Munda

In Hinduism, Munda is a monster that was killed by Devi.

See also Chamunda.

The Munda languages are spoken in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, India. Together with the Mon-Khmer languages, they form the Austro-Asiatic phylum. The main branches are:

• Santali, Mundari and Kharia,

Juang, Bhumij, Korva and Ho,

• Sora and Gutob
• Kurku

Altogether speakers number several millions but they are without a linguistic state, in contrast to, for example, Hindi, Dravidian and Tibeto-Burmese speakers in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Mizoram respectively. The Munda languages are thought to be the most ancient linguistic stratum of India, ante-dating even Dravidian. Their relationship to the Mon-Khmer languages is remote.