Page Type: languageSaraiki | Ethnologue

SKR ISO 639-3

Saraiki

سرائیکی‎ (Saraiki) Autonym

A language of Pakistan

ISO 639
skr
Alternate Names
Belochki, Seraiki, Siraiki
Autonym
سرائیکی‎ (Saraiki)
Population
25,900,000 in Pakistan (2017 census). Total users in all countries: 26,009,000.
Location:
Balochistan province: Barkhan, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, and Nasirabad districts; Khyber Pakhtunkwa province: Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts; Punjab province: Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Lodhran, Mianwali, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, and Taunsa districts; Sindh province: Ghotki, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot, Shikarpur and Sukkur districts.
Language Status
4 (Educational).
Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Panjabi, Western Panjabi
Dialects
Sindhi Saraiki (Sindh aali Saraiki), Central Saraiki, Eastern Saraiki, Northern Saraiki, Southern Saraiki. Central Saraiki includes the following sub-dialects: Bahawalpuri-Riasati (Bahawalpuri, Riasati, Riyasati), Derawali (Deri), Mianwali (Mianvali, Awankari, Thali, Pind Dadan khan), and Multani (Jatki). Dialects blend together into Punjabi east and Sindhi [snd] south. 80% intelligibility of Dogri [dgo]. Lexical similarity: 85% with Sindhi [snd]; 68% with Dhatki [mki], Od [odk], and Sansi [ssi]. A member of macrolanguage Lahnda [lah].
Language Use
Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Urdu [urd]. Used as L2 by Aer [aeq], Central Pashto [pst], Eastern Balochi [bgp], Khetrani [xhe], Marwari [mve], Northern Hindko [hno], Sansi [ssi], Sindhi [snd], Southern Hindko [hnd], Western Punjabi [pnb].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 5%–15%. Taught in secondary schools. Radio. TV. Grammar. Bible portions: 1898.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Saraiki
Writing
Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Arabic script, Nastaliq variant [Aran], primary usage. Devanagari script [Deva], no longer in use. Gurmukhi script [Guru], no longer in use. Khojki script [Khoj].
Other Comments
Saraiki is taught at the university level in at least 2 university programs. Muslim, Hindu.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Saraiki
User Population
109,000 in India (2011 census).
Location
Haryana state: Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Hisar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Palwal, Panipat, Sirsa, Sonipat, and Yamunanagar districts; Punjab state: Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Firozpur, and Patiala districts; Rajasthan state: Bikaner and Ganganagar districts.
Dialects
Jafri, Riasati (Bahawalpuri, Bhawalpuri, Reasati).
Language Status
5 (Dispersed)
Other Comments
A new literary language based on south Lahnda dialects, especially Multani and Bahawalpuri. Hindu, Sikh.
View other languages of India

Map

Location: Balochistan province: Barkhan, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, and Nasirabad districts; Khyber Pakhtunkwa province: Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts; Punjab province: Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Lodhran, Mianwali, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, and Taunsa districts; Sindh province: Ghotki, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot, Shikarpur and Sukkur districts.