Halbi, Ho and Kui — UPSC Prelims PYQ 2021 (Tribal Languages)

With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to

1. dance forms of Northwest India
2. musical instruments
3. pre-historic cave paintings
4. tribal languages

Explanation

• Halbi, also known as Bastari, is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken by various tribes in central India.
• Ho, a tribal language, is written in the Warang Chiti script and is the mother tongue of nearly a million tribal people in Odisha and Jharkhand.
• The Kandhas communicate through Kui, a South-Eastern Dravidian language primarily spoken in Odisha and documented in the Odia script.
• The Kui language was also referred to as the Kuinga language during the historical period. It is closely related to the Gondi and Kuvi languages.
  • Only Santali, Ho, Soura, Munda, and Kui have a written script in Odisha.

Answer: (d) tribal languages; Difficulty Level: Medium