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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Pakistan > Seraiki

Seraiki

A language of Pakistan

ISO 639-3: skr

Population  13,800,000 in Pakistan (2000). Population total all countries: 13,820,000.
Region  South Punjab and north Sind, Indus River valley, Jampur area. Derawali in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, and Dera Ghazi Khan. Jangli is in Sahiwal area. Also in India, United Kingdom.
Language map  Southern Pakistan
Alternate names   Bahawalpuri, Multani, Riasiti, Saraiki, Siraiki, Southern Panjabi
Dialects  Derawali, Multani (Khatki), Bahawalpuri (Riasati, Reasati), Jangli, Jatki. Dialects blend together into Panjabi east and Sindhi [snd] south. Until recently it was considered a dialect of Panjabi. 80% intelligibility with Dogri [dgo]. Lexical similarity: 85% with Sindhi; 68% with Dhatki [mki], Od [odk], and Sansi [ssi].
Classification  Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Northwestern zone, Lahnda
A member of macrolanguage Lahnda [lah] (Pakistan).
Language development  Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 5%–15%. Radio programs. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1819.
Writing system  Arabic script.
Comments  Muslim, Hindu.

Also spoken in:

India

Language name   Seraiki
Population  20,000 in India (2000).
Region  Punjab; Rajasthan; Delhi; Gujarat; Maharashtra; Andhra Pradesh; Madhya Pradesh; Uttar Pradesh.
Alternate names  Bahawalpuri, Multani, Mutani, Reasati, Riasati, Saraiki, Siraiki, Southern Panjabi
Dialects  Jafri, Siraiki Hindki, Thali, Jatki, Bahawalpuri (Bhawalpuri, Riasati, Reasati).
Language development  Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 15% Urdu [urd], Marathi [mar].
Comments  A new literary language based on south Lahnda dialects, especially Multani and Bahawalpuri. Hindu, Sikh.
 

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

Vernacular Publications

Saraiki-Urdu-Angrezi bol chal = Conversational Saraiki, Urdu, English. 2005.