Punjabi language

Punjabi, sometimes spelled Panjabi, is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It is one of the most widely spoken native languages in the world, with approximately 150 million people speaking it as their first language.

In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most commonly spoken first language, with about 88.9 million native speakers according to the 2023 census. In India, it ranks as the 11th most spoken language, with around 31.1 million native speakers based on the 2011 census. Many people who speak Punjabi also live outside of Pakistan and India, especially in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and the Gulf states.

Punjabi is written differently depending on the country. In Pakistan, people use the Shahmukhi alphabet, which comes from the Perso-Arabic script. In India, the Gurmukhi alphabet is used, and it is based on Indic scripts. One special feature of Punjabi is that it uses lexical tone, which makes it different from many other languages in the Indo-European language family.

History

Etymology

The word Punjabi (sometimes spelled Panjabi) comes from the Persian phrase Panj-āb, meaning "Five Waters." This name refers to the five major rivers that flow into the Indus River. The name for the region was given by Turko-Persian rulers and matches the Sanskrit name Panchanada, also meaning "Land of the Five Rivers."

Origin

Punjabi grew from ancient Prakrit languages. Over time, it developed into a distinct form called Apabhraṃśa. By the 7th century, it had become a stable language. The earliest writings in Punjabi date back to between the 9th and 14th centuries. During this time, the language was called Lahauri around Lahore. Old Punjabi was used from the 10th to the 16th centuries, and Medieval Punjabi from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Arabic and Persian influences

Arabic and Persian words entered Punjabi after Muslim rulers came to the area. Many everyday words in Punjabi come from these languages, like zamīn (land) and dukān (shop). Later, Punjabi also borrowed a few words from Portuguese, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, and English, though these were fewer.

Modern times

Modern Punjabi began in the 19th century. It has two main forms: Western Punjabi and Eastern Punjabi. The Majhi dialect, spoken in the central Punjab area, is used as the standard form in both India and Pakistan. In India, Punjabi is written using the Gurmukhī script, while in Pakistan, it uses the Shahmukhī script, which is similar to the Urdu alphabet.

Geographic distribution

Punjabi is very widely spoken, especially in Pakistan and India. It is the most popular language in Pakistan and the eleventh most popular in India. Many people who speak Punjabi also live in other countries around the world.

In Pakistan, about 88.9 million people speak Punjabi as their first language. In India, around 31.1 million people speak Punjabi, mainly in the state of Punjab. Punjabi is also spoken in places like the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada by people whose families came from Punjab.

Major dialects

Main article: Punjabi dialects and languages

Standard Punjabi

Standard Punjabi, also called Majhi, is the common form of Punjabi used in education and news broadcasting. It is based on the Majhi dialect and is the version you might hear on Google Translate or see in official online services. This form is widely used in TV and entertainment in Pakistan, especially in Lahore.

The Standard Punjabi used in India and Pakistan has small differences. In India, it does not include many special features of the Majhi dialect. In Pakistan, the standard is very similar to the Majhi spoken in urban parts of Lahore.

Eastern Punjabi

"Eastern Punjabi" describes the types of Punjabi spoken in Pakistani Punjab (mainly Northern Punjabi), most of Indian Punjab, the far-north of Rajasthan, and on the northwestern border of Haryana. It includes dialects like Majhi, Malwai, Doabi, Puadhi, and the older Lubanki.

Western Punjabi

Main article: Lahnda

"Western Punjabi" or "Lahnda" is the name for many types of Punjabi spoken in most of Pakistani Punjab, the Hazara region, most of Azad Kashmir, and some small parts of Indian Punjab like Fazilka. These include groups of dialects such as Saraiki, Pahari-Pothwari, Hindko, and the older Inku. Common dialects like Jhangvi, Shahpuri, Dhanni, and Thali are often called Jatki Punjabi. There is also a mixed type of Punjabi and Sindhi called Khetrani.

Sometimes, "Eastern" and "Western" Punjabi just mean all the Punjabi types spoken in India and Pakistan, regardless of whether they are truly Eastern or Western in language.

Phonology

Punjabi has special sounds and ways of speaking that make it unique. It uses different vowel sounds, with some vowels being longer or shorter than others. There are also special sounds called tones that change the meaning of words.

Punjabi can make some sounds softer or stronger depending on how they are used in a word. This helps give each word its own special sound and meaning.

The Gurmukhi script, used to write Punjabi, has special letters for certain sounds. This helps show the different tones and sounds clearly in writing.

Grammar

Main article: Punjabi grammar

Punjabi words usually follow a specific order: subject, then object, and finally the verb. Small words, called postpositions, attach to nouns to show their role in the sentence.

Punjabi nouns change based on gender, number, and case. Adjectives also change to match the nouns they describe. Verbs change based on time and mood, and often have extra words, called postpositions, that come after them to give more information.

Vocabulary

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language, and many of its basic words come from Sanskrit. It also includes many words borrowed from Persian and Arabic.

Writing systems

The Punjabi language is written in many different ways. In India, Sikhs usually write Punjabi in a script called Gurmukhi, which is an official script in the Punjab state. In Pakistan, Muslims often use a different script called Shahmukhi, which is related to the scripts used for Urdu. Sometimes, Punjabi is also written in another script called Devanagari, but this is not very common.

Both Shahmukhi and Gurmukhi are used to write Punjabi, but they look different and are used in different places. There are also special ways to write Punjabi for people who cannot see, using Punjabi Braille.

Sample text

This sample text was adapted from the Punjabi Wikipedia article on Lahore.

Gurmukhi

ਲਹੌਰ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨੀ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ਹੈ। ਲੋਕ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ਼ ਕਰਾਚੀ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਲਹੌਰ ਦੂਜਾ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡਾ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਹੈ। ਲਹੌਰ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਦਾ ਸਿਆਸੀ, ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈ ਦਾ ਗੜ੍ਹ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇਸੇ ਲਈ ਇਹਨੂੰ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਦਾ ਦਿਲ ਵੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਲਹੌਰ ਰਾਵੀ ਦਰਿਆ ਦੇ ਕੰਢੇ ’ਤੇ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸਦੀ ਲੋਕ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਇੱਕ ਕਰੋੜ ਦੇ ਨੇੜੇ ਹੈ।

Shahmukhi

لہور پاکستانی پنجاب دی راجدھانی ہے۔ لوک گݨتی دے نالؕ کراچی توں بعد لہور دوجا سبھ توں وڈا شہر ہے۔ لہور پاکستان دا سیاسی، رہتلی کاروباری اتے پڑھائی دا گڑھ ہے اتے، ایسے لئی ایہنوں پاکستان دا دل وی کہا جاندا ہے۔ لہور راوی دریا دے کنڈھے تے وسدا ہے۔ ایسدی لوک گݨتی اک کروڽ دے نیڑے ہے۔

Transliteration

Lahaur Pākistānī Panjāb dī rājtā̀ni ài. Lok giṇtī de nāḷ Karācī tõ bāad Lahaur dūjā sáb tõ vaḍḍā šáir ài. Lahaur Pākistān dā siāsī, kārobāri ate paṛā̀ī dā gáṛ ài te ise laī ínū̃ Pākistān dā dil vī kihā jāndā ài. Lahaur Rāvī dariā de káṇḍè te vassdā ài. Isdī lok giṇtī ikk karoṛ de neṛe ài.

IPA

/lɐɔ̂ːɾᵊ paˑkˑɪ̽sᵊˈtaˑnˑi pɐɲˈd͡ʒaːbᵊ di ɾaːd͡ʒᵊ ˈd̥âˑnˑi ɛ̂ ‖ loːkᵊ ˈɡɪɳᵊti de naːɭᵊ kɐ̆ɾaˑt͡ʃˑi tõ bǎːdᵊ lɐɔ̂ːɾᵊ duˑd͡ʒˑa sɐ̌bᵊ tõ ʋɐɖːa ʃɛ̌ːɾᵊ ɛ̂ ‖ lɐɔ̂ːɾᵊ paˑkˑɪ̽sᵊˈtaːnᵊ da sɐ̆ˈjaˑsˑi | kaːɾoˈbaːɾi ˈɐte pɐ̆ˈɽâːi da ɡɐ̌ɽᵊ ɛ̂ ˈɐte ˈɪse lɐi ˈěːnˑũ paˑkˑɪ̽sᵊˈtaːnᵊ da dɪlᵊ ʋi kɛ̌ːja d͡ʒaːnda ɛ̂ ‖ lɐɔ̂ːɾᵊ ˈɾaːʋi ˈdɐɾɐ̆ja de kɐ̌ɳɖe te ʋɐsːᵊda ɛ̂ ‖ ɪsᵊ di loːkᵊ ˈɡɪɳᵊti ɪkːᵊ kɐ̆ɾoːɽᵊ de neːɽe ɛ̂ ‖/

Translation

Lahore is the capital city of Pakistani Punjab. After Karachi, Lahore is the second largest city. Lahore is Pakistan's political, cultural, and educational hub, and so it is also said to be the heart of Pakistan. Lahore lies on the bank of the Ravi River. Its population is close to ten million people.

Literature development

Main article: Punjabi literature

Punjabi literature has a long and rich history. During the Medieval period, many famous poets and Sufi saints wrote beautiful poems in Punjabi. One of the first great poets was Fariduddin Ganjshakar, and others like Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah also created wonderful works.

The Sikh religion began in the 15th century, and Punjabi is the main language spoken by Sikhs. Many important Sikh writings, like the Guru Granth Sahib, are in Punjabi. Stories about the life of Guru Nanak called Janamsakhis are early examples of Punjabi prose.

Punjabi literature also includes many famous stories called qisse, which often tell about love and important life lessons. One very popular story is Heer Ranjha by Waris Shah. There are also traditional heroic poems called Vaars, such as Chandi di Var.

In the modern period, Punjabi literature grew even more with the influence of British education. Many famous writers like Amrita Pritam, Nanak Singh, and Shiv Kumar Batalvi wrote beautiful poems and stories, making Punjabi literature rich and varied.

Status

Punjabi has a long history but was only recognized as an official language in 1947. Before that, leaders in the Punjab area often used Persian, Hindustani, or other local languages for government and court work. After the British took control of the area in 1849, they used Urdu in many parts of India and Bengali in others. Even without official support, Punjabi kept growing as a cultural language. The Sikh religion, using the Gurmukhi script, helped standardize and teach Punjabi through gurdwaras. Writers from all religions continued to create poetry, stories, and books in Punjabi.

In India, Punjabi is one of the 22 official languages. It is the main official language of the Indian state of Punjab. It also has official status in Delhi and Haryana. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most spoken language but is not an official language at the national level. Urdu and English are the official languages there. Even though it is widely spoken, especially in Punjab province, Punjabi does not have the same official support as Urdu and English. Some people worry that this affects the language's future, but there are efforts to promote Punjabi in schools and public life.

Advocacy

Punjabi University was established on April 30, 1962, and it is only the second university in the world to be named after a language, after Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Research Centre for Punjabi Language Technology at Punjabi University, Patiala, works on developing technologies for the Punjabi language. This includes creating digital materials, teaching Punjabi online, and making software for everyday use in Punjabi. In 2014, Patiala University also launched Punjabipedia, an online encyclopedia about Punjabi culture and language.

The Dhahan Prize was created to honor great books written in Punjabi from all over the world. Each year, this prize gives $25,000 CDN to the best book of fiction written in either of the two Punjabi writing styles, Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi. Two second prizes of $5,000 CDN are also given to make sure both writing styles are represented.

Governmental academies and institutes

The Punjabi Sahit Academy in Ludhiana was set up in 1954 with support from the Punjab state government. It works only to promote the Punjabi language. There is also a Punjabi Academy in Delhi. In Jammu and Kashmir UT, India, there is an academy that supports Punjabi along with other local languages like Urdu and Dogri. Similar groups exist in neighboring states and in Lahore, Pakistan to support the Punjabi language.

• Punjabi Sahit Academy, Ludhiana, 1954
• Punjabi Academy, Delhi, 1981–1982
• Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Literature
• Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture, Lahore, 2004

Software

Software for the Punjabi language is available on almost all devices. Most of this software uses the Gurmukhi writing style. Today, almost all Punjabi newspapers, magazines, and journals are made using computers and special Punjabi software. One popular program is InPage for creating documents. Microsoft includes Punjabi language support in new versions of Windows and Office through the Language Interface Pack. Most Linux systems also make it easy to add Punjabi support. Apple has added Punjabi keyboards to its Mobile devices. Google offers many tools in Punjabi, such as Google Search, Google Translate, and Punjabi input tools.