Hindustani

or Hin·doo·sta·ni

[ hin-doo-stah-nee, -stan-ee ]

/ ˌhɪn dʊˈstɑ ni, -ˈstæn i /

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noun

a standard language and lingua franca of northern India based on a dialect of Western Hindi spoken around Delhi. Abbreviation: HindCompare Hindi (def. 2), Urdu.

adjective

of or relating to Hindustan, its people, or their languages.

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Also Hin·do·sta·ni

[hin-doh-stah-nee, -stan-ee] /ˌhɪn doʊˈstɑ ni, -ˈstæn i/ .

Origin of Hindustani

First recorded in 1780–90; Hindustan + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin

Words nearby Hindustani

Hinduism, Hinduize, Hindu Kush, Hindus, Hindustan, Hindustani, Hindutva, hindward, hind wing, Hines, Hinesville

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Hindustani in a sentence

A parchment in Hindustani, given jestingly or ironically by a humorous old chap in orders and white linen and rhinoceros sandals.
The Adventures of Kathlyn|Harold MacGrath
"I salute you," said our old guide at the Kutab Minar, speaking in his native Hindustani, which my friend interpreted for me.
Where Half The World Is Waking Up|Clarence Poe
As they approached, I knowing they could not get to any place other than my own, called out in Hindustani, 'Quon hai?'
Animal Ghosts|Elliott O'Donnell
He also plunged into Hindustani, and wrote grammars and books of devotion in those languages.
The Jesuits, 1534-1921|Thomas J. Campbell

Nicholson, however, speaking in Hindustani, said: 'There is no possible excuse for such an act of gross impertinence.
Forty-one years in India|Frederick Sleigh Roberts

British Dictionary definitions for Hindustani

Hindustani

Hindoostani Hindostani (ˌhɪndəʊˈstɑːnɪ)

/ (ˌhɪndʊˈstɑːnɪ) /

noun

the dialect of Hindi spoken in Delhi: used as a lingua franca throughout India

a group of languages or dialects consisting of all spoken forms of Hindi and Urdu considered together

adjective

of or relating to these languages or Hindustan

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012