Sarayki language: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia
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#REDIRECT [[Saraiki dialect]]
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{{Infobox language
|name=Saraiki
|nativename = سرائیکی, ਸਰਾਇਕੀ, सराइकी
|states= Pakistan, India,<ref name="Indianlanguages">{{cite web|title=Abstract of speakers’ strength of languages and mother tongues – 2001|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement1.htm|accessdate=8 April 2012}}</ref> Afghanistan<ref name="Afghan Hindu - Kandahari">{{cite web|url = http://www.siraiki.20fr.com/photo.html| title = Siraiki and Kandhari (Multani)|publisher = Afghan Hindu|accessdate = 2007-12-08}}</ref>
|region = mainly [[South Punjab]]
|speakers = 17 million
|date = 2007
|ref = <ref>[[Nationalencyklopedin]] "Världens 100 största språk 2007" The World's 100 Largest Languages in 2007</ref>
|familycolor=Indo-European
|fam2=[[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
|fam3=[[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]]
|fam4=[[Northwest_Indo-Aryan_languages#North-Western_Zone|North-Western Zone]]
|fam5=[[Lahnda languages|Lahnda]]
|dia1=[[Thalochi dialect|Thali]] ([[Derawali dialect|Derawali]])
|dia2=[[Multani dialect|Multani]] (Derawali)
|dia3=[[Riasti dialect|Riasati]] (Riyasati–Bahawalpuri)
|dia4=Jatki (Jhangi–Jakti){{dubious|date=February 2013}}
|agency = No official regulation
|script=[[Persian alphabet]], [[Laṇḍā]] scripts particularly [[Gurumukhi]], [[Devanagari script]], [[Langdi]] script
|iso3=skr
|notice=Indic
|notice2=IPA
}}
[[File:Map of Saraikistan.jpg|thumb|200px|Saraiki Speeking areas ]]
'''Saraiki''' ([[Shahmukhi]]: {{Nastaliq|سرائیکی}}, [[Gurmukhi]]: ਸਰਾਇਕੀ, [[Devanagari]]: सराइकी), also spelled '''Siraiki''' and '''Seraiki''', is a recently standardized language of the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] (Indic) language family that has traditionally has been considered a language of [[pakistan|pakistan]]. It is spoken by 80 million people across the [[South Punjab]], southern [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], and border regions of [[Sindh]] and [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]], with some 50,000 migrants and their descendants in [[India]]<ref name="Indianlanguages"/> who migrated as a result of the [[partition of India]], as well as overseas, especially in the [[Middle East]]. Saraiki is also spoken by some [[Hindu]]s in [[Afghanistan]], though the number there is unknown.<ref name="Afghan Hindu - Kandahari"/><ref name="Afghanistan">{{cite web|title=Pakistan/India/Afghanistan: Multani language; extent to which it is used by Hindus in Afghanistan|url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3df4bed320.html|accessdate=8 April 2012|quote=Hindus have always lived in Afghanistan. That's one reason why they call themselves Kandharis and not Multanis and Seraikies. Some of the old temples in the area also point to this theory. The word Kandh in Seraiki means wall. Kandahar used to have many walls. The Hilmand river flowing in that area was labelled "Rud-e-hind-wa-sind" by Arabic manuscripts. Before the influx of Pashtoons the inhabitants of Kandahar spoke Seraiki. The Pashtoons labelled their language "Jataki". The language spoken by Afghan Hindus in Kandahar known as Kandhari is probably "Jataki".}}</ref>
The development of the standard written language began after the founding of Pakistan in 1947, driven by a [[Saraikistan|regionalist political movement]].<ref name="rahman1997">Rahman, Tariq. 1997. Language and Ethnicity in Pakistan. Asian Survey, 1997 Sep., 37(9):833-839.</ref>{{rp|838}}<ref name="shackle1977">Shackle, C. 1977. Saraiki: A Language Movement in Pakistan. Modern Asian Studies, 11(3):379-403.</ref> The national census of Pakistan has tabulated the prevalence of Saraiki speakers since 1981.<ref name="Javaid">Javaid, Umbreen. 2004. [http://www.pu.edu.pk/english/jrh/Online_contents/Vol.%20XL%20No.2%20JRH%20July%202004.pdf Saraiki political movement: its impact in south Punjab]. ''[http://www.pu.edu.pk/english/jrh/ Journal of Research (Humanities)]'', 40(2): 55–65. Lahore: Faculty of Arts and Humanities, [http://www.pu.edu.pk/ University of the Punjab]. (This PDF contains multiple articles from the same issue.)</ref>{{rp|46}} Saraiki is the fourth most widely spoken language in Pakistan after [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Pashto]], and [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]; and within Punjab Province it is one of the two major languages.
== Dialects of [[Saraiki Language]]==
{{more information|Saraiki dialects{{!}}Saraiki dialects}}
Shackle 1976 has proposed a tentative classification of Saraiki dialects into six "varieties", wherein variety is defined as a group of dialects. (Shackle's scheme really involves just three "varieties", since he himself observes that [[Shahpuri]] Jhangvi and Thali, spoken in [[Sargodha Division]], Jhang and khanewal districts, are in truth not a kind of Saraiki, but instead a dialect of Punjabi with Saraiki features.)
A list of names in use at one or another time during the 20th century for Saraiki dialects and dialect groups is compiled in the table below.<ref name="Masica1991" />{{rp|Appendix I:220-245}}<ref name="Grierson1919" />{{rp|239ff}} The dialect names are spelled in the standard Anglicized spelling. 'C' and 'ch' both resemble English 'ch'; 'c' represents an unaspirated sound, 'ch' an aspirated. A macron over a vowel indicates a long vowel. Following is the table of dialects based upon the different articles and may not actually represent any specific classification.
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Dialect group of Saraiki!! Subdialect!! Where spoken !! Alternate_names !! Notes
|-
| rowspan="3"| '''Saraiki'''<br> (Central or Pure Saraiki)
|[[Saraiki Language]]||[[Multan District]], [[Lodhran District]], [[Bahawalpur District]], [[Muzaffargarh District]], [[Rahim Yar Khan District]], [[Dera Ghazi Khan District]], [[Rajanpur District]], [[Bhakkar District]], [[Layyah District]], [[Dera Ismail Khan District]], [[Khyber Pukhtunkhwa]], [[Tank District]], [[Khyber Pukhtunkhwa]], [[Derawal Nagar|Derawal Nagar, Delhi, India]]||1.[[Riyasati|Riyāsatī]] in Bahawalpur District.<br>2.[[Derawali|Ḍerāwālī]] in Dera Ghazi Khan.<br> 3.Shahpori Thalochi and Thaḷochṛi in Bhakkar District.<br> 4.Jaṭkī; [[Hindko language|Hindko]] or Hindki on the west of Indus River.<br> 5.[[Derawali dialect|Thaḷī]] in Dera Ismail Khan District and Tank District||1.According to Masica, the two names Bahāwalpurī and Riyāsatī are locally specific names for the Multani dialect group, possibly specific dialects within the group.<ref name="Masica1991" /> According to Shackle, they instead denote a distinct dialect group. Also according to Shackle, the Bahawalpur District of Punjab Province (i.e., within its 1976 boundaries) is split between Mūltānī in the north and Bahāwalpurī in the south, with the dialect of Bahawalpur city being of blend of these two.<br> 2.According to Masica, this use of the name ''[[Derawal|Ḍerāwālī]]'' is to be distinguished from its use as an alternate name for a different dialect group (see following row). The spelling with retroflex 'Ḍ' instead of 'D' is according to Masica.<ref name="Masica1991" /> The name dialect name "Thaḷī" is used to refer to the local dialects of both [[Dera Ghazi Khan]] and [[Dera Ismail Khan]], but "Thaḷī" in the former is the [[Multani language|Multani]] dialect and "Ḍerāwālī " in the latter is the Thaḷī dialect.<ref name="Masica1991" />{{rp|239ff}}{{rp|Appendix I:220-245}}<br> 3.Named after the [[Thal Desert]], a region bordered by the Indus River to the west and the Jhelum and Chenab Rivers to the east.<br> 4.[[Hindko language|Hindko]] is classified as [[Lahnda]] language whose southern dialects are closer to Saraiki. Sometimes, in Mianwali, it is referred as ''Mianwali di Boli'' and has close link with Hindko.
|-
|Sindhi-Saraiki||Northern part of [[Sindh]] including [[Kashmore District]], [[Jacobabad District]], [[Shikarpur District]], [[Tando Muhammad Khan District]], [[Tando Allahyar District]], Sobho Khan Mastoi, Kamal Khan Mastoi, [[Thatta District]], Sujawal, [[Dadu District]] and [[Ghotki District]].||Sireli (of north)||Dialect of Saraiki which has some features of the Sindhi language. Sindhi Saraiki is also categorized as a dialect of Sindhi language. In the Interier Sindh, 40% of population speak Sindhi-Saraiki.
|-
|[[Jhangvi|Jhangvi]]||[[Jhang District]], [[Faisalabad District]], [[Gujrat District]], [[Mandi Bahauddin]], [[Chakwal]], [[Hafizabad]], [[Gujranwala District]], [[Jangal Bar]] tract of [[Faisalabad District]], [[Okara]], [[pakpattan]] and all regions encompassing the former [[Montgomery District]] ||[[Jhangochi]], Jhangi ||Jhangvi dialects actually be closer to the [[Saraiki language]]. It also includes Nissoani sub-dialect or local name of Jhangi spoken by a tribe, Nissoana, as of 1919 in northern parts of [[Jhang District]]. Another sub-dialect of Jhangi, Kacchī, is named for alluvial desert plain of [[Kacchi]], southwest of [[Jhang]] town.Dialect of [[Jhangochi]] spoken by the pastoral tribes of the mentioned areas, such as the [[Kharals]], [[Wattus]], [[Johiyas]], who used to rear cattle and sheep in the jungles, before irrigation of the region. It is also called Chenavari (Cināwaṛī or Cinhāwaṛī) due to the name of an area on the right bank of the [[Chenab River]].
|-
|}
Although present day Pakistani academia chooses to call this language "Saraiki", this word is largely unknown to the Saraiki people who migrated to India during the partition - predominantly the Hindu Seraikis. These people better know their language and identity as "Multani" rather than Seraiki. One of the reasons why Hindu Multanis of India have not been able to join the mainstream Seraiki / Multani resources on the internet today is the difference in the nomenclature.
The language should ideally be called Multani. Multan is the main city of the Multani speaking region (Seraikistan), and its dialect can be considered to be High Multani. Other dialects are spoken in the regions around Multan such as Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and so on.
The word Seraiki is recognized only by the academia and not by the Multani diaspora in India, who call themselves Multanis. Groups have recently emerged on social networking sites such as Facebook whereby the Indian diaspora continue to refer to themselves as Multanis.
The estimates about the Multani speaking population is quite low and the choice of the name for the language is definitely a reason for this. It is impossible that only 70,000 people in India speak Multani when over 30% to 35% (perhaps 40%) of the population of the Multani speaking region was Hindu at the time of the partition and almost all the Hindu Multanis migrated to India. There are currently nearly 10 million Multani speakers in Pakistan today. The number of Multani speakers in India should most certainly be several hundred thousands if not over a million.
Another reason why these estimates are most certainly wrong is that most Multanis in India, for want of a better identity, call themselves Punjabi, and when asked about their language, will call themselves Punjabi-speakers, for want of a better classification. However, with the revival of interest in ethnic identities, many people are coming forward and distinguishing themselves as Multanis rather than Punjabis.
==Etymology==
The word "Sarāiki" originated from the word "[[Sauvira]]",<ref>A.H. Dani, ''Sindhu-Sauvira: A glimpse into the early history of Sind '' In Hameeda Khusro (ed), Sind Through The Centuries (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 1981) pp. 35-42</ref> a kingdom name of [[ancient India]], also mentioned in the [[Sanskrit]] [[Indian epic poetry|epic]] [[Mahabharata]]. By adding adjectival suffix "-ki" to the word "Sauvirā" it became "Sauvirāki". The consonant 'v' with its neighboring vowels was dropped for simplification and hence the name became "Sarāiki". Although [[George Abraham Grierson]] reported that "Sirāiki" (that was the spelling he used) is from a Sindhi word ''sirō'', meaning 'of the north, northern', [[Christopher Shackle]]<ref name="shackle1977"/>{{rp|388}} asserts that this etymology is unverified. Another view is that Saraiki word originates from the word [[Caravanserai|Sarai]]. [[File:D.G.Khan.jpg|thumb|D.G.Khan]]
The standard [[Romanization]] of the Saraiki language name (at least ''de facto'') is "Saraiki". However, "Seraiki", and "Siraiki" have also been used in academia until recently. The language name (in whichever of these spellings) was adopted in the 1960s by regional social and political leaders. An organization namely Saraiki Academy was founded in Multan on 6 April 1962, under the Presidentship of Mir Hassaan-ul-Haidri who was replaced by Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi, which gave the name of universal application to the language.<ref name="shackle1977"/> Presently, "Saraiki" is the spelling used in universities of Pakistan (the [[Islamia University|Islamia University of Bahawalpur]], department of Saraiki established in 1989,<ref>[http://www.iub.edu.pk/department.php?id=26 Department of Saraiki, IUB]</ref> [[Bahauddin Zakariya University]], in Multan, department of Saraiki established in 2006,<ref>[http://www.bzu.edu.pk/departmentindex.php?id=33 Department of Saraiki, BZU]</ref> and [[Allama Iqbal Open University]], in Islamabad, department of Pakistani languages established in 1998),<ref name="aiou.edu.pk">[http://www.aiou.edu.pk/DeptDetail.asp?DeptID=47 Department of Pakistani languages, AIOU]</ref> and by the district governments of Bahawalpur<ref>[http://www.bahawalpur.gov.pk/history.htm District Government, Bahawalpur]</ref> and Multan,<ref>[http://www.multan.gov.pk/page.php?data=136 District Government, Multan]</ref> as well as by the federal institutions of the Government of Pakistan like Population Census Organization<ref>[http://www.census.gov.pk/MotherTongue.htm Population by Mother Tongue], Website of the Population Census organization of Pakistan</ref> and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation.<ref>[http://www.radio.gov.pk/cms/TopStoryDetail.asp?id=490 Saraiki News Bulletins], Website of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation</ref>
Two of the native scripts, [[Gurmukhi]] and [[Devanagari]], use the 'a' spelling (or rather, its native equivalent), which indicates that the vowel of the first syllable is a short /a/. In the Gurmukhi and Devanagari spellings given above, this is manifested by the lack of any vowel [[diacritic]]. As is standard for native [[Brahmic family of scripts|Indo-Aryan orthographies]], the absence of any diacritic over a consonant indicates that a short /a/ is spoken after that consonant.
==History==
[[Image:Saraiki Study Center.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Saraiki Area Study Center Multan, inaugurated by Prime Minister of Pakistan [[Yousaf Raza Gillani]] ]]
The language wich is now called saraiki has been given various Name in the past .western Linguists used name like " Belochki (Burton 1849) " Multani (O'Bren :1881) ,Uchi (Bomford:1895) Jataki (Jukes 1900) shahpuri ,hindi (wilson 1899) Lahnda,Siraiki,Multani,Shahpuri,Hindki (Grierson 1919) Lahndi (Smirnow 1975) and Siraiki (Shackle 1972,1976,2007) for it.Native speakers Had called it by the names of the areas wjere it was spoken . Richard Burton also wrote a grammar of what he called "Siraiki" (Burton 1849: 84-5). One such officer was Edward 0 Brien, who emphasized that Multani (Saraiki) was different from Lahori (Punjabi) (1882: 72). A missionary Andrew Jukes (1847-1931) agreeing with him, used the word 'Westrn Punjabi' for it (Shackle 1983: 22). This word also used by Trevor Bomford an other missionary and is important because it was used by George Grierson in his linguistic survey (Bomford 1895: Grierson : Vol 4 , 233- 332). Grierson choose the word 'Lahnda' western Punjabi for this language (Gankovski 1964: 110). The history of the region of Saraikistan goes back to Mahabharata (Rahman 2004: 11). When Al-Beruni the famous Indologist gives the list of countries or states of old India he discusses the Saraiki region as an independent state by the name Sauvira. Al-Beruni says, “the name of the countries in the South West (Nairrita): Kamboja, Sindhu, Sauvira that is Multan and Jahrawar,” (Al-Beruni 1030 translated by Edward C. Sachau in 1992: 300-302). The countries of Sindhu and Sauvira are mentioned in Mahbaharta and can be taken from Sindh province and lower (Saraiki) Punjab (Rahman 2004: 11). Ahmad Hassan Dani the famous Pakistani Historian explains Sauvira and asserts that present day Saraiki region is in fact Sauvira which was a state as discussed by Al-Beruni’s Kitab –Ul-Hind. In his own words he says: "If we accept this suggestion, it is not difficult to understand why the Sindhi language is confined to the lower Indus while Saraiki is now spoken in much the same area where Sauvira is located by Alberuni. With this understanding of the Saraiki-speaking area, we can now say that the very name Saraiki is probably a corruption of the original term Sauviraki (Dani 1981:36).However ,after 1970, it was finally decided that wor " Saraiki " should be used for this language.
The existence of Saraiki Hndki in sind is easily ecplained .In the first place there is coming and going between Bahawalpur and the siro .in the second place there is a close historical Connnexion between the siro and the Punjab district of Dera Ghazi Khan ,where the most notable family is that of the mia Sahib Sarai (i.e of the siro ) a descendant of the kalhora kings of sindh .these were once the de facto rulers of nearly the whole of sind, as well as of the district of dera Ghazi khan.At the present time ,the head-quarters of the family in that district are at Hajipur in the Jampur Tahsil.In Dera Ghazi Khan the word " sirai " Has come to be a common appellation for native of sindh .As Saraiki Hindki is really language of immigrants into sindh and cannot be called the language of the siro ,it will not be necessary to give full specimens of it
Page 360 ;Linguistic Survey of India 1901 ;Linguistic Survey Of India By Sir G .A Grierson ,K .C.I .E ,Ph.D,D.LITT,I.C.S (Retd.)
Saraiki Hindki
In sindhi word Siro Sinifies " The Upper country ', i.e .the up-river country ,and is specially applied to upper sindh,or that part of the province wich lies north of Sehwan on the Indus.From this is Derived that word sirai ,an inhabitant of the siro ,and saraiki ,The Langiage spoken in the siro .Dr.Trumpp,in page II of his sindhi grammar ,states that the northern dialect of sindhi is called Saraiki ,and adds that this is the purest form of the language .This is also the opinion of the inhabitants of the country ,who have a proverb that the learned man of the lar (or lower sindh ) is but an OX in the siro .From every district of sindh ,except thar and parkar,specimens have been received of a language locally known as siraiki .On examication it turns out that in every case this language is not sindhi at all but is a form of lahnda closely allied to the hindhki of dera Ghazi Khan .The discrepancy is accounted for by the fact that Dr.Trumpp and the local official have used the word " Saraiki " each in a different sense .All over the siro the main language is undoubtedly sindhi ,and ,as it was spoken in the siro ,Dr.Trumpp very properly called the sindhi of the siro "Saraiki ".It is described on pp.9 and 140ff.The Saraiki form of Lahnda is nowhere the language of any locality .It is the language of Various Tribes ,the members of which are scattered over the siro .The local officials called the main language of their district " sindhi " with out any Qualifying epithet ,and the other language ,spoken sporadically over the country ,they called Saraiki.As saraiki simply means 'of or belonging to the siro ,' I shall in future call the sindhi spoken insiro ( or Dr.Trumpp's Saraiki ) 'Saraiki sindhi ,' and the Hindki Lahnda spoken in the same tract ( the Saraiki of the local officials ) ' Saraiki Hindki ,' OR ' Saraiki Lahnda "'
Linguistic Survey of India 1901 ;Page No.359;Linguistic Survey Of India By Sir G .A Grierson ,K .C.I .E ,Ph.D,D.LITT,I.C.S (Retd.)
==Classification and related languages==
Saraiki is member of the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] subdivision of the [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]] branch of the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] language family. Standard Punjabi and Saraiki (South Punjabi) are mutually intelligible; they slightly differ in consonant inventory and in the structure of the verb. Saraiki is about 80% intelligible with [[Dogri language|Dogri]].
In 1919, [[George Abraham Grierson|Grierson]] maintained that the dialects of what is now the southwest of Punjab Province in Pakistan constitute a dialect cluster, which he designated "Southern [[Lahnda]]" within a putative "Lahnda language". Subsequent Indo-Aryanist linguists have confirmed the reality of this dialect cluster, even while rejecting the name "Southern Lahnda" along with the entity "Lahnda" itself.<ref name="Masica1991">Masica, Colin. 1991. The Indo-Aryan languages. Cambridge University Press.</ref>{{rp|18-20}} Grierson also maintained that "Lahnda" was his novel designation for various dialects up to then called "Western Punjabi", spoken north, west, and south of [[Lahore]]. The local dialect of Lahore is the [[Majhi dialect]] of [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], which has long been the basis of standard literary Punjabi.<ref name="Grierson1919">Grierson, George A. 1919. Linguistic survey of India. vol. VIII, Part 1. Calcutta. Reprinted 1968 by Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi.</ref> However, outside of Indo-Aryanist circles, the concept of "Lahnda" is still found in compilations of the world's languages (e.g., [http://www.ethnologue.org Ethnologue]).
The historical inventory of names for the dialects now called Saraiki is a confusion of overlapping or conflicting ethnic, local, and regional designations. "Hindki" and "Hindko" – which means merely "of India" – refer to various Saraiki and even non-Saraiki dialects in Punjab Province and farther north within the country, due to the fact they were applied by arrivals from [[Afghanistan]] or [[Persia]]. One historical name for Saraiki, Jaṭki, means "of the [[Jat people|Jaṭṭs]]", a northern [[South Asia]]n ethnic group; but Jaṭṭs speak the Indo-Aryan dialect of whatever region they live in. Only a small minority of Saraiki speakers are Jaṭṭs, and not all Saraiki speaking Jaṭṭs necessarily speak the same dialect of Saraiki. However, these people usually call their traditions as well as language as ''Jataki''. Conversely, several Saraiki dialects have multiple names corresponding to different locales or demographic groups. When consulting sources before 2000, it is important to know that Pakistani administrative boundaries have been altered frequently. Provinces in Pakistan are divided into districts, and sources on "Saraiki" often describe the territory of a dialect or dialect group according to the districts. Since the founding of Pakistan in 1947, several of these districts have been subdivided, some multiple times. Until 2001, the territorial structure of Pakistan included a layer of divisions between a province and it's districts. The name dialect name "[[Derawali dialect|Ḍerawali]]" is used to refer to the local dialects of both [[Dera Ghazi Khan]] and [[Dera Ismail Khan]], but "Ḍerawali" in the former is the [[Multani language|Multani]] dialect and "Ḍerawali" in the latter is the Thaḷi dialect.<ref name="Masica1991" />{{rp|Appendix I:220-245}}<ref name="Grierson1919" />{{rp|239ff}}
The critical point in categorizing Saraiki is that many dialects traditionally considered as Saraiki are also claimed by Punjabi scholars. For instance, Multani and Derawali are dialects of Saraiki but the regions where these dialects are spoken are part of Punjab as there is no Saraiki speaking independent province. In the National Census of Pakistan (1981), Saraiki, [[Potwari language|Pahari-Potohari]] and [[Hindko]] (Before categorized as "Western Punjabi") got the status of separate languages. Therefore, the exact figures of Saraiki speaking population are not confirmed. Some people claim that actually the number of speakers of Saraiki are greater than the standard Punjabi dialects.
==Geographic distribution==
Saraiki is a language of great antiquity in Pakistan. It served as [[lingua franca]] among the people living in the Indus Valley for centuries. It also remained the language of commerce and trade until recent times. Today, people of North Sindh,South Punjab,South Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Easteren Baluchistan province speak Saraiki as their first language.
===Pakistan===
The first national census of Pakistan to gather data on the prevalence of Saraiki was the census of 1981.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} In that year, the percentage of respondents nationwide reporting Saraiki as their mother tongue was 9.83. In the census of 1998, it was 10.53 out of a national population of 132 million, for a figure of 13.9 million Saraiki speakers resident in Pakistan. Also according to the 1998 census, 12.8 million of those, or 92%, lived in the Province of Punjab.<ref>Pakistan census 1998</ref> Following is the distribution of Saraiki in the four provinces of Pakistan:
{| class="wikitable"
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''[[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab]]'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''[[Sindh]]'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''[[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''[[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]]'''
|-
| [[Multan]]||[[Dadu]] ||[[Dera Ismail Khan]]||[[Jafarabad District|Jafarabad]]
|-
| [[Bahwalpur]]||[[Ghotki]]||[[Tank District|Tank]]||[[Naseerabad District|Naseerabad]]
|-
| [[Dera Ghazi Khan]]||[[Jacobabad]]||[[Bannu]]||[[Jhal Magsi]]
|-
| [[Lodhran]]||[[Naushahro Feroze]]||||[[Musa Khel]] (as second language)
|-
| [[Muzaffargarh]]||[[Kashmore]]||||[[Barkhan]]
|-
| [[Rahimyar Khan]]||[[Shikarpur, Pakistan|Shikarpur]]||||[[Sibi]]||
|-
| [[Rajanpur]]||[[Sukhar]]||||
|-
| ||[[Khairpur]]||||
|-
| ||Qamber Shahdadkot||||
|-
| ||[[Larkana]]||||
|-
|}
In [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] '''Saraiki Dialect''' region is categorized as the combination of four sub-regions:
* '''Roh''': means mountains, referred to the [[Sulaiman Mountains]] in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts.
* '''Rohi''': [[Cholistan Desert]] in Bahawalpur and Rahim yar khan districts
* '''Thal''': [[Thal Desert]] in Layyah, and Muzaffargarh districts
* '''Daamaan''': meaning the foothills, referred to the foothills of Sulaiman Mountains in Dera Ismail Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan. It may also referred to the plain areas around Multan and Lodhran.
In [[Sindh]] the native language of North ten districts is Saraiki. In [[Balochistan]] the native language of Daroug and Rakni, Barkhan, Sibi, Naseerabad, Jafferabad and Jhal magsi is Saraiki. In [[Khyber Pakhtunkha]] the native Language in DI khan, Tank and Lakki Marwat is Saraiki.
===India===
According to the Indian census of 2001, Saraiki is spoken in urban areas throughout northwest and north central India by a total of about 70,000 people, mainly by the descendants of migrants from western Punjab after the [[partition of India]] in 1947. Some of these speakers are settled in [[Andhra Pradesh]] who went and settled there before the partition because of their pastoral and nomadic way of life, and these are Muslims.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Kahan se aa gai ({{Nastaliq|کہاں سے کہاں آ گئے}})|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/india/2009/05/090505_wusat_multan_pkg.shtml|accessdate=8 April 2012}}</ref> Out of these total speakers of the language, 56,096 persons report their dialect as Mūltānī and by 11,873 individuals report their dialect as Bahāwalpurī.<ref name="Indianlanguages"/> One dialects of Saraiki that is spoken by Indian Saraikis is ''Derawali'', spoken by [[Derawal]]s in [[Derawal Nagar]], [[Delhi]] who migrated to India during the partition.<ref name="The Tribune - Derawal Nagar">{{cite web|url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030319/ncr1.htm| title = Colonies, posh and model in name only!|publisher = NCR Tribune|accessdate = 2007-12-16}}</ref> Other dialects spoken by Indian Saraikis include ''Jafri'', ''Saraiki Hindki'', ''Jhangi'', ''Thali'', and ''Jatki''.<ref name="Ethnologue - Seraiki">{{cite web|url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=skr| title = Seraiki |publisher = Ethnologue|accessdate = 2007-07-14|quote=Jafri, Siraiki Hindki, Thali, Jatki, Bahawalpuri (Bhawalpuri, Riasati, Reasati).}}</ref> Saraiki is spoken in Faridabad, Ballabhgarh, Palwal, Rewari, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Bhiwani, Panipat districts of Haryana, some area of Delhi and Ganganagar district,Hanumangarh and Bikaner districts of [[Rajasthan]]. It is spoken at low scale in Utrakhand and U.P.
[[Romani language|Romani]] and Saraiki share some words and similar grammatical systems. The cause of the Romani [[diaspora]] is unknown. However, the most probable conclusion is that the Romanies were part of the military in [[North India|Northern India]]. When there were repeated raids by [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] and these soldiers were defeated, they were moved west with their families into the [[Byzantine Empire]]. This would have occurred between AD 1000 and 1030.{{citation needed|date=February 2012}}
[[File:Anari cloud,fot munro.jpg|thumb|Anari Cloud,Fort Munro,D.G.Khan]]
===Afghanistan===
In [[Afghanistan]], ''Kandhari'', a dialect of Multani Saraiki is a mother tongue of the [[Hindki]].<ref name="Afghan Hindu - Kandahari">{{cite web|url = http://www.afghanhindu.info/afghan_hindus.htm| title = Introduction |publisher = Afghan Hindu|accessdate = 2007-12-08|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110718163954/http://www.afghanhindu.info/afghan_hindus.htm|archivedate=2011-07-18}}</ref> Before the influx of [[Pathan]]s into the region, the most common language spoken in [[Kandahar]] was Saraiki, namely the ''Kandhari'' or ''Jataki'' dialect.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3df4bed320.html|title=Pakistan/India/Afghanistan: Multani language; extent to which it is used by Hindus in Afghanistan|publisher=Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada / UNHCR|accessdate=28 July 2012|quote=Before the influx of Pashtoons the inhabitants of Kandahar spoke Seraiki. The Pashtoons labelled their language "Jataki". The language spoken by Afghan Hindus in Kandahar known as Kandhari is probably "Jataki". }}</ref>
===Outside South Asia===
Saraiki is also spoken in Iran. Many Saraiki migrants are in Middle East, Europe and America with smaller communities in Australia, South East Asia and China and Cuba.
Saraiki is second largest language in [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]] with more than 2.5M. In [[United Kingdom]] Saraiki is spoken by 400,000. In Canada,<ref>http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CA</ref> China, South Africa and usa<ref>http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=us</ref> saraiki is also spoken.
==Phonology==
Saraiki and Sindhi both have somewhat similar consonant inventories.<ref name="Masica1991" /> This inventory includes [[phoneme|phonemically distinctive]] [[implosive consonant]]s, which makes Sindhi and Saraiki unusual among the Indo-European languages (and not just among the Indo-Aryan languages).
===Vowels===
Saraiki has three short vowels, seven long vowels and six nasal vowels.
===Consonants===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!colspan="2"|
! [[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
! [[Labiodental consonant|Labiodental]]
! [[Dental consonant|Dental]]
! [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! [[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!rowspan="2"| [[Stop consonant|Stops]] and<br/>[[affricate]]s
! <small>[[Voiceless consonant|Voiceless]]</small>
| {{IPA|p pʰ}}
|
| {{IPA|t̪ t̪ʰ}}
| {{IPA|t tʰ}}
|
| {{IPA|t͡ʃ t͡ʃʰ}}
| {{IPA|k kʰ}}
| {{IPA|ʔ}}
|-
! <small>[[Voiced consonant|Voiced]]</small>
| {{IPA|b bʱ}}
|
| {{IPA|d̪ d̪ʱ}}
| {{IPA|d dʱ}}
|
| {{IPA|d͡ʒ d͡ʒʱ}}
| {{IPA|ɡ ɡʱ}}
|
|-
!colspan="2"| [[Implosive consonant|Implosives]]
| {{IPA|ɓ}}
|
|
| {{IPA|ɗ}}
|
| {{IPA|ʄ}}
| {{IPA|ɠ}}
|
|-
!colspan="2"| [[Nasal stop|Nasals]]
| {{IPA|m mʱ}}
|
|
| {{IPA|n nʱ}}
| {{IPA|ɳ}}
| {{IPA|ɲ}}
| {{IPA|ŋ}}
|
|-
!rowspan="2"| [[Fricative consonant|Fricatives]]
! <small>[[Voiceless consonant|Voiceless]]</small>
|
| {{IPA|f}}
|
| {{IPA|s}}
|
| {{IPA|ʃ}}
| {{IPA|x}}
| {{IPA|h}}
|-
! <small>[[Voiced consonant|Voiced]]</small>
|
| {{IPA|v}}
|
| {{IPA|z}}
|
| {{IPA|ʒ}}
| {{IPA|ɣ}}
|
|-
!colspan="2"| [[Trill consonant|Trills]]
|
|
|
| {{IPA|r rʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="2"| [[Flap consonant|Flaps]]
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA|ɽ ɽʱ}}
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="2"| [[Lateral consonant|Laterals]]
|
|
|
| {{IPA|l lʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="2"| [[Semivowel]]
|
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA|j}}
|
|
|}
==Writing system==
There are three writing systems for Saraiki, though very few Saraiki speakers—even those [[literacy|literate]] in other languages — are able to read or write their own language in any writing system. The most common Saraiki writing system today is the [[Persian script]], which has also been adapted for use on computers. Saraiki has a 42-letter alphabet including 37 of the [[Urdu alphabet]] and five letters unique to Saraiki. The Saraiki keyboard can also be used for other languages such as [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] & [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]]. The [[Devanagari]] and [[Gurmukhi]] scripts, written from left to right, were used by [[Sikhs]] and [[Hindus]]. Though not used in present-day Pakistan, there are still emigrant speakers in India who know the Devanagari or [[Gurmukhi]] scripts for Saraiki.<ref name="Indian Express - Multani poets relive memories of struggle">{{cite web|url = http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19980127/02651164.html| title = Multani poets relive memories of struggle |publisher = Indian Express|accessdate = 2007-12-08}}</ref><ref name="Balfour1885">Balfour, Edward. 1885. ''The cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia: commercial, industrial and scientific, products of the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms, useful arts and manufactures''. Volume 3; Entry on "Multani Writing". London: B. Quaritch. Pp. 1095. [http://books.google.com/books?id=vlsIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1095&lpg=PA1095&dq=multani+devanagari&source=web&ots=nCxmgi3n8T&sig=cPqWFPUb4yb3_QcBW7EcWAlKfkg Google Books view]</ref> Traders or bookkeepers wrote in a script known as [[Langdi]], although use of this script has been significantly reduced in recent times. Likewise, a script related to the [[Landa scripts]] family, known as Multani, was previously used to write Saraiki.Preliminary Proposal to Encode the Multani Script in ISO/IEC 10646 is submitted by Anshuman Pandey, on 26-04-2011.<ref>[http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n4027.pdf Preliminary Proposal to Encode the Multani Script in ISO/IEC 10646]</ref> Saraiki Unicode has been approved in 2006. The transliteration from and to Persian and Devanagari scripts for Saraiki language can be made online.<ref>[http://www.puran.info/saraikiMT/saraikiMT.aspx Saraiki Online Transliteration]</ref>
In the process of creating a distinct Saraiki written language, activists have paid attention to creating a standard script and orthographic norms. Orthographic and linguistic standardization of Saraiki seems more connected with the politics of identity. Although Saraiki shares four implosive sounds with Sindhi, care was taken so that the Saraiki script and the representation of these symbols should be different from that of Sindhi so that the Sindhis should not lay any claims over Saraiki literature as theirs.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}}
Here is an example of Saraiki poetry by [[Khwaja Ghulam Farid]]:
{{Nastaliq|'''اپڑیں ملک کوں آپ وسا توں ۔ پٹ انگریزی تھانے'''}}
==Saraiki in academia==
Department of Saraiki, [[Islamia University]], Bahawalpur was established in 1989<ref>http://www.iub.edu.pk/department.php?id=26</ref> and Department of Saraiki, [[Bahauddin Zakariya University]], Multan<ref>http://www.bzu.edu.pk/departmentindex.php?id=33</ref> was established in 2006. Saraiki is taught as subject in schools and colleges at higher secondary, intermediate and degree level.
Allama Iqbal open university Islamabad,<ref name="aiou.edu.pk"/> and Al-Khair university Bhimbir have their Pakistani Language Departments. They are offering M.Phil. and Ph.D in Saraiki.
==Arts and literature==
{{main|Saraiki literature}}
{{see also|Saraiki culture}}
[[Image:Khawaja Ghulam Farid tomb at Kot Mithan.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Tomb of Sufi poet [[Khwaja Ghulam Farid]]]]
[[Khawaja Ghulam Farid]] (1845–1901), his famous collection is ''Deewan-e-Farid'', [[Sultan Bahu]] and [[Sachal Sar Mast]] (1739–1829) are the most celebrated Sufi poets in Saraiki and their poems known as [[Kafi]] are still famous.
:''The beloved's intense glances call for blood''
:''The dark hair wildly flows The Kohl of the eyes is fiercely black''
:''And slays the lovers with no excuse''
:''My appearance in ruins, I sit and wait''
:''While the beloved has settled in Malheer I feel the sting of the cruel dart''
:''My heart the, abode of pain and grief A life of tears, I have led Farid''
:::-one of Khwaja Ghulam Farid's poems (translated)
[http://www.wasaib.com/shakir-shujabadi/ Shakir Shujabadi] (''Kalam-e-Shakir, Khuda Janey, Shakir Diyan Ghazlan, Peelay Patr, Munafqan Tu Khuda Bachaway, Shakir De Dohray'' are his famous books) is very well recognized modern poet.
Famous singers who performed in Saraiki include [[Attaullah Khan Essa Khailwi]], [[Pathanay Khan]], [[Abida Parveen]], [[Muhammad Juman|Ustad Muhammad Juman]], [[Mansoor Malangi]], [[Talib Hussain Dard]], [[Kamal Mahsud]],<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU8qTBzjBxY</ref> and [[The Sketches (band)]]. Many modern Pakistan Singers like [[Hadiqa Kiyani]] and [[Ali Zafar]] have also sung Saraiki folk songs.
[[Image:Pathanaykhan2.PNG|thumb|right|150px|The late Saraiki folk singer [[Pathanay Khan]]]]
==Saraiki media==
===Television channels===
{{main|Television in Pakistan}}
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said southern Punjab is rich in cultural heritage which needs to be promoted for next generations. In a message on the launch of Saraiki channel by Pakistan Television (PTV) in Multan, Prime Minister Gilani said the step would help promote the rich heritage of ‘Saraiki Belt’.<ref>http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36075</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''TV Channel'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Genre'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Founded'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Official Website'''
|-
| Waseb TV ({{Nastaliq|وسیب}})||Entertainment||||http://www.waseb.tv/
|-
| Kook TV ({{Nastaliq|کوک}})|| || ||
|-
| Rohi TV ({{Nastaliq|روہی}})||Entertainment|| || http://www.rohi.tv/
|-
| [[PTV MULTAN]] ({{Nastaliq|پی ٹی وی ملتان}})||Entertainment|| || http://ptv.com.pk/ (presents programmes in Saraiki)
|-
| [[PTV National]] ({{Nastaliq|پی ٹی وی نیشنل}})||Entertainment|| || http://ptv.com.pk/ (presents programmes in Saraiki along with other regional languages)
|-
|}
===Radio===
These are not dedicated Saraiki channels but play most programmes in Saraiki.
{{main|Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation}}
{| class="wikitable"
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Radio Channel'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Genre'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Founded'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Official Website'''
|-
|Radio Pakistan AM1035 Multan||Entertainment||||http://www.radio.gov.pk/
|-
|Radio Pakistan AM1341 Bahawalpur||Entertainment||||http://www.radio.gov.pk/
|-
|Radio Pakistan AM1400 Dera ismaeel khan||Entertainment||||http://www.radio.gov.pk/
|-
|FM93 Mianwali||Entertainment|| || http://www.fm101.gov.pk/
|-
|FM93 Sargodha||Entertainment|| || http://www.fm93.gov.pk/
|-
|FM101 Multan||Entertainment|| || http://www.fm101.gov.pk/
|-
|FM93 Multan||Entertainment|| || http://www.fm101.gov.pk/
|-
|FM96.4 Multan||Entertainment|| || http://www.fm101.gov.pk/
|-
|FM103 Multan||Entertainment|| || http://www.fm101.gov.pk/
|-
|}
===Newspapers===
{{see also|List of newspapers in Pakistan#Saraiki}}
{| class="wikitable"
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Newspaper'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''City(ies)'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Founded'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Official Website'''
|-
| Jhok ({{Nastaliq|جھوک}})||Multan, [[Khanpur]], Dera Ismail khan, [[Karachi]]|| ||
|-
| Kook ({{Nastaliq|كوک}})||Karachi|| ||
|-
| Al-Manzoor ({{Nastaliq|المنظور}})|| Taunsa Sharif || || [http://almanzoor.blogspot.com// http://almanzoor.blogspot.com/]
|}
[[File:Fort Munro, Damis lake.jpg|thumb|Fort Munro, Damis lake,D.G.Khan]]
==See also==
* [[Saraiki people]]
* [[Saraiki literature]]
[[File:Saraiki Kashi Gari On wall and Door.JPG|thumb|Saraiki Kashi Gari On wall and Door]]
* [[Saraiki culture]]
* [[Saraiki Tradition]]
* [[Saraiki nationalism]]
* [[Sauvira Kingdom]]
* [[Saraikistan]]
* [[Bahawalpur (princely state)]]
* [[Multan]]
* [[Indus Valley Civilization]]
* [[Cholistan]]
* [[Thal]]
* [[Derajat]], comprising [[Dera Ghazi Khan]] and [[Dera Ismail Khan]]
* [[Sulaiman Mountains]]
* [[Salt Range]]
* [[Christopher Shackle]], [[Yuri Andreyevich Smirnov]] and [[George Abraham Grierson]] are Westerners who did research on Saraiki language.
==References==
*{{PD-old-text|title= The cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia: commercial, industrial and scientific, products of the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms, useful arts and manufactures, Volume 2|year=1885|author=Edward Balfour}}
{{reflist|30em}}
==Further reading==
*{{cite book |first=Ahsan |last=Wagha |year=1990 |title=The Saraiki Language: Its Growth and Development |location=Islamabad |publisher=Dderawar Publications}}
*{{ethnologue|skr}}
*{{cite book |last=Gardezi |first=Hassan N. |year=1996 |title=Saraiki Language and its poetics: An Introduction |location=London |publisher=Sangat Publishers}}
*Latif, Amna. [http://www.crulp.org/Publication/Crulp_report/CR03_16E.pdf Phonemic Inventory of Saraiki Language and Acoustic Analysis of Voiced Implosives] ([[PDF]]). Center for Research in Urdu Language Processing, [http://www.crulp.org/research/reports/streport03.htm CRULP Annual Student Report, 2002-2003].
*Rahman, Tariq. 1999. ''Language, education, and culture''. Islamabad : Sustainable Development Policy Institute ; Karachi : Oxford University Press.
*Rahman, Tariq. No date. [http://asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/subject/peoplesandlanguages.html People and Languages in the Pre-Islamic Indus Valley]. Hosted by the [http://asnic.utexas.edu/ Asian Studies Network Information Center], University of Texas.
*[http://www.user.uni-hannover.de/nhtcapri/western-panjabi-alphabet.html Saraiki Alphabet] with Gurmukhi equivalents
{{Incubator|code= skr}}
*Asif, Saiqa Imtiaz. 2005. [http://bzu.edu.pk/jrlanguages/Journal%20Vol%207/Saqia%20Imtiaz.pdf Saraiki Language and Ethnic Identity] ''Journal of Research (Faculty of Languages and Islamic Studies)'', 7: 9-17. [[Multan]] (Pakistan): [[Bahauddin Zakariya University]].
*HEC, Islamabad Pakistan.Letter No. 20-/R7D/09 -5243 Dated 20-01-2010.
*Shackle, C. 1976. ''The Saraiki language of central Pakistan: a reference grammar''. London:School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
*http://www.lisindia.net/Lahnda/lah_demo.html
==External links==
* [http://www.DailySeraiki.com DailySaraiki.com The Voice of Saraiki,Online Newspaper of Saraiki]
* [http://saraiki.pk/saraiki-keyboard-and-fonts/ Download Saraiki font and keyboard layout for Windows]
{{Languages of Pakistan}}
{{Indo-Iranian languages}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saraiki Language}}
[[Category:Lahnda languages]]
[[Category:Seraikistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Languages of India]]
[[Category:Languages of Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Sindh]]
[[Category:Languages of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]
[[Category:Languages of Balochistan, Pakistan]]
[[ar:لغة سرائيكية]]
[[de:Saraiki]]
[[fa:زبان سرائیکی]]
[[fr:Seraiki]]
[[hi:सराइकी]]
[[id:Bahasa Saraiki]]
[[it:Lingua saraiki]]
[[la:Lingua Saraiki]]
[[ja:サライキ語]]
[[no:Saraiki]]
[[nn:Saraiki]]
[[pnb:سرائیکی]]
[[pms:Lenga seraiki]]
[[pl:Język saraiki]]
[[pt:Língua seraiki]]
[[ru:Сирайки (язык)]]
[[simple:Saraiki language]]
[[sv:Siraiki]]
[[th:ภาษาสิไรกิ]]
[[ur:سرائیکی زبان]]