Sindhi Bhil | |
Nativename: | Sindhi: سنڌي ڀيل |
States: | Pakistan |
Ethnicity: | Meghwar Bhil[1] |
Date: | 2000 |
Ref: | e25 |
Familycolor: | Indo-European |
Fam2: | Indo-Iranian |
Fam3: | Indo-Aryan |
Fam4: | Northwestern |
Fam5: | Sindhi languages |
Dialects: | Badin[2] Mohrano Nuclear Sindhi Bhil Sindhi Meghwar |
Script: | Arabic script, Devanagari script (religious use only) |
Iso3: | sbn |
Glotto: | sind1270 |
Sindhi Bhil, (Sindhi: سنڌي ڀيل) is an Indo-Aryan dialect spoken in the Pakistani province of Sindh, as well as some parts of Balochistan.[3] Sindhi Bhil is often referred to as a Sindhi dialect rather than a separate language alongside Lasi.[4]
Sindhi Bhil is known to have many old Sindhi words, which were lost after Arabic, Persian, and Chaghatai words were absorbed into Sindhi. Sindhi Bhil's Badin dialect is closest to Sindhi. The Mohrano speakers have added many Dhatki words into their language, and some say the Mohrano dialect of Sindhi Bhil may be considered a different language due to the amount of Dhatki loanwords it has.[5]
See main article: Sindhi Bhils and Sindhi Meghwars.
The Sindhi Bhils and Sindhi Meghwars are the speakers of Sindhi Bhil and are Hindu and number around 86,500.[6] They live in Balochistan and Sindh, while there are diasporas in Gujarat and Delhi in India due to the Partition of India.[7] They are part of the Bhil people.
Sindhi Bhil has four dialects. The most spoken is Badin which has around 10,000 speakers.[8] It is spoken in the city of Badin and also Matli. Other dialects include Mohrano, Nuclear Sindhi Bhil, and Sindhi Meghwar.[9] Mohrano is spoken in Tando Allahyar.[10]