<ref name=":1" /> Both are defective phonemes, occurring intervocalically an word finally only if preceded by a nasal consonant. Word finally and postvocalically, ɖʱ surfaces as {{IPA|ɽʱ}} or {{IPA|r}}ʱ.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Yadav |first=Ramawatar |title=A Reference Grammar of Maithili |location=Berlin |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter. |year=1996 |chapter=Trends in Linguistics: Documentation, 11. |pages=15–27}}</ref> Non-initially, both are interchangeable with  {{IPA|ɽ}} or {{IPA|r}} and {{IPA|ɽʱ}} or {{IPA|rʱ}} respectively.<ref name=":1" />

====Fricatives====
{{IPA|s}} and {{IPA|h}} are most common fricatives. They show full phonological opposition. {{IPA|ɕ}} and {{IPA|ʂ}}, which is present in tatsama words, is replaced by {{IPA|s}} most of the times, when independent. {{IPA|ɕ}} occurs before {{IPA|tɕ}} and {{IPA|ʂ}} before {{IPA|ʈ}}. {{IPA|x}} and {{IPA|f}} occurs in Perso-Arabic loanwords, generally replaced by {{IPA|kʰ}} and {{IPA|pʰ}} respectively. {{IPA|x}} and {{IPA|ɸ}} also occurs in Sanskrit words ([[Visarga|jihvamuliya and upadhmaniya]]), which is peculiar to Maithili.

* Fricative sounds {{IPA|[ʂ, ɕ]}} only occur marginally, and are typically pronounced as a dental fricative /{{IPA|s}}/ in most styles of pronunciation.ः is always added after a vowel.

====Sonorants====
{{IPA|m}} and {{IPA|n}} are present in all phonological positions. {{IPA|ŋ}} occurs only non-initially and is followed by a homorganic stop, which may be deleted if voiced, which leads to the independent presence of ŋ. {{IPA|ɳ}} occurs non-initially, followed by a homorganic stop, and is independent only in tatsama words, which is often replaced with n. {{IPA|ɲ}} occurs only non-initially and is followed by a homorganic stop always. It is the only nasal which does not occur independently.
* In most styles of pronunciation, the retroflex flap {{IPA|[ɽ]}} occurs marginally, and is usually pronounced as an alveolar tap /{{IPA|r}}/ sound.
* Approximant sounds {{IPA|[ʋ, w, j]}} and  fricative sounds {{IPA|[ɸ, f, z, ʑ, x]}}, mainly occur in words that are borrowed from Sanskrit or in words of Perso-Arabic origin. From Sanskrit, ''puʂp(ə)'' as ''puɸp(ə)''. Conjunct of ''ɦj'' as ''ɦʑ'' as in ''graɦjə'' as ''graɦʑə''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Grierson |first=George Abraham |url=https://archive.org/details/introductiontoma00grierich |title=An introduction to the Maithili dialect of the Bihari language as spoken in North Bihar |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bengal |year=1909 |edition=2 |location=Calcutta}}</ref>

There are four non-syllabic vowels in Maithili-
i̯, u̯, e̯, o̯ written in Devanagari as य़, व़, य़ॆ, व़ॊ. Most of the times, these are written without nukta.

==Morphology==
{{Main|Maithili grammar}}

===Nouns===
An example declension:
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Case name
! colspan="3" |Singular Inflection
! colspan="3" |Plural Inflection
|-
!Feminine
!Masculine
!Neuter
!Feminine
!Masculine
!Neuter
|-
!Nominative
| -इ ɪ
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | -आ/अ꣱ aː/ɔ
| -इन ɪn
| -अन, -अनि
ən, ənɪ̆
| rowspan="2" | -अन, -अनि
ən, ənɪ̆
|-
!Accusative
(Indefinite)
| -ई iː
| -ई iː
| -आ aː
|-
!Instrumental
| colspan="2" |Postposition used<br />
| -एँ ẽː
| colspan="2" |Postposition used
| -अन्हि
ənʰɪ̆
|-
! rowspan="2" |Dative
| colspan="6" |Postposition used
|-
| -इल ɪlə
| colspan="2" |  -अल ələ
| colspan="3" rowspan="3" |No forms
|-
!Ergative
| -इएँ ɪẽː
| colspan="2" | -एँ ẽː
|-
!Ablative
| -इतः ɪtəh
| colspan="2" |  -अतः
ətəh
|-
!Genitive
| -इक ɪk, इर ɪr
| colspan="2" | -अक ək, -अर ər
| -ईंक ĩːk
| colspan="2" | -आँँक 
ãːk
|-
!Locative
| colspan="2" |Postposition used
| -ए eː
| colspan="2" |Postposition used
| -आँ
ãː
|-
!Vocative
| -इ ɪ/ई iː
| colspan="2" | -आ/अऽ aː/əː
| -इन ɪn
| colspan="2" | -अन, -अनि
ən, ənɪ̆
|}

===Adjectives===
The difference between adjectives and nouns is very minute in Maithili. However, there are marked adjectives there in Maithili.

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Masculine
!Feminine
!Neuter
|-
!Definite
| -का/क꣱ kaː/kɔ
| -कि/कि kɪ/kɪ̆
|का/कऽ kaː/kəː
|-
!Indefinite
| -आ/अ꣱ aː/ɔ
| -इ/इ ɪ/ɪ̆
|अ/अऽ ᵊ/əː
|}

===Pronouns===
{{Main|Maithili grammar#Pronouns}}
Pronouns in Maithili are declined in similar way to nominals, though in most pronouns the genitive case has a different form. The lower forms below are accusative and postpositional. The plurals are formed periphrastically.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Person
!First Grade Honour
!Honorofic
!High Honorofic
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |First Person
| colspan="3" | हम ɦəm 
अपना ɐpᵊnaː (Inclusive)
|-
| colspan="3" |हमरा ɦəmᵊraː
अपना ɐpᵊnaː (Inclusive)
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Second Person
|तोँह tõːɦᵊ
| rowspan="2" |अहाँ ɐɦãː
| rowspan="2" |अपने ɐpᵊneː
|-
|तोँहरा tõːɦᵊraː
|-
! rowspan="8" |Third Person
! rowspan="4" |Proximate
|ई iː
| colspan="2" |ए eː
|-
|ऎकरा ekᵊraː
| colspan="2" |हिनका ɦɪnᵊkaː
|-
| colspan="3" |ए eː (Neuter)
|-
| colspan="3" |ऎहि, ऍ, अथि eɦɪ, æ, ɐtʰɪ (Neuter)
|-
! rowspan="4" |Non-Proximate
|ऊ, वा uː, ʋaː
| colspan="2" |ओ oː
|-
|ऒकरा okᵊraː
| colspan="2" |हुनका ɦʊnᵊkaː
|-
| colspan="3" |ऒ o (Neuter)
|-
| colspan="3" |ऒहि, ॵ oɦɪ, əʊ (Neuter)
|}

==Writing system==
[[File:The consonants of the Mithilakshar script and the corresponding Devnagari.jpg|right|thumb|Consonants in Mithilakshar]]
Beginning in the 14th century, the language was written in the [[Tirhuta script]] (also known as Mithilakshara or Maithili), which is related to the [[Bengali-Assamese script]].<ref name="Pandey2009" /> By the early 20th century, this script was largely associated with the Mithila Brahmans, with most others using [[Kaithi script|Kaithi]], and [[Devanagari]] spreading under the influence of the scholars at [[Banaras]].<ref name="Brass1974">{{Cite book |last=Brass |first=P. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SylBHS8IJAUC&pg=PP1 |title=Language, Religion and Politics in North India |publisher=iUniverse |year=2005 |isbn=0-595-34394-5 |location=Lincoln |page=67 |access-date=1 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511082055/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SylBHS8IJAUC&lpg=PA67&pg=PP1 |archive-date=11 May 2018 |url-status=live |orig-year=1974}}</ref> Throughout the course of the century,  Devanagari grew in use eventually replacing the other two, and has since remained the dominant script for Maithili.<ref name="Yadava2013">Yadava, Y. P. (2013). Linguistic context and language endangerment in Nepal. [http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/nepling/pdf/Nep_Ling_28.pdf Nepalese Linguistics 28] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231341/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/nepling/pdf/Nep_Ling_28.pdf |date=3 March 2016 }}: 262–274.</ref><ref name="Pandey2009" /><ref name="Brass1974" /> Tirhuta retained some specific uses (on signage in north Bihar as well as in religious texts, genealogical records and letters), and has seen a resurgence of interest in the 21st century.<ref name="Pandey2009">{{Cite report |url=http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n3765.pdf |title=Towards an Encoding for the Maithili Script in ISO/IEC 10646 |last=Pandey |first=Anshuman |page=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514002714/http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n3765.pdf |archive-date=14 May 2011 |year=2009}}.</ref>

The [[Tirhuta (Unicode block)|Tirhuta]] and [[Kaithi (Unicode block)|Kaithi]] scripts are both currently included in Unicode.

==Literature==
{{Main|Maithili literature}}

==Sample Text==
The following sample text is Maithili translation of Article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]]:

'''Maithili in the [[Tirhuta]] alphabet'''
:{{Lang|mai|{{script|Tirh|'''𑒁𑒢𑒳𑒔𑓂𑒕𑒹𑒠 𑓑:'''𑒮𑒦 𑒧𑒰𑒢𑒫 𑒖𑒢𑓂𑒧𑒞𑓁 𑒮𑓂𑒫𑒞𑒢𑓂𑒞𑓂𑒩 𑒁𑒕𑒱 𑒞𑒟𑒰 𑒑𑒩𑒱𑒧𑒰 𑒂 𑒁𑒡𑒱𑒏𑒰𑒩𑒧𑒹 𑒮𑒧𑒰𑒢 𑒁𑒕𑒱। 𑒮𑒦𑒏𑒹𑒿 𑒁𑒣𑒢–𑒁𑒣𑒢 𑒥𑒳𑒠𑓂𑒡𑒱 𑒂 𑒫𑒱𑒫𑒹𑒏 𑒕𑒻𑒏 𑒂𑒍𑒩 𑒮𑒦𑒏𑒹𑒿 𑒋𑒏 𑒠𑒼𑒮𑒩𑒏 𑒣𑓂𑒩𑒞𑒱 𑒮𑒾𑒯𑒰𑒩𑓂𑒠𑒣𑒴𑒩𑓂𑒝 𑒫𑓂𑒨𑒫𑒯𑒰𑒩 𑒏𑒩𑒥𑒰𑒏 𑒔𑒰𑒯𑒲।}}}}

'''Maithili in the [[Devanagari]] alphabet'''

:{{lang|mai|'''अनुच्छेद १:'''सभ मानव जन्मतः स्वतन्त्र अछि तथा गरिमा आ अधिकारमे समान अछि। सभकेँ अपन–अपन बुद्धि आ विवेक छैक आओर सभकेँ एक दोसरक प्रति सौहार्दपूर्ण व्यवहार करबाक चाही।}}

'''Maithili in [[IAST]]'''

:'''Anuccheda Eka:''' Sabha mānaba janmataha svatantra achi tathā garimā ā adhikārme samāna achi. Sabhkẽ apana-apana buddhi ā bibeka chaika āora sabhkẽ eka dosarāka prati sauhardapurna byabahāra karabāka cāhī.

'''Translation'''

:'''Article 1:''' All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They possess conscience and reason. Therefore, everyone should act in a spirit of brotherhood towards each other.

==See also==
* [[Languages with official status in India]]
* [[List of Indian languages by total speakers]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Interwiki|code=mai}}


* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101230084755/http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?menu=004&LangID=199 UCLA Language Materials Project : Maithili]
* [https://archive.today/20121219224725/http://www.ntm.org.in/languages/maithili/default_maithili.asp National Translation Mission's (NTM) Maithili Pages]
* [http://www.videha.co.in/ Videha Ist Maithili] {{ISSN|2229-547X}}
* [https://sites.google.com/a/videha.com/videha-pothi/ Maithili Books]

{{Bihari languages}}
{{Languages of India}}
{{Languages of Nepal}}
{{Maithili language}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Maithili language| ]]
[[Category:Bihari languages]]
[[Category:Culture of Mithila]]
[[Category:Eastern Indo-Aryan languages]]
[[Category:Languages attested from the 14th century]]
[[Category:Languages of Bihar]]
[[Category:Languages of India]]
[[Category:Languages of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Languages of Nepal]]
[[Category:Languages officially written in Indic scripts]]
[[Category:Official languages of India]]
[[Category:Sahitya Akademi recognised languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Bagmati Province]]
[[Category:Languages of Koshi Province]]
[[Category:Languages of Madhesh Province]]
[[Category:Languages of Lumbini Province]]
[[Category:Languages written in Devanagari]]