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 > Panjabi, Western

Panjabi, Western

A language of Pakistan

ISO 639-3: pnb

Population  60,600,000 in Pakistan (2000). Population total all countries: 62,648,000.
Region  Mainly in Punjab. Also in Afghanistan, Canada, India, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States.
Language map  Southern Pakistan
Alternate names   Lahanda, Lahnda, Lahndi, Western Punjabi
Dialects  There is a continuum of varieties between Eastern [pan] and Western Panjabi, and with western Hindi and Urdu [urd]. ‘Lahnda’ is an earlier name for Western Panjabi; an attempt to cover the dialect continuum between Hindko, Pahari-Potwari [phr], and Western Panjabi in the north and Sindhi [snd] in the south. Grierson (1903–1928) said Majhi [mjz] is the purest form of Panjabi. Several dozen dialects. The Balmiki (Valmiki) sweeper caste in Attock District speak a dialect of Panjabi.
Classification  Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Northwestern zone, Lahnda
A member of macrolanguage Lahnda [lah] (Pakistan).
Language development  Radio programs. Films. TV. NT: 1819–2000.
Writing system  Arabic script. Lahnda script, no longer in use.
Comments  Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

India

Language name   Panjabi, Western
Population  1,910,000 in India (2007). Population unknown.
Region  Jammu and Kashmir; Delhi; Haryana.
Alternate names  Hindki, Lahanda, Lahnda, Lahndi, Western Punjabi
Comments  Muslim, Christian.
 

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

HALLBERG, Calinda E.; O'LEARY, Clare F.; RENSCH, Calvin R., authors. 1992. Hindko and Gujari.  Available online