The Indo-Iranian languages are a major branch of the Indo-European language family, primarily spoken in parts of South Asia and the Iranian plateau. This group includes languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Persian, and Pashto. These languages share common linguistic features and have evolved from a common ancestral language known as Proto-Indo-Iranian. Divided into two main subgroups, the Indo-Aryan languages and the Iranian languages, they exhibit a rich diversity in grammar, vocabulary, and phonetics. The Indo-Aryan languages are predominantly spoken in India and surrounding countries, while the Iranian languages are primarily found in Iran and neighboring regions.