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question for the vertically challenged individual: how many different languages are spoken in India (approx.)? and are they truly independent languages, or dialectal versions of a mother-tongue?
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About 18 major languages, it seems, accord to
this here link.
While the languages are all based on a common tongue, Sanskrit, they are all independent, not dialects. Sanskrit is often compared to Latin; it's a tongue little used save in religion, and not spoken as a first language any more.
All the languages in India are, I presume, quite similar. When I listen to Hindi, I can make out odd words, so the relationship makes me think of Dutch and German. I cannot speak for the other 16 languages though.
I believe most of them have individual scripts, too. Gujarati does, anyway.