Kalasha

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A language of Pakistan

ISO 639-3
kls
Alternate Names
Kalashamon, Kalashi
Population

5,000 (Heegård Petersen 2006). 3,200 in Northern Kalasha area; unknown and decreasing number in Southern Kalasha area.

Location

North-West Frontier Province, south Chitral district; Southern Kalasha dialect: Urtsun valley; Northern Kalasha: Rumbur, Bumboret, and Birir valleys.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Northwestern , Dardic, Chitral
Dialects

Southern Kalasha (Urtsun), Northern Kalasha (Birir, Bumboret, Rumbur). Very little contact between northern and southern dialects of Kalasha, so there are difficulties in communication now. Lexical similarity: 75% southern dialect with northern dialects.

Typology

SOV.

Language Use

In the south, Kalasha is being supplanted by Khowar [khw] or Kati [bsh]. Home, in-group communication in the north. Also use Kati [bsh], Khowar [khw], Urdu [urd].

Language Development
Poetry. Dictionary.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kalasha
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], Naskh style. Arabic script, Nastaliq variant [Aran], primary usage. Latin script [Latn], used since 2000, primary usage.

Other Comments

Originally Kalasha was the language of most of the southern Chitral district. Now Khowar [khw] is the predominant language, with earlier languages just used in villages of the side valleys. Traditional religion, Muslim.

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