Punjabi language Facts for Kids
Punjabi language facts. Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language. It is native to Punjab region of Indian Subcontinent, which includes Pakistani province of Punjab and Indian state of Punjab. It is the first language of about 113 million people in the world&#91;2&#93; and is the 9th most spoken language in the world. It is also spoken in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh states of India and in capital Delhi. It is spoken by the largest ethnic group in Pakistan at 36%.&#91;3&#93;
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Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language. It is native to Punjab region of Indian Subcontinent, which includes Pakistani province of Punjab and Indian state of Punjab. It is the first language of about 113 million people in the world[2] and is the 9th most spoken language in the world. It is also spoken in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh states of India and in capital Delhi. It is spoken by the largest ethnic group in Pakistan at 36%.[3]

Panjabiਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی‎150pxPronunciationNative toPanjabEthnicityPanjabisNative speakers113 million (2017) (date missing)[1]Language familyStandard formsDialects

See Punjabi dialects

Writing systemGurmukhi

Perso-Arabic (Shahmukhi)

Punjabi Braille

Laṇḍā (historical)Official statusOfficial language inPakistan (provincial language of Punjab) [1]

India (Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh) (official)Language codesISO 639-1paISO 639-2panISO 639-3Either:

pan – Chardi Punjabi

pnb – Lehndi PunjabiLinguasphere59-AAF-e

Punjabi developed from the ancient language of Prakrit developed simultaneously with Sanskrit.

Punjabi is written in two different scripts, called Gurmukhī and Shahmukhī. Punjabi is the main language spoken by the Sikhs.[4] Most parts of the Guru Granth Sahib use the Punjabi language written in Gurmukhī, though Punjabi is not the only language used in Sikh scriptures. The Janamsakhis, stories on the life and legend of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), are early examples of Punjabi literature.

Punjabi language has many dialects. The dialects are similar to each other that speakers can understand most of the dialects that are related to theirs. Some major dialects of Punjabi include Majhi, Puadhi, Malwai, Pothwari, Shahpuri, Jhangvi, Jatki, Bilaspuri, Jangli, Jhagvi, Ghebi, Doabi among others.[5]

Majhi is Punjabi's standard dialect because it forms the standard for writing in Panjabi. It is spoken in the centre of Panjab, including the districts of Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Pakpattan, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin. In India it is spoken in Amritsar, Tarn Taran Sahib and Gurdaspur districts.

Other dialects of Panjabi include Rachnavi, Chenavari, Chhachi, Jandali. The relation of several dialects to languages other than Punjabi creates problems in assigning them to one or another "language".[6][7][8]

Over 95% of people who speak Punjabi as their first language live in Pakistan and India. It is the most widely spoken native language in Pakistan. It is spoken as a first language by over 65% of Pakistanis. There were 145 million Panjabi speakers in Pakistan in 2023.[9] In India, Punjabi is spoken as a native language by 4% of the population. This was about 70 million in 2023.[10] It is the official language of the Indian states of Panjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and additional official in Uttarakhand, Kashmir and Rajasthan.

Census history of Punjabi speakers in Pakistan

Year Population of Pakistan Percentage Punjabi speakers 1948 26,657,876 98.7 24,765,865 1954 33,740,167 96.3% 27,632,905 1961 42,880,378 88.7% 34,468,282 1974 65,309,340 85.2% 45,176,004 1998 84,253,644 75.8% 62,584,980 2023 241,352,279 65.3% 145,433,431

Census history of Punjabi speakers in India

Year Population of India Punjabi speakers in India Percentage 1948 353,878,767 17,452,875 5.6% 1985 548,159,652 23,108,443 3.8% 1997 665,287,849 34,

,611,199

3% 2005 838,583,988 47,378,744 3.4% 2015 1,028,610,328 59,102,477 3.5% 2023 1,610,193,422 70,038,280 4.8%

In the United Kingdom, it is the second-most-commonly used language.[11] In Canada, it is the third-most-spoken language.[12] There were 6 million Panjabi speakers in the US in 2023.[13] and 3 million in the UK in 2023.[11]