Eastern Kata-vari
شیخانی (Shekhani)
Native toPakistan
RegionLutkuh Valley (Gobor, Shekhandeh, Rumbur, Badogar, and Urstsun), Upper Chitral District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Native speakers
1,500 (2003)[1][2]
Khowar alphabet (Perso-Arabic)
Language codes
ISO 639-3–

Eastern Kata-vari also locally known as Shekhani is a variety of the Kata-vari language spoken in Chitral district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.[3] The Kamviri language is also known as Shekhani. The Khowar name for the dialect is Sheikhwar[4] which means "Language of the Sheikhs or converts."[5] Some linguists consider Shekhani or Eastern Kata-vari a different language due to the isolation from other Nuristani languages other than Kamviri.[6][7] Kamviri Shekhani is different than Eastern Kata-vari which is also called Shekhani.[8]

In August 2022, Pakistani linguist, Rehmat Aziz Chitrali proposed a keyboard to Khowar Academy, Chitral.[9]

Speakers

The speakers of Eastern Kata-vari migrated from Kamdesh in Nuristan in modern-day Afghanistan to Lutkuh Valley in Chitrali Princely State in British Raj during the 19th century.[10] Most Shekhani speakers speak either Pashto or Khowar as a second language. Many Shekhani speakers often marry the minority Pashtuns in the area.[11]

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Dental/
Alveolar		 Palato-
alveolar		 Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t ʈ k
voiced b d ɖ ɡ
Affricate voiceless t͡s t͡ʃ t͡ʂ t͡ɕ
voiced d͡ʒ d͡ʐ
Fricative voiceless (f) s ʃ ʂ ɕ (x) h
voiced v z (ʒ) ʐ ʑ (ɣ)
Nasal m n ɳ ŋ
Tap ɾ (ɽ)
Approximant lateral l
central ɻ (j)
  • Sounds /ʒ ɽ ɣ/ occur from neighboring languages. /f x/ are borrowed from loanwords mainly from Khowar or Yidgha.
  • /ʈ/ can also be heard as an allophone [ɽ].
  • [j] is heard as an allophone of /i/.
  • /v/ can also be heard as bilabial [β] or a labial approximant [w].

Vowels

Front Central Back
High i ə u
Mid e o
Low a
  • Mid /ə/ can be heard as a close central [ɨ].

References

  1. ↑ Frawley, William J. (May 1, 2003). International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-977178-3 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "Writing System for Shekhani Language being developed". Pakngos.com.pk. April 15, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Experts work to develop writing system in Shekhani language". Chitraltoday.net. April 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Chitral Times || News Detail ||". Chitraltimes.com.
  5. ↑ "The languages of northern Pakistan | Political Economy". Thenews.com.pk.
  6. ↑ Baart, Joan (January 1, 2001). "Bibliography of Languages of Northern Pakistan, compiled by Joan L.G. Baart and Esther L. Baart-Bremer". NIPS-SIL Working Paper Series 1.
  7. ↑ "Dardic languages – RASHID AHMED GABARO". Rashidgabbaro.com. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  8. ↑ Kati at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  9. ↑ Chitrali, Rehmat Aziz. "Shekhani Keyboard". Keyman. Khowar Academy. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  10. ↑ "Linguistic Diversity, Multilingualism and Social Empowerment in Northern Pakistan" (PDF). Linguapax.org. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  11. ↑ Rensch, Calvin Ross (July 25, 1992). "Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan: Languages of Chitral". National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University – via Google Books.


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