Wakhi language

Wakhi
Wakhi
x̌ik zik
Native to	Afghanistan (9,600), China (6,000), Pakistan (9,100), Tajikistan (7,000)
Native speakers	approximately 31,700
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Iranian Eastern Iranian Southeastern Iranian Pamir Wakhi; ; ; ; ; ;
Writing system	Arabic, Cyrillic, Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-1	--
ISO 639-2	--
ISO 639-3	wbl
ELP	Wakhi

Wakhi is an Indo-Iranian language in the sub-branch of Southeastern Iranian languages (see Pamir languages).

Classification and Distribution

Wakhi is one of several languages that belong to the Pamir language group. A reflection of this is the fact that the Wakhi people are occasional called Pamiris. The origin of this language is Wakhan, an area divided between in the extreme northeast of Afghanistan and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan. A very rough estimate of the population of Wakhi Tajiks is 50,000 worldwide. The Wakhi live in four different countries. In the northern areas of Pakistan the Wakhi people mainly live in Gojal, Ishkoman, Darkut, and Broghol. They also live in many parts of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and China. The religion of the Wakhi is Shia Ismaili Islam; they are followers of Aga Khan IV.

In Tajikistan

There is some controversy surrounding the ethnic and linguistic designation of the Wakhi. In Tajikistan the Wakhi and other communities that speak one of the Pamir languages refer to themselves as Pamiri or Badakhshani and there has been a movement to separate their identity from that of the majority Tajiks. Conversely, in Pakistan the Wakhi refer to themselves as Tajiks. Whether Wakhi is a separate language from Tajik or a dialect of Tajik has been equally controversial. Linguists universally refer to Wakhi as an Iranian language independent of Tajik, but many Tajik nationalists insist that Wakhi and other Pamir languages are actually dialects of Tajik.^[1]

In Pakistan

In Pakistan, the central organization of the Wakhi is the Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association Pakistan (WTCA), an organization that is registered with the Government of Pakistan and which works with the collaboration of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Lok Virsa Pakistan. The Association is working for the preservation of the Wakhi Tajiki language and culture, as well as documenting their poetry and music. The literacy rate among Wakhi Tajiks in the northern areas of Pakistan is about 60%.

Radio Pakistan Gilgit relays the Wakhi radio programme "Sadoyah Boomy Dunyo", the voice of the roof of the world. The Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association has arranged more than twenty programmes since 1984, which includes cultural shows, musical nights, and large-scale musical festivals with the collaboration of Lok Virsa Pakistan, the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP), and Pakistan television. In 2000, the WTCA won a "Best Programme" organizer award in the Silk Road Festival from the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf. A computerized codification of the Wakhi script has been released, which will help to promote the language development programme and documentation of Wakhi poetry, literature, and history. ^[2]

In China

Orthography

Sample text from a Bible translation published in 2001 is shown below.^[3]

**Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:2-4)**
Wakhi in Roman alphabet	Wakhi in Cyrillic alphabet	English (KJV)
² Yiso yavər x̆atəy: «Sayišt i dəo carəv, x̆anəv: „Ey bzыrgwor Tat ki də osmonət cəy! Ti bəzыrg nung bər olam ыmыt! Ləcər dəwroni Ti podšoyi ɣ̆at-ət, zəmin-ət zəmon də hыkmi taw ыmыt!	² Йисо йавəр х̌атəй: «Сайишт ҙи дəо царəв, х̌анəв: „Ей бзыргв̌ор Тат ки дə осмонəт цəй! Ти бəзырг нунг бəр олам ымыт! Лəцəр дəв̌рони Ти подшойи г̌ат-əт, зəмин-əт зəмон дə ҳыкми тав̌ ымыт!	² And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
³ Spo rыsq-ət rыzi sakər nəsib car!	³ Спо рысқ-əт рызи сакəр нəсиб цар!	³ Give us day by day our daily bread.
⁴ Cə spo gənoən šəxs! Sak bə kuy, ki sakər šakiɣ̆, cə kərk! kыx̆ter baxṣ̌əṣ̌ carən. Cə bandi nafs-ət awasən, Cə waswasayi Iblisən saki niga δыr!“»	⁴ Цə спо гəноəн шəхс! Сак бə куй, ки сакəр шакиг̌ цə кəрк! Кых̌тəр бахш̣əш̣ царəн. Цə банди нафс-əт ав̌асəн, Цə в̌асв̌асайи Иблисəн саки нига д̌ыр!“»	⁴ And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."

Vocabulary

The Wakhi lexicon exhibits significant differences with both Western Iranian languages such as Persian or Tajik, and also with the other Pamir languages. Gawarjon's comparison of the dialects of Sarikoli and Wakhi spoken in China and the Western Iranian languages is reproduced below.

**Lexical comparison of six Iranian languages** ^[4]
English gloss	Persian	Tajik	Pashto	Shughni	Sarikoli	Wakhi
son	pisær (پسر)	pisar (писар)	zuj	puts	pɯts	putr
fire	æt̪iʃ (اتش)	otaʃ (оташ)	or	joːts	juts	rɯχnig
water	æb (اب)	ob (ов)	obə	xats	xats	jupk
hand	d̪æst̪ (دست)	dast (даѕт)	lɑs	ðust	ðɯst	ðast
foot	pɔ (پا)	po (по)	pxə, pʂə	poːð	peð	pɯð
tooth	d̪ænd̪ɔn (دندان)	dandon (дандон)	ɣɑx, ɣɑʂ	ðinðʉn	ðanðun	ðɯnðɯk
eye	tʃæʃm (چشم)	tʃaʃm (чашм)	stərgə	tsem	tsem	tʂəʐm
horse	æsb (اسب)	asp (асп)	ɑs	voːrdʒ	vurdʒ	jaʃ
cloud	æbr (ابر)	abr (абр)	uriəz, uriədz	abri	varm	mur
wheat	gænd̪um (گندم)	gandum (гандум)	ɣənəm	ʒindam	ʒandam	ɣɯdim
meat	gʉʃt̪ (گوشت)	gʉʃt (гушт)	ɣwəxə, ɣwəʂə	guːxt	gɯxt	guʂt
many	bisjɔr (بسيار)	bisjor (бисйор)	ɖer	lap	pɯr	təqi
high	bulænd̪ (بلند)	baland (баланд)	lwəɻ	biland	bɯland	bɯland
far	dʉr (دور)	dur (дур)	liri	ðar	ðar	ðir
good	xʉb (خوب)	bashand (башанд)	xə, ʂə	bashand	tʃardʒ	baf
small	xurd̪ (خرد)	χurd (хурд)	lez, leʐ, wuɻ	dzul	dzɯl	dzɘqlai
to say	guft̪ (گفت)	guft (гуфт)	wəjəl	lʉvdow	levd	xɘnak
to do	kærd̪ (كرد)	kard (кард)	kəwəl	tʃiːdow	tʃeig	tsɘrak
to see	d̪id̪ (ديد)	did (дид)	lidəl, kətəl	wiːntow	wand	wing

Phonology

Vowels

Consonants

References

^ Viires, Ants (2001). The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire. Tallinn: NGO Red Book. ISBN 9985-9369-2-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association report 1991–2001. Pakistan: Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association. 2001.
^ Luqo Inǰil (Gospel of Luke) (in Wakhi). Bəzыrg Kitob tarǰimacrakыzg institute. 2001.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) Title page: [1], passages in Roman alphabet [2][3], passages in Cyrillic alphabet [4][5]
^ Gawarjon (高尔锵/Gāo Ěrqiāng) (1985). Outline of the Tajik language (塔吉克语简志/Tǎjíkèyǔ Jiǎnzhì). Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House.

External links

[1] Viires, Ants (2001). The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire. Tallinn: NGO Red Book. ISBN 9985-9369-2-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

[2] Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association report 1991–2001. Pakistan: Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association. 2001.

[3] Luqo Inǰil (Gospel of Luke) (in Wakhi). Bəzыrg Kitob tarǰimacrakыzg institute. 2001.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) Title page: [1], passages in Roman alphabet [2][3], passages in Cyrillic alphabet [4][5]

[Gawarjon-4] Gawarjon (高尔锵/Gāo Ěrqiāng) (1985). Outline of the Tajik language (塔吉克语简志/Tǎjíkèyǔ Jiǎnzhì). Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House.

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