Punjabi, Eastern
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A language of India
34,700,000 in India, all users. L1 users: 31,100,000 in India (2011 census). L2 users: 3,600,000 (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 51,724,270 (as L1: 48,124,270; as L2: 3,600,000).
Chandigarh state; Haryana state: Ambala and Pauchkula districts; Himachal Pradesh state: Kangra and Una districts; Jammu and Kashmir state: Jambu, Kathua, and Samba Jambu districts; Punjab state: Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts; Rajasthan state: north Ganganagar district.
2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Punjab, West Bengal states; union territories Delhi, Chandigarh (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII).
Punjabi Proper (Panjabi Proper), Majhi, Doabi, Bhatiani (Bhatneri, Bhatti, Bhatyiana), Powadhi (Puadhi, Puadi), Malwai (Malwa), Bathi. Western Punjabi [pnb] is distinct from Eastern Punjabi, although there is a chain of dialects to Western Hindi (Urdu) [urd]. Bhatyiana dialect considered a mixture of Punjabi and Marwari [mve]. Majhi considered the purest Punjabi form (Grierson and Konow 1903–1928).
SOV; postpositions; gender (masculine/feminine); no articles; case-marking (7 cases); verb affixes mark person, number, gender of subject; passives; tense and aspect; 15 consonant and 24 vowel phonemes; tonal (3 tones: high, mid, low).
Taught in primary and secondary schools through grade 5 and as subject thereafter in Punjab and West Bengal states. Literature. Radio. Grammar. Bible: 1959–2017.
Associated with Sikhs. Different from Majhi [mjz] in India and Nepal. Sikh, Muslim.