Britannica Sources used in this answer

What is Hindustani, and how does it relate to Hindi and Urdu?

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Hindustani is a lingua franca of northern India and Pakistan that developed in the 13th century as a blend of the regional Khari Boli dialect and Persian, Arabic, and Turkic influences. While it originated as a vernacular for cross-cultural communication, it later became the basis for the two official languages, Hindi and Urdu.12

The relationship between these languages is defined by their shared linguistic foundation:
* Commonality: Hindi and Urdu share the same Indo-Aryan base, grammar, and core vocabulary, making them mutually intelligible in spoken form.2
* Divergence: During the 19th century, a push for standardization led to a split. Hindi became increasingly associated with Sanskrit vocabulary and the Devanagari script, while Urdu adopted more Persian and Arabic vocabulary and the Nastaliq script.12
* Status: Today, Hindustani thrives as a colloquial vernacular used in daily communication across India, while Hindi and Urdu serve as distinct, standardized official languages.12