Urdu

A language of Pakistan

Bihari, Modern Standard Urdu

اُردُو‎‎ (Urdū)

164,000,000 in Pakistan, all users. L1 users: 15,000,000 in Pakistan (2018 census). L2 users: 149,000,000 (2018). Total users in all countries: 231,295,440 (as L1: 70,249,640; as L2: 161,045,800).

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps

Northwestern Bangladesh

Southeastern Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Index map

India: Index map

Southern Pakistan

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1973, Constitution, Article 251(1)).

Classification

Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Western Hindi, Hindustani

Dialects

Intelligible with Hindi [hin]. Derived from Sanskrit into the Prakrit languages with lexical elements borrowed from Arabic and Persian (2021 Maldonado Garcia). Dakhini dialect of Urdu [urd] in India has fewer Persian and Arabic loans than Urdu. Rekhta is a form of Urdu used in poetry.

Typology

SOV; postposition; noun head final; gender (masculine/feminine); no articles; direct and oblique cases; verb affixes mark person, number, gender of subject; passives; tense and aspect; causatives; 35 consonants, 21 vowels; non-tonal; stress on penultimate syllable.

Language Use

All domains. Used by all.

Language Development

Taught in all primary and secondary schools. Taught in some tertiary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1843–1998.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Urdu

Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Arabic script, Nastaliq variant [Aran], primary usage. Braille script [Brai]. Devanagari script [Deva], used in India (Ahmad 2011).

Other Comments

Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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Afghanistan

Language NameUrdu

User Population

733,000 in Afghanistan (2021 World Factbook).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Language Use

Used as L2 by Southern Pashto [pbt].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Afghanistan

Australia

Language NameUrdu

User Population

69,300 in Australia (2016 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Australia

Bahrain

Language NameUrdu

User Population

95,000 in Bahrain (2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Bahrain

Bangladesh

Language NameBihari

User Population

250,000 in Bangladesh (2009 UNHR).

Location

Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, and Rangpur divisions; mainly refugee camps in 13 districts.

Alternate Names

Urdu

Language Status

5 (Dispersed).

Language Use

Home, village, religion, market. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Bengali [ben]. Also use English [eng]. Also use Standard Arabic [arb].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: Below 50%, probably 25%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%. Many more literate in Bengali [ben] than Urdu.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Bangladesh

Belgium

Language NameUrdu

User Population

9,480 in Belgium (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Canada

Language NameUrdu

User Population

211,000 in Canada (2016 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Denmark

Language NameUrdu

User Population

14,500 in Denmark (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Fiji

Language NameUrdu

User Population

4,500 in Fiji (2019).

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Language Use

Home. All also use English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Finland

Language NameUrdu

User Population

3,170 in Finland (2018 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Germany

Language NameUrdu

User Population

23,000 in Germany.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Guyana

Language NameUrdu

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

8a (Moribund).

Language Use

Older adults only. Shifted to Guyanese English Creole [gyn].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

View other languages of Guyana

India

Language NameUrdu

User Population

62,800,000 in India, all users. L1 users: 50,800,000 in India (2011 census). L2 users: 12,000,000 (2011 census).

Location

Jammu and Kashmir state: widespread use by Muslims; Maharashtra state: Hyderabad (Dakhini).

Alternate Names

Islami, Undri, Urudu

Dialects

Dakhini (Dakani, Dakkhini, Deccan, Desia, Mirgan), Pinjari, Rekhta (Rekhti).

Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Andra Pradesh State; Delhi Union Territory (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII). Statutory provincial language in Telangana state (2017, Telangana Official Languages Act, Act 9, Section 2b, 1966 (Amended by Telangana Official Languages Bill, Act 30)), co-official with Telugu [tel]. Statutory provincial working language in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh states (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII), limited to official correspondence, notices and other communication. Statutory language of provincial identity in Jammu and Kashmir State (1957, State constitution, Article 145).

Language Use

Used as L2 by Balti [bft], Bhadrawahi [bhd], Bhattiyali [bht], Bilaspuri [kfs], Chambeali [cdh], Changthang [cna], Churahi [cdj], Dogri [dgo], Eastern Balochi [bgp], Gujari [gju], Kangri [xnr], Kashmiri [kas], Khah [hkh], Kullu Pahari [kfx], Ladakhi [lbj], Mandeali [mjl], Mewati [wtm], Purig [prx], Saraiki [skr].

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools through grade 5 and as subject thereafter in Andhra Pradesh state and Telangana state.

Other Comments

Muslim.

View other languages of India

Iran

Language NameUrdu

User Population

89,000 in Iran (2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Iraq

Language NameUrdu

User Population

4,350 in Iraq (2020).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Malaysia

Language NameUrdu

User Population

15,000 in Malaysia (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Mauritius

Language NameUrdu

User Population

800 in Mauritius (Leclerc 2018c).

Location

Widespread.

Language Status

4 (Educational).

Language Use

Government, politics, religion.

Language Development

Taught in primary schools as subject.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

View other languages of Mauritius

Nepal

Language NameUrdu

User Population

737,800 in Nepal, all users. L1 users: 692,000 in Nepal (2011 census). L2 users: 45,800 (2011 census).

Location

Janakpur province: scattered; Kosi province: Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari districts, southern municipalities; Lumbini province: Banke and Kapilvastu districts, southern municipalities.

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

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New Zealand

Language NameUrdu

User Population

5,050 in New Zealand (2013 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Norway

Language NameUrdu

User Population

39,300 in Norway (2021 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Oman

Language NameUrdu

User Population

60,000 in Oman (2020).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Qatar

Language NameUrdu

User Population

180,000 in Qatar (2010).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Saudi Arabia

Language NameUrdu

User Population

930,000 in Saudi Arabia (2020).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Saudi Arabia

Singapore

Language NameUrdu

User Population

3,000 in Singapore (2010 R. Jain).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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South Africa

Language NameUrdu

User Population

15,000 in South Africa (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.

Location

KwaZulu-Natal province: Durban coastal and urban areas; Gauteng province: Johannesburg area, and scattered smaller towns.

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Language Use

Also use English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

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Spain

Language NameUrdu

User Population

64,300 in Spain (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Sweden

Language NameUrdu

User Population

8,590 in Sweden (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Turkey

Language NameUrdu

User Population

24,300 in Turkey (2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United Arab Emirates

Language NameUrdu

User Population

239,000 in United Arab Emirates (2020).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United Kingdom

Language NameUrdu

User Population

269,000 in United Kingdom (2011 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United States

Language NameUrdu

User Population

398,000 in United States (2015 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Language Use

Most also use English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Primary tabs

A language of Pakistan

Also spoken in:

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