Urdu

A language of Pakistan

ISO 639-3

Alternate Names

Bihari, Modern Standard Urdu

Autonym

اُردُو‎‎ (Urdū)

Population

109,100,000 in Pakistan, all users. L1 users: 15,100,000 in Pakistan (2015 World Factbook). L2 users: 94,000,000 (1999). Total users in all countries: 170,208,780 (as L1: 68,622,980; as L2: 101,585,800).

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps

Northwestern Bangladesh

Southeastern Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Index map

India: Index map

Southern Pakistan

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1973, Constitution, Article 251(1)).

Classification

Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Western Hindi, Hindustani

Dialects

Intelligible with Hindi, but formal vocabulary borrowed from Arabic and Persian. Dakhini dialect of Urdu [urd] in India has fewer Persian and Arabic loans than Urdu. Rekhta is a form of Urdu used in poetry.

Typology

SOV; postposition; noun head final; gender (masculine/feminine); no articles; direct and oblique cases; verb affixes mark person, number, gender of subject; passives; tense and aspect; causatives; 30 consonants, 20 vowels, 2 diphthongs; non-tonal; stress on penultimate syllable.

Language Use

All domains. Used by all.

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1843–1998.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Urdu

Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Arabic script, Nastaliq variant [Aran], primary usage. Braille script [Brai].

Other Comments

Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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Bangladesh

Language nameBihari

Population Full

250,000 in Bangladesh (2003 SIL).

Location

Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, and Rangpur divisions; mainly refugee camps in 13 districts.

Alternate Names

Urdu

Status

5 (Dispersed).

Language Use

Home, village, religion, market. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Bengali [ben], English [eng], Standard Arabic [arb].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: Below 50%, probably 25%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%. Many more literate in Bengali [ben] than Urdu.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Bangladesh

Guyana

Language nameUrdu

Location

Scattered.

Status

8a (Moribund).

Language Use

Older adults only.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

View other languages of Guyana

India

Language nameUrdu

Population Full

58,340,000 in India, all users. L1 users: 50,800,000 in India (2011 census). L2 users: 7,540,000 (2001 census).

Location

Jammu and Kashmir state: widespread use by Muslims; Maharashtra state: Hyderabad (Dakhini).

Alternate Names

Islami, Undri, Urudu

Dialects

Dakhini (Dakani, Dakkhini, Deccan, Desia, Mirgan), Pinjari, Rekhta (Rekhti).

Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Andra Pradesh State; Delhi Union Territory (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII). Statutory provincial working language in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh states (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII), limited to official correspondence, notices and other communication. Statutory language of provincial identity in Jammu and Kashmir State (1957, State constitution, Article 145).

Language Use

Used as L2 by Balti [bft], Bhadrawahi [bhd], Bhattiyali [bht], Bilaspuri [kfs], Chambeali [cdh], Changthang [cna], Churahi [cdj], Dogri [dgo], Eastern Balochi [bgp], Gujari [gju], Kangri [xnr], Kashmiri [kas], Kullu Pahari [kfx], Ladakhi [lbj], Mandeali [mjl], Mewati [wtm], Purik [prx], Saraiki [skr].

Language Development

Taught in primary schools.

Other Comments

Muslim.

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Mauritius

Language nameUrdu

Population Full

810 in Mauritius (2012 UNSD).

Location

Widespread.

Status

4 (Educational).

Language Use

Government, politics, religion.

Language Development

Taught in primary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

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Nepal

Language nameUrdu

Population Full

737,800 in Nepal, all users. L1 users: 692,000 in Nepal (2011 census). L2 users: 45,800 (2011 census).

Location

Janakpur, Kosi, Mechi, Narayani, and Sagarmatha zones: scattered inlowland districts; some in Bheri zone.

Status

5* (Dispersed).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

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South Africa

Language nameUrdu

Population Full

12,000 in South Africa (2006 J. Leclerc).

Location

KwaZulu-Natal province: Durban coastal and urban areas; Gauteng province: Johannesburg area, and scattered smaller towns.

Status

5* (Dispersed).

Language Use

Also use English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

View other languages of South Africa

Ethnologue

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A language of Pakistan

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