How Are Bengali, Marathi, Hindi Languages Similar?

Have you ever stumbled upon a word in an unfamiliar language and felt an odd sense of belonging, maybe a déjà vu? As if, deep down you already knew what it meant? That unfamiliar connection isn't just a coincidence, rather a gentle reminder of how deeply interconnected languages are.

Language is a means of communication, which helps build relations. It holds memories, identity and deep emotional significance. For many Indians, Hindi isn't just a language, it's home. It brings solace and a sense of belonging. Hindi belongs to a huge linguistic tree with branches spread across many areas. If we pay close attention, we can hear its echoes in many languages.

Map of languages

Yet Hindi is not unique in this respect. Whether they come from the same family or emerge from different origins, languages often reflect one another more than one realizes. There are common sounds, borrowed words, comparable sentence structures, and parallel evolutions throughout the world. These linguistic overlaps tell us that no language truly stands alone.

So how are Indian languages connected? There are two main language families in India, Indo-Aryan such as Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati and Odia, and, Dravidian such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

Consider this analogy:

MEANING	HINDI  (INDO-ARYAN)	BENGALI (INDO-ARYAN)	KANNADA (DRAVIDIAN)	TAMIL (DRAVIDIAN)
Water	paani	Jala	Nīru	Taṇṇīr
Body	shareer	Śarīra	Dēha	Uṭal
Eye	aankh	Cōkha	Kaṇṇu	Kaṇ
Milk	doodh	Dudha	Hālu	Pāl

Despite their different origins, they are culturally intertwined. Strict boundaries have blurred due to centuries of contact, trade, migration and cohabitation. As a result, languages that are not genetically related can occasionally have remarkably similar sounds.

MEANING	ITALIAN	FRENCH	GERMAN	HINDI	PERSIAN
Mother	Madré	Mère	Mutter	Maata	Madar
Brother	Fratello	Frère	Bruder	Bhai	Baradar
Name	Nome	Nom	Name	Naam	Nam
Night	Notte	Nuit	Nacht	Raat	Shab

Consider these examples:

A Dravidian child growing up in Hyderabad might speak Telugu at home and Hindi at school or even Marathi naturally incorporating words like "shukriya" or "pyaar", with a mix of some English slangs learned through media.

Over time, these crossovers aren't just accidental, they become a part of language's identity. Words carry memories. Even when we think we're speaking something foreign, we may actually be echoing something familiar or universal.

Whether it's Tamil echoing through Telugu, or Hindi sounding too similar to Urdu or Persian, or Italian and French sounding like sisters, the similarities remind us that we are not so different after all.

Languages don't just connect words, they connect people. The next time you hear a word in a completely different language that sounds too familiar and feels too close to home, just pause and think about the centuries of history, migration and trade. It is a beautiful reminder of how no language stands alone, it is always influenced by others.