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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Pakistan > Urdu

Urdu

A language of Pakistan

ISO 639-3: urd

Population	10,700,000 in Pakistan (1993). Population total all countries: 60,586,800.
Region	Widespread. Also in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Botswana, Canada, Fiji, Germany, Guyana, India, Malawi, Mauritius, Nepal, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia.
Language map	Southern Pakistan
Alternate names	Bihari
Dialects	Intelligible with Hindi, but formal vocabulary is borrowed from Arabic and Persian. Dakhini dialect of Urdu [urd] in India has fewer Persian and Arabic loans than Urdu [urd]. Rekhta is a form of Urdu used in poetry.
Classification	Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Western Hindi, Hindustani
Language use	Official language. Including L2 speakers: 104,000,000 (1999 WA). Used as L2 by most other Pakistanis.
Language development	Fully developed. Bible: 1843–1998.
Writing system	Arabic script, Nastaliq style.
Comments	Muslim.

Also spoken in:

Bangladesh

Language name	Bihari
Population	250,000 in Bangladesh (2003 SIL).
Region	Mainly refugee camps in 13 districts.
Language maps	Bangladesh Bangladesh
Alternate names	Urdu
Language use	Home, village, religion, market. Value and want to maintain their language. Most also use some Bengali [ben], some know English or Arabic.
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: Below 50%, probably 25%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%. Many more literate in Bengali than Urdu.

India

Language name	Urdu
Population	48,100,000 in India (1997).
Region	Jammu, Kashmir and by Muslims in many parts of India; Dakhini around Hyderabad and in Maharashtra.
Alternate names	Islami, Undri, Urudu
Dialects	Dakhini (Dakani, Dakkhini, Deccan, Desia, Mirgan), Pinjari, Rekhta (Rekhti).
Language use	State language of Jammu, Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh.
Language development	Taught in primary schools.
Comments	State language of Jammu, Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh. Muslim.

Mauritius

Language name	Urdu
Population	64,000 in Mauritius (Johnstone 1993).
Language use	Government, politics.
Comments	Muslim.

South Africa

Language name	Urdu
Population	12,000 in South Africa (2006). 170,000 South Asian Muslims in South Africa (1987).
Region	Natal coast and urban areas around Durban; Transvaal surrounding Johannesburg, and scattered smaller towns.
Language use	Most also use English.
Comments	Merchants; traders; industrial, professional (medicine, computers), clerical workers; craftsmen. Muslim.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

BACKSTROM, Peter C.; RADLOFF, Carla F., authors. 1992. Languages of northern areas.  

BARNWELL, Katharine, author; BAKHSH, Peir, translator. 1999. Tarjuma kitaab-e-muqaddas.

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

DECKER, Sandra J.; HALLBERG, Daniel G.; RENSCH, Calvin R., authors. 1992. Languages of Kohistan.  

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

RADLOFF, Carla F., author. 1991. Sentence Repetition Testing for Studies of Community Bilingualism.  

SAGAR, Mohammed Zaman, author. 2007. Kalam Kohistan ki rawaeti tarikh - hissa awal: kalam khas.

Vernacular Publications

Aasaan urduu kitaab 1. 1999.

Aasaan urduu kitaab 2. 1999.

Dadi Shiloke. 2008.

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

urdu darsii kitaab 1. 2005.

urduu qaaidaa. 2002.