Hindustani

1 of 2

noun

Hin·​du·​stani ˌhin-dü-ˈsta-nē How to pronounce Hindustani (audio)
-ˈstä-nē
: a group of Indo-Aryan dialects of northern India of which literary Hindi and Urdu are considered diverse written forms

Hindustani

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to Hindustan or its people or Hindustani

Examples of Hindustani in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Written after the death of her brother, Vulture Prince offers space for solace by bridging Hindustani classical, jazz, pop songwriting, and ghazal, a form of poetry originating in Arabic that explores themes of love and loss. Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024 Exemplary of this underground were the activities of the Ghadar movement, a group of U.S.-based Indian anticolonial revolutionaries that formed from the Hindustani Association of the Pacific Coast. Adom Getachew, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2021 Languages as different as English, Russian, Hindustani, Latin and Sanskrit can all be traced back to this ancestral language. Kurt Kleiner, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024 His saxophonist, Tel Aviv native Oded Tzur, specializes in fusing jazz and Indian Hindustani classical music. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2024 The initial burst of productions will be in the Hindustani (combining Hindi and Urdu) language that is understood across the subcontinent. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2023 What makes Shakti stand out even more is that the band is equally skilled with the Carnatic music of Southern India, which often features wind instruments, and the Hindustani music of Northern India, which often features stringed instruments. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Aug. 2023 Not one of our Hindustani people, but one of Alexander the Great’s people, who were at one time Hindustanis after a fashion. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 9 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Hindustani.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Hindi & Urdu Hindūstānī, from Persian Hindūstān India

First Known Use

Noun

1787, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hindustani was in 1786

Dictionary Entries Near Hindustani

Cite this Entry

“Hindustani.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hindustani. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Hindustani

noun
Hin·​du·​stani
ˌhin-du̇-ˈstan-ē,
-ˈstän-ē
: a group of Indic dialects of northern India
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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