Punjabi language
Punjabi (/pʌnˈdʒɑːbi/ pun-JAH-bee; Shahmukhi: پنجابی; Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, Punjabi: [pəɲˈdʒab̆.bi] ⓘ), 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 113 million native speakers.
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'Punjabi' written in Shahmukhi script used in Punjab, Pakistan (top) and Gurmukhi script used in Punjab, India (bottom) | |
| Pronunciation |
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| Native to | Pakistan and India |
| Region | Punjab |
| Ethnicity | Punjabis |
Native speakers | 113 million (2011–2017) |
Early forms | |
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| Official status | |
Official language in | Pakistan
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| Regulated by | Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture, Punjab, Pakistan Department of Languages, Punjab, India |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | pa |
| ISO 639-2 | pan |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:pan – Panjabipnb – Western Panjabi |
| Glottolog | panj1256 Eastern Panjabiwest2386 Western Panjabi |
| Linguasphere | 59-AAF-e |
Geographic distribution of Punjabi language in Pakistan and India. | |
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| Punjabis |
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Punjab portal |
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| Constitutionally recognised languages of India | |
| Category | |
| 22 Official Languages of the Indian Republic | |
| Related | |
Punjabi is the most widely-spoken first language in Pakistan, with 80.5 million native speakers according to the 2017 census, and the 11th most widely-spoken in India, with 31.1 million native speakers, according to the 2011 census. The language is spoken among a significant overseas diaspora, particularly in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and the Gulf states.
In Pakistan, Punjabi is written using the Shahmukhi alphabet, based on the Perso-Arabic script; in India, it is written using the Gurmukhi alphabet, based on the Indic scripts. Punjabi is unusual among the Indo-Aryan languages and the broader Indo-European language family in its usage of lexical tone.