Dehwari language explained

Dehwari
Nativename:Persian: {{nq|دهواری
Ethnicity:Dehwar
States:Pakistan
Region:Balochistan province

Kalat and Mastung

Speakers:19,000
Date:2018
Ref:e25
Familycolor:Indo-European
Fam2:Indo-Iranian
Fam3:Iranian
Fam4:Western Iranian
Fam5:Southwestern Iranian
Fam6:Persian
Ancestor:Old Persian
Ancestor2:Middle Persian
Script:Persian alphabet
Iso3:deh
Glotto:dehw1238

Dehwari (Persian: {{nq|دهواری, Dehwārī) is a southwestern Persian language spoken by 19,000 Dehwar people in Balochistan, Pakistan as of 2018. Most of the Dehwari speakers are concentrated in Mastung, Khuzdar, Nushk, Kharan, Sarlath District, Dalbandin, and Kalat.

Influence on Brahui

Dehwari was introduced to the Brahui in the seventeenth century and the modern-day language uses many Dehwari loanwords in its vocabulary.[1]

Brahui influence

In turn, Brahui has heavily influenced the language, which has made Dehwari a Persian dialect under heavy Brahui influence.[2] This has made Dehwari speakers bilingual in both Dehwari and Brahui, and some in Balochi, Urdu, and even English.[3]

Drop in Speakers

The drop of speakers in Dehwari was recorded in the 1921 Indian Census, with Pashto facing the same consequences in Kalat and Mastung.[4] And in the 1931 Indian Census, the Dehwari population outside of Kalat and Mastung was only 1,795.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Sani . Liaquat Ali . Brahui as Native Language for a Native Dehwari Child. A case study of under Three-year old Child at Ishkina, District Mastung . 2018 . XXXIX . University of Balochistan, Quetta (Pakistan).
  2. Web site: Balochi Language & Literature .
  3. Web site: Balochi is the principal language . 25 February 2011 .
  4. Book: Egye . E. H. H. . Census of India, 1921 . 1921 . Government Central Press, 1923 . 83 . 4 .
  5. Book: Census of India, 1931 . 1931 . Government of India central publication branch, 1933 . 511 . Volume 1, Part 2 .