* The original inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent: This would include groups like the Adivasi communities, who have distinct languages and cultures from the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian groups that came later.
* All native speakers of Indian languages: This would encompass the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian language families, which are the most dominant in India today.
* Specific indigenous groups within the subcontinent: For example, the Santhal people in eastern India have their own language, Santali, which is part of the Austroasiatic language family.
Therefore, to answer your question accurately, you need to specify which "Indigenous East Indians" you are referring to.
Here's a breakdown of the major language families found in India:
* Indo-Aryan languages: These are the most widely spoken languages in India, including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Urdu. They are related to languages like English, German, and Persian.
* Dravidian languages: These languages are spoken primarily in South India and include Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. They are distinct from Indo-Aryan languages and are thought to be older.
* Austroasiatic languages: This family includes languages like Santali, Mundari, and Khasi, spoken by various tribal groups in India.
* Sino-Tibetan languages: This family includes languages like Bodo, Lepcha, and Tibeto-Burman languages spoken in the Northeast.
* Others: There are also smaller language families and isolates, such as the Andamanese languages.
It's essential to recognize the vast linguistic diversity of India, and to avoid using generalizing terms that might overlook the unique cultures and languages of specific indigenous groups.