URDU: 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It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005).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: URD

ISO 639-1: ur

ISO 639-2: urd

Population	10,719,000 mother tongue speakers in Pakistan (1993), 7.57% of the population. Population total all countries 60,290,000 or more. Including second language speakers: 104,000,000 (1999 WA).
Region	Also spoken in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Botswana, Fiji, Germany, Guyana, India, Malawi, Mauritius, Nepal, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, UAE, United Kingdom, Zambia.
Classification	Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Western Hindi, Hindustani.
Comments	Intelligible with Hindi, but has formal vocabulary borrowed from Arabic and Persian. The second or third language of most Pakistanis for whom it is not the mother tongue. National language. Grammar. Arabic script in Nastaliq style with several extra characters used. Muslim. Bible 1843-1998.

Also spoken in:

India

Language name	URDU
Population	48,062,000 in India (1997 IMA).
Alternate names	ISLAMI, UNDRI, URUDU
Dialects	DAKHINI (DAKANI, DECCAN, DESIA, MIRGAN), PINJARI, REKHTA (REKHTI).
Comments	Dakhini is freer of Persian and Arabic loans than Urdu. Rekhta is a form of Urdu used in poetry. National language. Arabic script for both Urdu and Dakhini. Muslim. Bible 1843-1998. See main entry under Pakistan.

Mauritius

Language name	URDU
Population	64,000 in Mauritius (1993 Johnstone).
Comments	Often used in government and politics. Muslim. Bible 1843-1998. See main entry under Pakistan.

South Africa

Language name	URDU
Population	170,000 South Asian Muslims in South Africa (1987).
Comments	Most speak English. Merchants, traders, industrial, professional (medicine, computers), clerical workers, craftsmen. Muslim. Bible 1843-1998. See main entry under Pakistan.