We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Find out more

Subscriber login

Library card login

Other

Login Athens/Access Management Federation

X Close menu

Dictionary Language resources

Hindustani

Pronunciation: /ˌhɪndʊˈstɑːni/

Definition of Hindustani

noun

[mass noun]

a group of mutually intelligible languages and dialects spoken in NW India, principally Hindi and Urdu.
the Delhi dialect of Hindi, widely used throughout India as a lingua franca.

adjective

relating to the culture of NW India:Hindustani classical music

Hindustani was the usual term in the 18th and 19th centuries for the native language of NW India. The usual modern term is Hindi (or Urdu in Muslim contexts), although Hindustani is still used to refer to the dialect of Hindi spoken around Delhi.