Sylheti

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A language of Bangladesh

ISO 639-3
syl
Alternate Names
Siloti, Srihattia, Sylhetti, Sylhetti Bangla, Syloti, Syloty
Autonym
Sileti, ছিলটী‎ (Silôṭi)
User Population

8,020,000 in Bangladesh, all users. L1 users: 6,520,000 in Bangladesh (2017). L2 users: 1,500,000. Total users in all countries: 11,520,000 (as L1: 10,020,000; as L2: 1,500,000).

Location

Sylhet division: Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, and Sylhet districts.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication).

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Bengali-Assamese
Dialects

None known. Reportedly similar to Assamese [asm]. Lexical similarity: 70% with Bengali [ben].

Language Use

Used by all. Also use Bengali [ben], primarily men. Bengali used in education and media. Used as L2 by Meitei [mni], War-Jaintia [aml].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 35%. Educated can read Bengali [ben]. Few women are educated. NT: 2014.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Sylheti
Writing

Bengali (Bangla) script [Beng]. Latin script [Latn]. Syloti Nagri script [Sylo].

Other Comments

Muslim, Hindu.

Also spoken in:

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