Forum Pakistan

A group of Indo-Iranian languages descending from a branch of Indian (*Indo-Aryan) languages. On typological grounds, Nuristian languages are sometimes also included in this group. Proper Dardic languages are spoken in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India by approximately four million people. They are subdivided into two subgroups: eastern (including *Kashmiri, *Shina, *Phalura, Garwi, Torwali, Mayan and others) and central (subdivided into the northern subgroup, including *Khowar and *Kalasha); and southern, (comprising Gawar, Shumashti, Katarqalai, Glangali, Tirahi, Dameli, and the Pashai group of dialects or languages). The borrowed elements mostly come from *Urdu, *Pashtu, Persian, Kashmiri, and also from San krit and English. Arabic lexical items are borrowed through mediating languages and from books. Only Kashmiri has a long written tradition. Traditional writing is based on the systems of Sharada and Nagari. The speakers of the Kashtawari Kashmiri dialect used a variety of Takari. Modem Kashmiri, and also Khowar, Mayan, Shina, and Pashai, which have recently acquired systems of writing, use various modifications of the Arabic alphabet.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: D.l. Edelman, 'Dardic Languages', Moscow, 1965 (in Russian); id., 'Dardic Languages', in: Languages of Asia and Africa, Book 2, Moscow, 1978 (in Russian); A.L. Gryunberg, 'An Essay in the Linguistic Mapping of Nuristan, The Countries and Peoples of the East', Moscow, 1971, No. 10 (in Russian); G.A. Grierson, 'Linguistic Survey of India', Vol. 1, Pt. 1, Calcutta, 1927; G. Fussman, 'Atlas Linguistique des Parleurs Dardes et Kafirs', t.1-2, Paris, 1972; G. Morgen stierne, Irano-Dardica, Wiesbaden, 1973; id., 'Languages of Nuristan and Surrounding Regions', in:
Cultures of the Hindukush, Heidelberg, 1974; G. Buddruss, 'Nochmals zur Stellung der Nuristan Sprachen des Afghanistan Hindukusch', Miinchener Studien zur Sprach-wissenschaft, 1977, Bd. 36; D.l. Edelman, 'The Dardic and Nuristani Languages', Moscow, 1983.