Punjabi language

Punjabi is a major Indo-Aryan language. It is spoken by approximately 150 million native speakers worldwide. This makes it one of the most widely spoken native languages on Earth.

The language is central to the identity of people in the Punjab region. This region is currently divided between Pakistan and India. Punjabi is the most widely spoken first language in Pakistan. According to the 2023 Pakistani census, it has 88.9 million native speakers. In India, it is the 11th most widely spoken language. The 2011 Indian census recorded 31.1 million native speakers.

Writing Punjabi requires different scripts depending on the country. In India, the language uses the Gurmukhi alphabet. This script is based on Indic scripts. It is the official standard in Indian schools and offices.

In Pakistan, Punjabi is written using the Shahmukhi alphabet. This script is based on the Perso-Arabic script. It is very similar to the Urdu alphabet used in Pakistan. Some writers in Pakistan try to create new characters. They modify Persian Nastaʿlīq characters to better represent Punjabi sounds.

One unique feature of Punjabi is its use of lexical tone. This is unusual among Indo-Aryan languages. It is also rare in the broader Indo-European language family.

Lexical tone means that the pitch of a speaker's voice changes the meaning of a word. Beyond tone, the language has a complex system of vowels. There is a distinction between short and long vowels. This is reflected in modern Gurmukhi writing. Speakers also distinguish between central vowels and peripheral vowels. This phonetic quality is very important for clear speech.

The name Punjabi comes from the Persian words Panj-āb. This translates to "Five Waters."

The name refers to the five major eastern tributaries of the Indus River. These rivers define the physiography of the historical Punjab region. The name was introduced by Turko-Persian conquerors. They translated the Sanskrit name Panchanada, meaning "Land of the Five Rivers." The word "Panj" is related to the English word "five." This connection exists because both come from Indo-European roots.

Punjabi has a long history of development. It evolved from Prakrit languages. These were regional languages that developed from Sanskrit. Specifically, Punjabi developed from Paishachi Prakrit. This Prakrit language was spoken in north and north-western India. Later, it gave rise to Paishachi Apabhraṃśa. Punjabi emerged as an Apabhraṃśa in the 7th century AD. It became a stable language by the 10th century.

The earliest known writings come from the Nath Yogi-era between the 9th and 14th centuries. Historians call the period from the 10th to 16th centuries "Old Punjabi." The stage from the 16th to 19th centuries is "Medieval Punjabi."

Many different languages have influenced Punjabi vocabulary over time. Muslim conquests in the late first millennium brought Arabic and Persian influences. Many Persian words, like zamīn, are used frequently. Punjabi also absorbed Arabic words like dukān and Turkic words like sōġāt.

In the second millennium, other languages added words too. Punjabi has minor influences from Portuguese, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, and English. For example, the word for rickshaw comes from Japanese. Even the sounds for certain letters were borrowed from Persian. These linguistic layers show how the region has interacted with the world.

Today, Punjabi is divided into two main varieties. These are Western Punjabi and Eastern Punjabi. Western Punjabi, or Lahnda, is spoken in much of Pakistani Punjab. It includes dialects like Saraiki and Hindko. Eastern Punjabi is spoken in Indian Punjab and parts of Haryana.

The Majhi dialect is very important. It is a transitional dialect between the two main varieties. Majhi is used as the standard for education and mass media in both countries. This helps maintain a shared standard for millions of speakers. A large diaspora also speaks Punjabi in Canada, the UK, and the USA.