Language of Nalanda

The most spoken language is Maghi

The name  "Magahi" has been derived from the word "Magadhi", which was the language of ancient Magadh.The Sanskrit name  is hence Magadhi, and this name is sometimes used by the educated ; but the correct modern name is Magahi . Magadhi is, properly speaking, the language of the country of Magadha. 

This section is concerned with general features of Magahi language. These general features are genealogical history of Magahi language, from where did the language Magahi got its name, position of Magahi language among various Indian languages, geographic distribution of the language, dialects of the Magahi language, the scripts used in writing the Magahi language and finally classification of Magahi language

Magahi is an Indo-Aryan language. Grierson (1927) has named Magahi along with Maithili and Bhojpuri as Bihari language. These days Magahi is spoken in districts of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa. Magahi has developed from Magadhi Apbhransha or Eastern Apbhransha branch of Magadhi Prakrit

Geographic Distribution 

 In Bihar, presently Magahi is spoken in districts of Patna, Nalanda, Gaya, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Sheikhpura and Nawada. It expands its boundaries to Lakhisaray and Bhagalpur. The language is also spoken in districts of Hazaribag, Giridih, Palamau and Ranchi belonging to the newly formed state of Jharkhand, which was once a part of state of Bihar. The language is also spoken in Mayurbhanj and Bamra in Orissa. Magahi also has some speakers in Malda and Purulia districts of Westgal.

Old Magahi

Magahi literature starts from siddha saints those belong to Vrajyana School, that is corrupt form of Buddhism. It cannot be ignored that Nalanda, Udantapuri and Vikramsila were the main centres of Siddhas and their entire literature was written in the Siddha literature,which is probably the  oldest form of Magahi. From the points of phonetics, grammar, vocabulary the language,siddha literature is quite similar to present Magahi.

Magahi way of speaking

Welcome	आवा /a:va:/
Hello (General greeting)	परनाम /pərna:m/ (to elder speaker) शुभ प्यार /subʱ pja:r/ (to younger speaker)
Hello (on phone)	हलो /həlo:/ हेलो /heːloː/
How are you?	कैसन हखिन? /kæːsən həkʰɪn/
Reply to 'How are you?'	बढियाँ! /bəɽʱɪjãː/
Long time no see	बड़ी दिन से नयँ मिलालियो तोरा से /baɽɪ: d̪ɪn seː nəẽ mɪləlɪjoː t̪oːraː seː/
What's your name?	तोर नाम की हको? /t̪oːr naːm kiː həkoː/
My name is ...	हमर नाम ... है (general) /həmər naːm ... hæː/ हमर नाम ... हो (response to question) /həmər na:m ... hoː/
Where are you from?	अपने कहाँ के हखिन? /əpne kəhãː keː həkʰɪn/
I'm from ...	हम ... के हियो। (response to question) /həm ... keː hɪjoː/ हम ... के हिये। (general) /həm ... keː hɪjeː/
Pleased to meet you	तोरा से मिलके बड़ी अच्छा लगलो /t̪oraː seː mɪlkeː bəɽiː ət͡ʃːaː ləgloː/
Good morning (Morning greeting)	No specific equivalent
Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting)	No specific equivalent
Good evening (Evening greeting)	No specific equivalent
Good night