Palula language
Palula (also spelt Phalura, Palola, Phalulo) and also known as Ashreti (Aćharêtâʹ) or Dangarikwar (the name used by Khowar speakers), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by approximately 10,000 people in the valleys of Ashret and Biori, as well as in the village of Puri (also Purigal) in the Shishi valley and at least by a portion of the population in the village Kalkatak, in the Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
| Palula | |
|---|---|
| پالُولا Paaluulaá | |
Palula in Nastaliq | |
| Pronunciation | /paːluːlǎː/ |
| Native to | Pakistan |
| Region | Chitral |
| Ethnicity | Palula |
Native speakers | 10,000 (2018) The population of Ashret and Biol Valleys is almost completely monolingual (2008) |
| Palula alphabet (Nastaʿlīq script) | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | phl |
| Glottolog | phal1254 |
| ELP | Phalura |
In some of the smaller villages, Palula has either ceased to be spoken (in the village Ghos, situated near Drosh) or its speakers are largely shifting (as in Puri and Kalkatak) to the more widely spoken Khowar language. However, in the main Palula settlements in the Biori and Ashret valleys, it is a strong, vibrant and growing language, as the population in those areas increases and it is still with a few exceptions the mother tongue of almost all people.
Palula is pronounced as /paːluːlǎː/, with three long vowels and a rising pitch on the final syllable.