Ethnologue.com home

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
16th edition

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
US$ 100.00
Add to cart

Preview print edition

Most Recent
SIL Publications
Reduced Price SIL Publications


ABOUT SSL CERTIFICATES
Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Pakistan > Khowar

Khowar

A language of Pakistan

ISO 639-3: khw

Population  223,000 in Pakistan (1992). Population total all countries: 242,200.
Region  Chitral; Shandur Pass to Fupis in Ghizr Valley; Gilgit Agency, Yasin and Ishkhoman valleys, north Swat Valley, Ushu; Peshawar and Rawalpindi. Also in India.
Language map  Northern Pakistan, reference number 3
Alternate names   Arniya, Chitrali, Chitrari, Citrali, Kashkari, Khawar, Patu, Qashqari
Dialects  North Khowar, South Khowar, East Khowar, Swat Khowar. Northern dialect considered more ‘pure’. Related to Kalasha [kls] but different. Lexical similarity: 86%–98% among dialects.
Classification  Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Northwestern zone, Dardic, Chitral
Language use  Trade language. The most important language of Chitral. Also use Urdu [urd], Pashto [pus], Shina [scl], Burushaski [bsk], Kalami [gwc], or English.
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 15%–20% men, 1% women. Newspapers. Radio programs.
Writing system  Arabic script.
Comments  SOV. Sunni Muslim, Ismaili Muslim.

Also spoken in:

India

Language name   Khowar
Population  19,200 in India (2000).
Comments  Muslim.
 

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

DECKER, Kendall D., author. 1992. Languages of Chitral.  Available online