Page Type: languageBalochi, Western | Ethnologue

BGN ISO 639-3

Balochi, Western

بلوچی‎ (Balochi) Autonym

A language of Pakistan

bgn
Baloci, Baluchi, Baluci
بلوچی‎ (Balochi)
1,050,000 in Pakistan (2017 census). Total users in all countries: 2,264,350.
Balochistan province: northwest; Sindh province: Dadu district.
5* (Developing).
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Balochi
Lashari, Rakhshani (Raxshani), Sarawani. Strongly influenced by Farsi, but not intelligible with Farsi [prs]. A member of macrolanguage Baluchi [bal].
Used as L2 by Brahui [brh].
Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 5%–15%. Newspapers. Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible portions: 1984–2005.
OLAC resources in and about Balochi, Western
Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Arabic script, Nastaliq variant [Aran], primary usage. Cyrillic script [Cyrl], used in Turkmenistan.
Balochi is the official spelling in Pakistan. A small body of literature. Muslim.
Balochi, Western
415,000 in Afghanistan (2017 J. Leclerc).
Helmand, Kandahar, and Nimroz, provinces: Zaranj city and Helmand river areas.
Rakhshani (Raxshani).
5 (Developing)
Largely nomadic. Muslim.
View other languages of Afghanistan
Balochi, Western
744,000 in Iran (2019). All Balochi in Iran: 2,000,000 (2019).
Kerman province: Rigan and Fahraj counties; Sistan and Baluchestan province: north; South Khorasan province: northeast.
Rakhshani (Raxshani), Sarawani.
5 (Developing)
Distinct from Eastern Balochi [bgp] and Southern Balochi [bcc]. Muslim.
View other languages of Iran
Balochi, Western
6,350 in Tajikistan (2017).
Scattered.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Tajikistan
Balochi, Western
49,000 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b). , based on ethnicity.
Mary province: 2 areas, one northeast of capital, the other on Murgap river upstream from Mary city.
6a (Vigorous)
Non-indigenous. Distinct from Eastern [bgp] and Southern Balochi [bcc]. Muslim.
View other languages of Turkmenistan
Location: Balochistan province: northwest; Sindh province: Dadu district.