SARAIKI: a language of Pakistan

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: SKR

ISO 639-2: inc

Population	15,000,000 to 30,000,000 in Pakistan (1998), 9.8% of the population. Population total all countries 15,059,000 to 30,000,000.
Region	Southern Punjab and northern Sind, Indus River Valley, Jampur area. Derawali is in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, and Dera Ghazi Khan. Jangli is in Sahiwal area. Also spoken in India, United Kingdom.
Alternate names	RIASITI, BAHAWALPURI, MULTANI, SOUTHERN PANJABI, SIRAIKI
Dialects	DERAWALI, MULTANI (KHATKI), BAHAWALPURI (RIASATI, REASATI), JANGLI, JATKI.
Classification	Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Northwestern zone, Lahnda.
Comments	Dialects blend into each other, into Panjabi to the east, and Sindhi to the south. Until recently it was considered to be a dialect of Panjabi. 85% lexical similarity with Sindhi; 68% with Dhatki, Odki, and Sansi. Dictionary. Grammar. Literacy rate in first language: Below 1%. Literacy rate in second language: 5% to 15%. Radio programs, TV. Muslim, Hindu. NT 1819, out of print.

Also spoken in:

India

Language name	SARAIKI
Population	59,640 including 59,000 Multani (1997 IMA), 640 Bahawalpuri in India (1961 census).
Alternate names	MULTANI, MUTANI, SIRAIKI, SOUTHERN PANJABI, REASATI, RIASATI, BAHAWALPURI
Dialects	JAFRI, SIRAIKI HINDKI, THALI, JATKI, BAHAWALPURI (BHAWALPURI, RIASATI, REASATI).
Comments	80% intelligibility of Dogri. May be intelligible with Bahawalpuri. A new literary language based on south Lahnda dialects, especially Multani and Bahawalpuri. Investigation needed: intelligibility with dialects. Literacy rate in first language: Below 1%. Literacy rate in second language: 15% Urdu, Marathi. Tropical forest. Mountain slope. Muslim. NT 1819, out of print. See main entry under Pakistan.