Languages of Goa

Goa is a state situated on the western coast of India. The capital of Goa is Panaji. It is a small yet multilingual state. During the Portuguese regime, the commonly spoken language in Goa was Portuguese. Even today, the older generations can fluently speak Portuguese. However, currently, the language spoken majorly in Goa is Konkani, followed by English, Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, and Kannada. There have been high demands for making Konkani the official language in Roman script, and there is a huge support for making Konkani the only official language of Goa. English is used by many people in Goa, as it is a famous tourist destination. Marathi is the co-official language used in many official works. Kannada is spoken by a small group of people near the Karnataka border, and it has a history in the state, too. Hindi, being the national language, is also used in the state.

Languages used in Goa

Konkani

Konkani is spoken by 2.5 million people in India, mainly on the western coast, where Goa is situated. It is a minority language in Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu. About 66.11% of the people in Goa can speak Konkani. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages in the state. It is written in the Devanagari script and belongs to the Indo-Aryan language group. 

Konkani is the official language of Goa today. But it wasn’t always the official language. After the Portuguese regime in 1961, there were high demands to make Konkani the official language, which turned out to be successful. 

Marathi

After Konkani, Marathi is largely spoken in Goa. About 10.89% of Marathi speakers are present in Goa. People say it is somewhat similar to Konkani, as both are related to the Indo-Aryan group. It is also used in some official works of the state. The majority of Marathi speakers are from north Goa (near Maharashtra). 

There is a conflict between the supporters of Marathi and Konkani in Goa. Marathi supporters consider Konkani as one of its sub-dialects and the state of Goa to be a part of Maharashtra. After independence in 1961, the people of Goa had to struggle to earn official recognition for their native language. They put forth a persistent struggle and Konkani was eventually recognised as the official language. 

English and Hindi

English is widely spoken in Goa as it is a tourist destination. Hindi is also commonly used in Goa. Native Goan people can speak and write Hindi easily. Since Hindi is the national language of India, most people in the state communicate in the language. 

Portuguese

During the Portuguese regime, Portuguese was the main language of Goa. It was spoken as well as used in official communications. When the colonists left the state, its usage started to decline, and today, it is neither the primarily spoken nor the official language of Goa. However, the older generation, which accounts for around 1% of the Goan population, can speak Portuguese well. 

Kannada

Karnataka is Goa’s bordering state, and people from Karnataka travel to Goa for trade. This is why a small population of Goa, about 5%, speaks Kannada. In the older period under the Kadambas, the court language of Goa was Kannada. Under Muslim rule, the official and cultural language was Persian. The Archaeological Museum and Portrait Gallery in Goa has various stones from these periods with writings in Kannada and Persian. During the era between the two periods of Muslim rule, the Vijayanagara empire made the use of the Kannada and Telugu languages compulsory.

Conclusion

Goa is a small state situated on the western coast of India. Its capital is Panaji, and the official language of Goa is Konkani. Portuguese was widely spoken until 1961, but after a tough fight by citizens, Konkani became the official language of Goa. Konkani is spoken by 66.11% of people in the state. Other languages too are used in Goa for communication, namely Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, English and Kannada. As Goa attracts many foreign tourists, English is also used by the people in Goa. Marathi is the co-official language of the state.