Maithili

Maithili, one of the Indo-Aryan Languages, originated from Sanskrit. Its structure is similar to that of ancient Ardhmagadhi, one of the Prakrit languages. Maithili is also akin to Hindi, Bhojpuri and Bengali. It is spoken primarily in northern parts of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Native speakers of Maithili are settled in a large part of northern India - from Muzaffarpur in the west, past Kosi in the east, to Purnia, to Munger District and Bhagalpur in the south and the foothills of the Himalayas on the north. The language is also spoken in Nepal. Vidyapati is one of the most famous poets of Maithili.