(as of September 2002)

Note:  This is a carefully chosen study collection; the division into courses is only for convenience. Material from various levels may be of interest to you for different purposes, so look the list over carefully. If you can't obtain any book on this list from Butler Reserve, please let Prof. Pritchett <fp7@columbia.edu> know.

Bulcke, Camille. Angrezi-Hindi kosh. New Delhi, 1987 and later eds. [English words, Hindi definitions. Best basic English-Hindi dictionary.] NOTE: Also available in the MEALAC Reading Room. NOTE: Also available in reference collection at Lehman Library, S.I.P.A. Cat. # PK1936.B8 1986

Chaturvedi, M., and B. N. Tiwari. A Practical Hindi-English Dictionary. Delhi, 1979 and later eds.  [Hindi/Urdu words, English definitions; practical, colloquial, main-line language.] NOTE: Also available in the MEALAC Reading Room. NOTE:  Also available in reference collection at Lehman Library, S.I.P.A Cat. #PK1987.P7 1988g

Gumperz, John G., and June Romery. Conversational Hindi-Urdu, vols. 1 & 2.  Delhi, 1967. [Classic conversations, oral exercises, grammar, cultural explanations.]  (Language Lab:  Conversations correspond to "Gumperz / van Olphen Tapes -- Elementary.") Cat. #PK1933.G78 1967 v.1

Jain, Usha R. First Year Hindi Grammar Workbook. Berkeley, n.d.  2 copies on reserve. [Excellent basic quick-response oral exercises, no answers.] (Language Lab:  see the "Grammar Practice Tapes -- Elementary.") Cat. #

Masica, Colin P. The Indo-Aryan Languages. Cambridge, 1991. Excellent recent historical and linguistic overview. Cat. #PK115.M37 1991

McGregor, R. S. Outline of Hindi Grammar.  Delhi, 1972 and later. 3 copies on reserve. [Classic, rigorous teaching grammar, with exercises, and answers in back.] Cat. #PK1933.M284 1977

Russell, Ralph. A New Course in Urdu and Spoken Hindi (vol. 1); An Outline of Grammar and Common Usage (vol. 2); Rapid Readings (vol. 3); The Urdu Script (vol. 4). London, 1986 (2nd ed.). 2 sets of 4 vols on reserve. [Very colloquial, informal, friendly approach; uses only transliteration till vol. 4.] Cat #PK1983.R87 1986 vols. 1-4

Schomer, Karine, et al. Basic Vocabulary for Hindi and Urdu. Berkeley, 1983. 2 copies on reserve. [Very helpful, especially the grammatically organized word lists at the back.] Cat. #PK1936.S4 1983

Shackle, Christopher, ed. South Asian Languages: A Handbook. London, 1985. 2 copies on reserve. [Good basic account of Hindi/Urdu and other modern Indic languages.] Cat. #P381.A75 S6 1985g

Shapiro, Michael C. A Primer of Modern Standard Hindi. Delhi, 1989. 2 copies on reserve. [Extremely thorough, rigorous grammar; has glossary and exercises, no answers.] Cat. #

Shiksha Vibhag. Meri pahli pustak. Delhi, 1985. 1 copy on reserve. [A government-sponsored first reader used by Indian schoolchildren.]

Snell, Rupert, and S. Weightman. Teach Yourself Hindi. London, 1990. 2 copies on reserve. [Excellent new all-round book, with dialogues, grammar, exercises, and answers.] (Language Lab: see the "Snell & Weightman Conversation Tapes -- Elementary.") Cat. #PK1983.S64 1989g

Southworth, Frank, et al. Na'i disha'en na'e log, vol. 1. Philadelphia, 1989. 2 copies on reserve. [Texts of the first ten videotapes, with literal translations and glossaries.] (Language Lab:  see the first ten "Videotapes -- Elementary and Intermediate.") Cat. #PK1933.S59 1989g vol. 1

Van Olphen, Herman. First-year Hindi Course, Part 1 & Part 2. Austin, 1987.  2 sets of 2 vols. on reserve.  [Good script teacher; emphasizes Indian cultural materials, cartoons, etc.]  (Language Lab:  see the "Gumperz / van Olphen Tapes -- Elementary."  Also, the whole book is worked through, exercises answered, etc., on the "Van Olphen Book Tapes"  tapes HU115-119 (for Part 1) and tapes HU120-123 (for Part 2).) Cat. #PK1933.V36 1986g vols. 1, 2

Vidyalankar, Anil, et al. Bal-Bharati. Patna, 1985. 1 copy on reserve. [A first reader used by Indian schoolchildren, developed in Bihar.]

Gambhir, Surendra. Spoken Hindi-Urdu. Madison, n.d. [Twenty colloquial Hindi dialogues for practice in different kinds of usage.] (Language Lab:  see the "Gambhir Tapes -- Elementary and Intermediate.") Cat. #PK1995.G35 1978g

Hook, Peter Edwin. Hindi Structures, Intermediate Level. Ann Arbor, 1979. [Good on colloquial speech, compound verbs; has exercises, with answers.] Cat. #PK1933.H63

Jain, Usha R., and Karine Schomer. Intermediate Hindi Reader, vols. 1 & 2. Berkeley, n.d. [Vol. 1 contains readings, Vol. 2 is a set of serial glossaries for them.] Cat. #PK1935.N544 1983 vols 1, 2

Jossan, C. S. Stories of Buddha's Births. Syracuse, 1976.  2 copies on reserve. [Sanskritized vocabulary, but both serial glossary on every page, and cumulative glossary.] Cat. #BQ1463.H56 J67

Kachru, Y., and R. Pandharipande. Intermediate Hindi. Delhi, 1983. 2 copies on reserve. [Structured conversations, good print; with grammar notes, exercises, etc.] Cat. #PK1933.K26 1983

Roberts, John T. Hindi History Reader. Charlottesville, 1986. 2 copies on reserve. [Little pamphlet; Macintosh script, glossary on the page, very nice.] Cat. #PK1935.R62 1986g

Roberts, John T. Hindi Pancatantra Reader. Charlottesville, 1986. 3 copies on reserve. [Little pamphlet; Macintosh script, glossary on the page, very nice.] Cat. #PK3741.P3 H56 1986g

Roberts, John T. Readings on 'Peoples and Institutions of India.'  Charlottesville, 1987.  [Excerpts from a Hindi readers; Macintosh script, glossary on page, a little more difficult.] 

Southworth, Frank, et al. Na'i disha'en na'e log, vol. 2.  Philadelphia, 1989. 2 copies on reserve.  [Texts of the second ten videotapes; no translations, but good serial glossaries.]  (Language Lab:  see the second ten "Videotapes -- Elementary and Intermediate.") Cat. #PK1933.S59 1989g vol. 2

Southworth, Frank. Student's Hindi-Urdu Reference Manual. Tucson, 1971. 2 copies on reserve. [A schematic overview--offers a topic-by-topic inventory of the grammar.] Cat. #PK1933.S6 1971a

Stone, James W. and Roshni M. Kapadia. Hindi Newspaper Reader. Wheaton, MD, 1990. [Suitably varied selections, beautiful clear script, glossaries.] (Language Lab:  see the "Hindi Newspaper Reader Tapes.") Cat. #PK1935.S76 1990g

Verma, Sheela. A Textbook for Intermediate-level Hindi. Madison, 1986. 2 copies on reserve. [Grammatical explanations, exercises, readings; uses Macintosh script.] Cat. #PK1933.V47 1986G, 1980z

Ahmad, Mumtaz. Urdu Newspaper Reader. Wheaton MD, 1985.  2 copies on reserve.  [Pakistani selections, serial and cumulative glossaries, some script oddities.] Cat. #PK1975.M86 1985

Barker, M. A. R. et al. A Course in Urdu, 3 vols. Ithaca, 1976. 2 sets of 3 vols. on reserve. [Extremely solid, detailed, and scholarly; can be a reference grammar too.] (Language Lab:  see the "Barker Course in Urdu Tapes.") Cat. #PK1975.C64 1975 vols. 1-3

Barker, M. A. R. et al. Classical Urdu Poetry, 3 vols. Ithaca, 1977. Vol. 1: anthology of poems; vol. 2: English translations; vol. 3: glossary. Ithaca, 1977. [Best systematic introduction, though sometimes uninspiring in its approach.] (Language Lab:  see tapes 725, 726, 727 for performances.) Cat. #PK2184.R393 1977g, vols. 1-3

Barker, M. A. R. et al. Urdu-English Vocabulary. Ithaca, 1980. [Basic dictionary, showing frequency of occurrence for each word.] Cat. #PK1976.B37

Barker, M. A. R. et al. Urdu Newspaper Reader. Ithaca, 1974. 2 copies on reserve. [Modified Pakistani-style selections from the 1960's; serial glossaries.] Cat. #PK1975.B38 1974

Bright, William, and Saeed A. Khan. Urdu Writing System. Ithaca, 1976. [Introduces both handwritten (not calligraphed) and typewritten script.] Cat. #PK1979.B7 1976

Faiz, Faiz Ahmed. Poems by Faiz. V. G. Kiernan, trans. [Beautifully calligraphed poems, excellent transliterations, both literal and "poetic" translations.] Cat. #

Gumperz, John J., and C. M. Naim. Urdu Reader. Berkeley, 1960. [Teaches script lucidly and systematically, with good handwriting.] Cat. #PK1975.G86 1960g

Kempson, M. A. The First Five Chapters of the `Taubut un-Nasu.' London, n.d. [An interesting old British-era reader using a famous novel as text.]

King, Christopher R. The Nagari Pracharini Sabha (Society for the Promotion of the Nagari Script and Language) of Benares, 1893-1914:  a Study in the Social and Political History of the Hindi Language. Wisconsin Ph.D. diss., 1974. [Fascinating, detailed account of the creation of modern standard Hindi.] Cat. #PK1934.K56 1977A

Matthews, D. J., and C. Shackle. An Anthology of Classical Urdu Love Lyrics: Text and Translations.  London, 1972. 2 copies on reserve. [Includes introduction, glossary, discussions of meter, notes on poets--and some errors.] Cat. #PK2184.M35, also M3 1972b

Naim, C. M. Introductory Urdu, 2 vols. Chicago, 1975. 2 sets of 2 vols. on reserve. [Very good introduction to script, basic grammar, reading skills.] Cat. #PK1973.N3 1980g, vols. 1, 2
Also available online through DSAL: volume 1 and volume 2

Naim, C. M. Readings in Urdu: Prose and Poetry. Honolulu, 1965.  2 copies on reserve. [Typescript literary reader, well-balanced, notes, cumulative glossary in the back.] Cat. #PK1975.N3
Also available online through DSAL: Readings in Urdu

Narang, G. C. Urdu: Readings in Literary Urdu Prose. Madison, 1968.  2 copies on reserve.  [Beautiful calligraphy, good general selections, glossary on facing pages.] (Language Lab:  the first three sections (up to page 85) are read aloud on tape 1540.) Cat. #PK1975.N35 1968a

Platts, John T. A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English. 2 copies on reserve. [Unique, invaluable, much cherished by serious students at all levels.] Cat. #PK1976.P57 1988g, also PK1986.P4 1930g
NOTE:  Also on reserve in the East Asia Library, on the 4th floor of Kent, though they sometimes have trouble finding it for you.
NOTE:  Also in the MEALAC Reading Room
NOTE:  Also available in reference collection at Lehman Library, S.I.P.A.
NOTE:  Also available in online format through the Digital South Asia Library
NOTE:  Also available from South Asia Books, phone 314-474-0116, email <sabooks@juno.com>

Pritchett, Frances W., and Khaliq A. Khaliq. Urdu Meter: A Practical Handbook. Madison, 1987. 2 copies on reserve. [Basic training in the crucial technical skills needed for reading poetry.] Cat. #PK1979.P4 1987g

Russell, Ralph. The Urdu Script. London, 1986 (2nd ed.). Vol. 4 of A New Course in Urdu and Spoken Hindi. This whole four-volume set is catalogued together in the "Elementary Hindi-Urdu" class section. 2 copies on reserve. [A good teaching guide, handwritten script.] Cat. #PK1983.R87 1986g vol. 4

Russell, Ralph, and Khurshidul Islam. Ghalib: Life and Letters. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1969. [an extremely readable "primary source" background text on Indo-Muslim culture] Cat. #PK2198.G4 A27

Shackle, C., and R. Snell. Hindi and Urdu Since 1800: A Common Reader. London, 1990.  [An excellent historical and linguistic account, followed by illustrative passages.] Cat. #PK2031.S52 1990g

Southworth, Frank. Student's Hindi-Urdu Reference Manual. Tucson, 1971. 2 copies on reserve. [A schematic overview--offers a topic-by-topic inventory of the grammar. Can also be used as a script teacher.] Cat. #PK1933.S6 1971a

Kellogg, S. H. A Grammar of the Hindi Language. London, 1965. [A classical grammar for advanced students, especially good for dialect forms.] Cat. #PK1933.K5 1965

Nilsson, Usha S. Readings in Literary Hindi. Madison, 1985. [Twenty-three selections, prose and poetry; cumulative glossary at back.] Cat. #PK1935.N54 1985g

Verma, Sheela. A Course in Advanced Hindi Proficiency, 2 vols. Madison, 1989.  [Vol. 1:  readings, exercises, questions, etc.; vol. 2: mostly glossaries.]