Sindhi

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A language of Pakistan

ISO 639-3
snd
Autonym
سنڌي‎ (Sindhi)
User Population

31,000,000 in Pakistan (2017 census). Ethnic population: 26,000,000 (2014 World Factbook). Total users in all countries: 33,217,150.

Location

Balochistan province: Khuzdar and Lasbela districts; Sindh province: widespread, Indus river lower reaches; Hyderabad, Karachi.

Language Maps
Language Status

2 (Provincial). De facto provincial language in Sindh.

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Northwestern, Sindhi
Dialects

Lari, Lasi, Thareli, Vicholo (Central Sindhi, Viccholi, Vicholi), Macharia, Dukslinu (Hindu Sindhi), Sindhi Musalmani (Muslim Sindhi), Shikari Bhil, Katiawari Kachi. Some southern Bhil groups speak dialects of Sindhi. 100,000 in rural Sindh originally from Kathiawar Peninsula in India are Muslims, exhibit widespread bilingualism in Sindh, and are almost completely assimilated with the Sindhi people.

Typology

SOV; noun head final; gender (masculine/feminine); case-marking (8 cases); verb affixes mark person, number, gender of subject; passives; tense and aspect; 24 consonant and 15 vowel phonemes.

Language Use

Also use Saraiki [skr], in northern Sind. Used as L2 by Aer [aeq], Bagri [bgq], Dhatki [mki], Ghera [ghr], Goaria [gig], Gurgula [ggg], Jandavra [jnd], Jogi [jog], Loarki [lrk], Marwari [mve], Memoni [mby], Oadki [odk], Parkari Koli [kvx], Sansi [ssi], Sindhi Bhil [sbn], Vaghri [vgr].

Language Development

Taught as subject in most primary schools. Literature. Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1954.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Sindhi
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], primary usage. Devanagari script [Deva], used in India. Gurmukhi script [Guru], used in India. Khojki script [Khoj].

Other Comments

Shikari (hunter) Bhils are a nomadic group of 2,000 to 3,000 who live in south Sindh Province, centered around Badin, and have adopted the Sindhi language. Muslim, Hindu.

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