Potwari language

language
name=Potwari
nativename=پوتوری
familycolor=Indo-European
region=Pakistan: Areas of Pakistani administered Kashmir e.g. Mirpur District, Rawalpindi, United Kingdom.
speakers=4,680,000
fam1=Indo-European
fam2=Indo-Iranian
fam3=Indo-Aryan
fam4=Northern zone
fam5=Western Pahari
iso2=none|iso3=phrThe Potwari or Pahari-Potwari language (also known as Pothohari or Pothwari; Potwari: پوتوری; _ur. پوٹھوہاری ) is an Indo-European language spoken from the Potwar district around Rawalpindi, Pakistan to the Cease-fire Line (LoC) of Indian administered Kashmir de-facto border in the Mirpur and Kotli district of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. It is closely related to Punjabi. Dialects include Pahari (Dhundi-Kairali), Pothwari (Potwari), Chibhali, Pindiwali, Punchhi (Poonchi), and Mirpuri. [Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=phr "Ethnologue Report for Pahari-Potwari."] "Ethnologue: Languages of the World", Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International.] (Mirpuri can also refer to Mirpur Punjabi, a Lahnda language closely related to Western Punjabi.)

There is some dialect continuum with Hindko and the Jhelumi and Mirpuri dialects of Punjabi. Potwari speakers may understand Punjabis both from India and Pakistan, but these groups may not understand Potwari - the reason being that Punjabi is the second-most spoken language in the subcontinent as a whole and in both India and Pakistan respectively whilst Potwari is highly concentrated in the North of Pakistan. Also, Punjab and Kashmir ("the crown" and "jewel", so to speak, of the subcontinent) have always shared strong links on several levels - trade, nobility & neighbourhood.

Every language is a "mongrel" language to some degree or another. Potwari is no different, with the majority of its modern-language roots being connected to Punjabi.

Prevalence

Potwari is the second most spoken language of Kashmir (with Kashmiri being the first).

In the United Kingdom, over 70% of British Pakistanis speak Potwari as their first language due to many people orginating from the Azad Kashmir region as well the prevalence of Potwari being the domininant language of western ares of Punjab state around Rawalpindi through to Jhelum andf Gujerkhan up to Azad Kashmir.

Every second Muslim in Britain speaks Potwari as their first language. Every third South Asian person in Britain is a Potwari speaker.Fact|date=May 2008

ome Words and Phrases

{|
Salaam سلام,|| Hello.
-
Ka karne uo? کا کرنے || What are you doing? (masc)
-
Keh aal e? کا ال اے || How are you?
-
Shukar شکر || Thank you.
-
Potwari bolne uo? پوٹھواری بولنے || Do you speak Potwari?
-
Tusa kudhr nay aiyo? تسا کدهرو ایو || Where are you from?
-
Mehrbaani مهربانى || Please
-
Tusan milay tay boo khushi oye تساکی ملکے بو خشی اوی || Pleased to meet you
-
Tusan naa ke aa? توارا ناں کے || What's your name?
-
Mara naa...e مارا ناں...اے|| My name is...
-
Tusane graana naa ke aa? تسانں گرانه ناں کے || What is your village's name?
-
Ahaa اها || Yes
-
Naa نا || No
-

References

External links

* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=phr Ethnologue Report for Pahari-Potwari]