Ladakhi–Balti languages

Ladakhi–Balti
Geographic distribution	Ladakh (India), Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan)
Linguistic classification	Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Kanauri ? Bodish Tibetic Ladakhi–Balti
Language codes
Glottolog	lada1242

The Ladakhi–Balti languages (ལ་དྭགས་དང་སྦལ་ཏི་སྐད)or Western Archaic Tibetan languages are a subgroup of the Tibetic languages spoken in the Ladakh region of India and in the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan. The Ladakhi, Zangskari, Changthang skat is easily mutually intelligible to each other. The Purgi language is intermediate between Balti language and the Ladakhi language and the Purgi language is intelligible to both Ladakhi and Balti speakers. The Purgi language and the Shamskat are very close to each other among these language groups. However, the Ladakhi and Balti languages are slightly lesser intelligible to each other because of the accent, however the vocabulary is the same among these two languages. The group includes:

• Ladakhi or Bauti/Bhoti (Ladakh)
• Zangskari (Ladakh)
• Purgi (Ladakh)
• Balti (Gilgit-Baltistan, Ladakh)
• Changthang (Ladakh)
• Shamskat dialect of Ladakhi language(Ladakh)

Classification and dialects

The separation between Ladakhi and Balti community has happened hundreds of year ago. This lead to drastic changes in the phonology and intonation of the languages, however most of the vocabulary is same among this group of languages.

The dialects of Ladakhi and Balti are :

1. The Western Ladakhi dialects of Lower Leh and the Sham and Nubra valleys (Shamskatic)
2. The Balti dialect of Skardu, Shigar and Rondu.
3. The Eastern Ladakhi dialects of Upper Leh, Zanskar and the Changthang region (Kenhatic)
4. The Central dialect of Khaplu valley
5. The Southern dialects of Upper Kharmang and Kargil also called Purgi dialect.

Caption text

English	Ladakhi west of leh shamskat and Nubra valley region	Balti dialect of Skardu, Shigar and Rondu.	Ladakhi east dilect of Zanskar, Changthang and Upper Leh area	Balti dialect of Khaplu valley	Purgi dilect of Kargil
milk	oma	ona	oma	ona	oma
cold	dangmo	dagmo	tangmo	gragmo	grangmo
wheat	to	to	to	kro	kro
shy	thail	thail	thail	khrail	khrail
wash	thu	thu	thu	khru	khru
village	dong	dong	tong	grong	grong

See also

• List of Proto-Western Tibetan reconstructions (Wiktionary)