Saraiki

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A language of Pakistan

ISO 639-3
skr
Alternate Names
Belochki, Seraiki, Siraiki
Autonym
سرائیکی‎ (Saraiki)
User Population

25,900,000 in Pakistan (2017 census). Total users in all countries: 26,219,000.

Location

Balochistan province: Barkhan, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, and Nasirabad districts; Khyber Pakhtunkwa province: Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts; Punjab province: Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Lodhran, Mianwali, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, and Taunsa districts; Sindh province: Ghotki, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot, Shikarpur and Sukkur districts.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Panjabi, Western Panjabi
Dialects

Sindhi Saraiki (Sindh aali Saraiki), Central Saraiki, Eastern Saraiki, Northern Saraiki, Southern Saraiki. Central Saraiki includes the following sub-dialects: Bahawalpuri-Riasati (Bahawalpuri, Riasati, Riyasati), Derawali (Deri), Mianwali (Mianvali, Awankari, Thali, Pind Dadan khan), and Multani (Jatki). Dialects blend together into Punjabi east and Sindhi [snd] south. 80% intelligibility of Dogri [dgo]. Lexical similarity: 85% with Sindhi [snd]; 68% with Dhatki [mki], Od [odk], and Sansi [ssi]. A member of macrolanguage Lahnda [lah].

Language Use

Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Urdu [urd]. Used as L2 by Aer [aeq], Central Pashto [pst], Eastern Balochi [bgp], Khetrani [xhe], Marwari [mve], Northern Hindko [hno], Sansi [ssi], Sindhi [snd], Southern Hindko [hnd], Western Punjabi [pnb].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 5%–15%. Radio. TV. Grammar. Bible portions: 1898.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Saraiki
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Arabic script, Nastaliq variant [Aran], primary usage. Devanagari script [Deva], no longer in use. Gurmukhi script [Guru], no longer in use. Khojki script [Khoj].

Other Comments

Saraiki is taught at the university level in at least 2 university programs. Muslim, Hindu.

Also spoken in:

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