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The script is used in Pakistan today, albeit unlike most other native languages of Pakistan, the Naskh style is more common for Sindhi writing than the Nasta'liq style. It has a total of 52 letters, augmenting the Urdu with digraphs and eighteen new letters ( ڄ ٺ ٽ ٿ ڀ ٻ ڙ ڍ ڊ ڏ ڌ ڇ ڃ ڦ ڻ ڱ ڳ ڪ ) for sounds particular to Sindhi and other Indo-Aryan languages.
Oct 28, 2024 · Urdu language, member of the Indo-Aryan group within the Indo-European family of languages. Urdu is spoken as a first language by nearly 70 million people and as a second language by more than 100 million people, predominantly in Pakistan and India. It is the official state language of Pakistan and is also officially recognized, or “scheduled ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jul 8, 2024 · In Pakistan, Urdu serves as the national language and the primary medium of cultural and governmental discourse (Pakistan Language). Despite being the mother tongue for only about 7% of the population, it is understood and spoken as a second language by the majority, facilitating communication across various linguistic groups.
- The National Language of Pakistan
- Provincial Languages of Pakistan
- Minority Languages of Pakistan
- Foreign Languages That Have A Significant Impact in Pakistan
Urdu is not only the official language of Pakistan but also the national language of the country. However, only about 8% of Pakistanis speak Urdu as their first language. However, a vast section of the population speaks it as their second language. The origin of Urdu goes back several centuries, and according to some historians, Urdu has evolved fr...
Punjabi
Punjabi is the most popular of the regional languages of Pakistan. Over 44% of Pakistani Punjabis speak Punjabi as a first language which is written using the Shahmukhi script which uses the Urdu alphabet.
Pashto
Pashto, the official language of neighboring Afghanistan, also has a significant number of speakers in Pakistan. This language of Pakistan is spoken by over 15.42% of the entire population of the country. The Pashto speakers are concentrated in northern Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions of Pakistan. Pashtun communities in the cities of the country also speak this language. Pashto has a rich literary tradition, and some famous poets who used the P...
Sindhi
Sindhi is spoken as a first language primarily by Pakistanis residing in the Sindh province of the country. Nearly 14.5% of Pakistanis speak this language of Pakistan. Some scholars claim that Sindhi is derived from Sanskrit with Arabic influences and others believe it has its origins in the Sami languages. Sindhi is also spoken by a significant section of the Indian population.
A large number of languages can be included in the category of minority languages of Pakistan and are spoken by minority communities residing in the country. Speakers of these languages number from a few hundreds to a few thousand. Some of these languages are also endangered and might disappear altogether quite soon.
English
As mentioned above, English, the official language of the colonial British Empire, continue to play a major role in Pakistan as one of the official languages of the country. Besides, English, the other important foreign languages of Pakistan are:
Arabic
Since Pakistan is a Muslim major country, Arabic, the religious language of Muslims play a major role in the religious education of the Muslims. The Quran, Hadith, Sunnah and other Islamic religious texts are taught in Arabic and translated in Urdu. A major section of the Muslim population of Pakistan is given some form of informal or formal religious education in the Arabic language.
Persian
Persian was the language spoken by the Royals of the Mughal Empire and served as the cultural and official language of this Empire. As such, it had a high status in the Muslim society in the past. However, the British abolished the official status of Persian during their colonial rule over the Indian sub-continent. Today, only a small section of the Pakistani population speak this language.
- Oishimaya Sen Nag
Apr 24, 2023 · These include a very diverse range of dialogues from Urdu to Hindi. Other languages such as Tamil, Farsi, and Bengali – to name a few – have also graced South Asia and enriched its history. But one language that is more popular than usually thought of is Urdu. Urdu, as one may know, is Pakistan’s common language. But it is not only spoken ...
Jun 6, 2024 · The Origins and Evolution of Urdu. Urdu belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family, with its etymological roots tracing back to Sanskrit. It developed around the 12th century in Delhi, during the Delhi Sultanate, and became the favored language of the Mughal Empire. Initially known as Hindavi or Old Hindi, Urdu ...
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Dec 25, 2017 · Urdu was the natural choice because it was Pakistan’s lingua franca, the only language spoken both in Eastern and Western provinces of Pakistan. Majority of Bengalis understood Urdu and they ...