Punjabi language

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Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ / پنجابی)
Spoken in:	India, Pakistan and other countries with Punjabi migrants
Region:	Punjab
Total speakers:	Western: 61-62 million Eastern: 28 million Siraiki: 14 million Total: 104 million
Ranking:	10th
Genetic classification:	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Punjabi
Official status
Official language of:	Punjab, India
Regulated by:	---
Language codes
ISO 639-1	pa
ISO 639-2	pan
SIL	PMU, PNB, PNJ
See also: Language – List of languages

Punjabi (also Panjabi, Paṁjābī, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhī, پنجابی in Shahmukhi) is the language of the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. It is an Indo-European language of the Indo-Iranian subfamily. Also, as an adjective, the word Punjabi qualifies anything or anyone that is related to either Punjab or the Punjabi language, such as the speakers of Punjabi, inhabitants of the Punjab or the Punjabi cuisine of the region.

Punjabi is the official language of the Indian state of Punjab, and is also spoken in neighbouring areas such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.

Punjabi is also spoken as a minority language in several other countries where Punjabis have emigrated in large numbers, such as Britain, the United States and especially Canada, where it is the fifth most commonly used language^[1]. Punjabi is the sacred language of the Sikhs, in which the religious literature is written. It is the usual language of Bhangra music, which has recently gained wide popularity both in South Asia and abroad.

Punjabi culture suffered a split between India and Pakistan during the Partition of 1947. As such, Punjabi language and culture tend to be one of the uniting factors in spite of national and religious affiliations.

Modern Punjabi vocabulary has been influenced by other languages, including Hindustani, Persian and English. Like other North Indian languages, it is derived from Sanskrit and is therefore Indo-European. Many sources subdivide the Punjabi language into Western Punjabi — Lehnda (ਲੇਹੰਦਾ) or Lahnda (ਲਹਿੰਦਾ) — and Eastern Punjabi. Siraiki and Hindko are somewhat mutually intelligible with Punjabi and are sometimes considered dialects by Punjabis.

There are several different scripts used for writing the Punjabi language, depending on the region and the dialect spoken, as well as the religion of the speaker. Sikhs and others in the Indian state of Punjab tend to use the Gurmukhī (from the mouth of the Gurus) script. Hindus, and those living in neighbouring states such as Haryana and Himachal Pradesh sometimes use the Devanāgarī script. Gurmukhī and Shahmukhi scripts are the most commonly used for writing Punjabi and are considered the official scripts of the language.

Much like English, Punjabi has moved around the world and developed local forms by integrating local vocabulary. While most loanwords come from Hindustani, Persian and English, Punjabi emigrants around the world have integrated terms from such languages as Spanish and Dutch. A distinctive "Diaspora Punjabi" is thus emerging. As there is no formal consensus over vocabulary and spelling in Punjabi, it is likely that Diaspora Punjabi will increasingly deviate from the forms found on the Indian Subcontinent in the future.