Dehwari language

Dehwari (دهواری, Dehwārī) is a southwestern Persian language spoken by 19,000 Dehwar people in Balochistan, Pakistan as of 2018.[1] Most of the Dehwari speakers are concentrated in Mastung, Khuzdar, Nushk, Kharan, Sarlath District, Dalbandin, and Kalat.

Dehwari
دهواری
Dehwārī
Native toPakistan
RegionBalochistan province: Kalat and Mastung
EthnicityDehwar
Native speakers
19,000 (2018)[1]
Early forms
Persian alphabet
Language codes
ISO 639-3deh
Glottologdehw1238

Influence on Brahui

Dehwari was introduced to the Brahui in the seventeenth century and the modern-day language uses many Dehwari loanwords in its vocabulary.[2]

Brahui influence

In turn, Brahui has heavily influenced the language, which has made Dehwari a Persian dialect under heavy Brahui influence.[3] This has made Dehwari speakers bilingual in both Dehwari and Brahui, and some in Balochi, Urdu, and even English.[4]

Drop in Speakers

The drop of speakers in Dehwari was recorded in the 1921 Indian Census, with Pashto facing the same consequences in Kalat and Mastung.[5] And in the 1931 Indian Census, the Dehwari population outside of Kalat and Mastung was only 1,795.[6]

References
  1. Dehwari at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) closed access
  2. Sani, Liaquat Ali (2018). "Brahui as Native Language for a Native Dehwari Child. A case study of under Three-year old Child at Ishkina, District Mastung" (PDF). XXXIX. University of Balochistan, Quetta (Pakistan). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. "Balochi Language & Literature".
  4. "Balochi is the principal language". 25 February 2011.
  5. Egye, E. H. H. (1921). Census of India, 1921 (4 ed.). Government Central Press, 1923. p. 83.
  6. Census of India, 1931 (Volume 1, Part 2 ed.). Government of India central publication branch, 1933. 1931. p. 511.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.