- Waigali language
Infobox Language
name= Waigali
familycolor= Indo-European
states=Afghanistan
region=Kunar Province
speakers= 1,500 (2000, Van Driem)
fam2=Indo-Iranian
fam3=Nuristani
nation="none"
iso1="none"|iso2="none"|iso3= wbkWaigali or Waigeli is a
language spoken by the Kalasha of Nuristan in a few villages in the central part of theKunar Province ofAfghanistan . The native name is "Kalasa-Alâ" or simply "Kalasa".Waigali belongs to the Indo-European
language family , and is on the Nuristani group of the Indo-Iranian branch.Its speakers have been estimated at 1,500 (2000, Van Driem) and are overwhelmingly
Muslim . Literacy rates are low: below 1% for people who have it as afirst language , and between 15% to 25% for people who have it as asecond language .It has a lexical similarity of approximately 76% to 80% with the
Tregami language .Note, there is no closer connection between Kalasha-ala and Kalasha-mun. These two languages descend from different branches of the Indo-Iranian language. According to linguist Richard Strand the Kalasha of Chitral apparently adopted the term of the former
Kafiristan Kalash, who at some unknown time extended their influence into the region ofChitral .References
* The Kalasha. Retrieved July 02, 2006, from "Richard F. Strand: Nuristan, Hidden Land of the Hindu-Kush" [http://users.sedona.net/~strand/Nuristani/Kalasha/kalasha.html] .
* Waigali. Retrieved June 13, 2006, from "Ethnologue : Languages of the World", fifteenth edition. SIL International. [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=wbk Online version] .
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