Alternate Names: Dehri, Mad, Mader, Mal, Mal Pahariya, Maler, Malpaharia, Malti, Malto, Maltu, Manlati, Mar, Marpaharia, Maw, Mawdo, Mawer, Mawer Nondi, Paharia, Parsi
Dialects: Not inherently intelligible with Kumarbhag Paharia ,, Sauria Paharia ,, Bengali ,, or Hindi ,. Part of the Malto ethnic group. Reportedly speak a variety similar to Kharia Thar , of Manbhum (Jharkhand). Lexical similarity: 85% between dialects, 59% with Mal Paharia Barmasiya.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 51,000 (Bhaskararao 2006). Possibly 40,000 in West Bengal. Ethnic population: 111,000 (2000).
Language Use: Vigorous. All domains. Positive attitudes. Some shifted to Bengali [ben].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 13% male, 3% female, average 8% (1981). NT.
Writing System: Devanagari
Nation of Origin: India
Other Comments: A Scheduled Tribe. Traditional religion, Christian.