1,300,000 including 1,000,000 Bhil plus 300,000
Patelia in Madhya Pradesh. 12,688 Kotvali (1994 IMA),
5,624,000 in languages in the Bhil family (1994 IMA).
Region
Madhya Pradesh, Jhabua, Char, Ratlam districts;
Gujarat, Panchmahals and Dahod districts; Rajasthan;
Maharashtra; some in Jammu and Kashmir; Andhra Pradesh;
Karnataka; Punhab; Bihar; Tripura; mountainous areas.
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central
zone, Bhil.
Comments
Patelia in Gujarat is inherently intelligible with
Bhili. Bhili of Ratlam District in Madhya Pradesh is
inherently intelligible with Wagdi. Connecting link
between Gujarati and Rajasthani (Marwari). Bhili is
a Scheduled Tribe in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh, Tripura; Kotwalia a Scheduled Tribe
in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Limited proficiency in Hindi.
Spoken as mother tongue by the Patelia in Madhya Pradesh.
Connecting link between Gujarati and Rajasthani. 'Bhil'
is an ethnic designation (caste or tribe). Dewali (Dehawali)
is a cover term for Vasavi and Kotali, among others.
Investigation needed: intelligibility with , BLN, attitudes
toward Kotwalia, Tadvi, Valvi, Naikda, Dhodia, Dubla,
Charan, Rani with Bhili, Gujarati. Grammar. Literacy
rate in first language: 1% to 5%. Literacy rate in second
language: 10%. There are efforts being made in literature
development. TV, videos. Traditional religion. Tadavi
Bhil are Muslim. NT 1930, out of print.