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More than 250,000 of Fiji's citizens are descendants of Indian indentured laborers of diverse origins. There are still distinct social groups based on language, religion, and place of origin. However, nearly all Fiji Indians speak one language called Fiji Hindustani. Other languages, such as Gujarati, Panjabi, Tamil, and Telugu, are still spoken, but the last two censuses point to a decreasing use of languages other than Fiji Hindustani. In the past there appears to have been a classic situation of diglossia with Fiji Hindustani used in informal, conversational settings and Khari Boli, the modern Standard Hindi of India, used in formal settings, radio broadcasts, and writing. Today, however, English seems to be displacing Standard Hindi in many areas. Compared with Standard Hindi, Fiji Hindustani has a much reduced morphological system. Also morphology, lexicon, and syntax show the influence of several Eastern Hindi dialects, Fijian, and English. Considering the reduction and convergence of the language in the sociolinguistic climate of Fiji, Fiji Hindustani may be a pidginized language. There are striking similarities between it and Bazaar Hindustani, the bazaar pidgin version of Hindi used in India. It is plausible that Bazaar Hindustani provided the basis for Fiji Hindustani and was later creolized as the indenture system ended. (Author/CLK)