Odia

1 synonym for Odia, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The Indo-Aryan language spoken by around 40 million people, mainly in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, where it is the official language. It is written in its own rounded script and is one of India's classical languages.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

Oriya

How to use Odia

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

Odia language Odia film speak Odia Odia script Odia literature

Neutral. Use Odia in current writing; Oriya now reads as dated.

Etymology

The people's own name for themselves and their language, connected with the name of the region now called Odisha (formerly spelled Orissa in English). The English spelling was officially changed from Oriya to Odia in 2011.

Full origin of Odia →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Odia and Oriya?

They are the same language and the same people; only the English spelling differs. Oriya was the older transliteration, and India officially adopted Odia (alongside renaming Orissa as Odisha) in 2011. You will still see Oriya in older books, dictionaries and software language lists.

Is Odia similar to Bengali or Hindi?

Odia is an Indo-Aryan language, so it shares a great deal of vocabulary with Bengali, Assamese and Hindi. It is closest to Bengali and Assamese, but its script is visibly different, with distinctive curved tops rather than the horizontal bar.

Is Odia a classical language?

Yes. In 2014 Odia was given classical language status by the Government of India, recognising a literary tradition stretching back many centuries. It was the first Indo-Aryan language to receive that designation.

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Nearby words

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