Hindko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hindko |
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| ہندکو Southern Hindko |
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| Native to | Pakistan | |||
| Region | Punjab Province (Attock District), Kohat, Peshawar | |||
| Native speakers | (625,000 cited 1981) | |||
| Language family |
Indo-European
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| Dialects |
Hazarewal Hindko (which has further subdivisions)
Peshawari
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| Writing system | Nasta'liq script | |||
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Hindko (ہندکو), also sometimes called Hindku or Hinko, is a language spoken in Pakistan. It belongs to a big language family called Indo-Iranian. This means it's related to languages like Hindi, Persian, and many others spoken across parts of Asia.
About 2.2 to 4 million people speak Hindko. You can hear it in different parts of Pakistan. These areas include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (especially a region called Hazara), Punjab Province (like the Attock District), and Azad Kashmir.
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Who Speaks Hindko?
The people who speak Hindko don't have one single name for themselves. This is because they come from many different groups, families, and tribes. They often identify more with their specific family or tribe.
Names for Speakers
Even though there isn't one main name, some groups of Hindko speakers are known by certain names:
- Hazarawal: This name is used for the largest group of Hindko speakers. They live in districts like Haripur, Abbottabad, and Mansehra. These areas are part of the Hazara Division, which is where their name comes from.
- Kharay or Hindkowans: In the city of Peshawar, Hindko speakers are often called "Kharay." This word means "City-dwellers." They are also known as "Hindkowans."
What is a Dialect?
A dialect is a different form of a language. It's like how people in different parts of a country might speak the same language but with slightly different words, accents, or grammar. Hindko itself has several dialects.
Hindko Dialects
Some of the main dialects of Hindko include:
- Hazarewal Hindko: This is the dialect spoken in the Hazara region. It has even more smaller differences within it.
- Peshawari: This dialect is spoken in and around the city of Peshawar.
- Kohati: This dialect is found in the Kohat area.
Writing Hindko
Hindko is written using the Nasta'liq script. This script is a beautiful style of Arabic writing. It is also used for writing Urdu and Persian languages.
Images for kids
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Map of North Lahnda (Hindko and Pahari-Pothwari) dialects and varieties
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Placement of Hindko inside Lahnda
