Punjabi Language
Punjabi (Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, Shahmukhi: پنجابی, Devanagari: पंजाबी) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region (north western India and eastern Pakistan). In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken native tongue. There are some 104 million (2008) native speakers of the Punjabi language; an estimated 76 million in Pakistan (2008) and 28 million in India (2001), and millions in the USA, UK, Canada and Persian Gulf countries Such As UAE, Kuwait And Saudi Arabia making it the 10th most widely spoken language in the world. Native speakers of the Punjabi language and their respective diaspora are referred to as ethnic Punjabis.
The Punjabi language has different dialects, spoken in the different sub-regions of greater Punjab. The Majhi dialect is Punjabi's prestige dialect and shared by both countries. This dialect is considered as textbook Punjabi and is spoken in the historical region of Majha, centralizing in Lahore and Amritsar.
Along with the Hindko and Western Pahari languages, Punjabi is unusual among modern Indo-European languages because it is a tonal language.
Read more about Punjabi Language: History, Dialects: Linguistic Classification, Phonology, Grammar, Writing System, Official Recognition, Punjabi in Modern Culture, Gallery, Dictionaries
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