Oriya Language

Oriya (ଓଡ଼ିଆ) is one of the Indian languages mainly spoken in the Indian state of Orissa, though there are also significant Oriya-speaking populations in other linguistic regions, Surat being the second largest Oriya speaking city in India. The language is also an official language of India. It is actually pronounced as ODIA. Oriya is an Indo-Aryan language and is thought to be directly descended from the Prakrit known as Purva Magadhi that was spoken in Eastern India over 1,500 years ago. It bears a very strong resemblance to the modern languages, Bangla (Bengali) and Ahomiya (Assamese). Of all the languages spoken in northern India, Oriya appears to be the least influenced by Persian and Arabic.

Oriya Script

The Oriya script is used to write the Oriya language. The Oriya script developed from the Kalinga script, one of the many descendents of the Brahmi script of ancient India. The earliest known inscription in the Oriya language, in the Kalinga script, dates from 1051.

The curved appearance of the Oriya script is a result of the practice of writing on palm leaves, which have a tendency to tear if you use too many straight lines.

Oriya UNICODE Chart