Languages that share the same linguistic roots are similar to each other. That is true for almost all. Similarly, there are also languages similar to Kashmiri.
Most of these similar languages get spoken around the region of Kashmir. So let us discuss them in detail!
Languages Similar To Kashmiri – 9 Most Similar Languages
Kashmiri originated from Sanskrit, with heavy influence from Persian and Prakrit.
The first Kashmiri texts got written in the 13th century. The upper class spoke only Kashmiri but eventually spread to other social groups.
Kashmiri gets spoken by around 5 million people in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
In India, it is one of the 22 officially recognized languages in education and government.
In Pakistan, Kashmiri is one of the six scheduled languages. It is also an official language in Jammu and Kashmir, a state in India.
A few languages share similarities with Kashmiri. That is particularly in terms of grammar and vocabulary.
The top 9 languages similar to Kashmiri are as follows:
1. Hindko:
Around 5 million people speak Kashmiri, mainly in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Hindko gets spoken in northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in Pakistan.
Both languages belong to the Indo-Aryan language family. However, Kashmiri is more closely related to Hindko than any other language.
Both languages use Perso-Arabic scripts. Hindko is mainly influenced by Punjabi, while Persian and Urdu influence Kashmiri.
Both languages have a large number of loanwords from Persian and Urdu. Hence, the two languages have many common words.
The differences are in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
2. Pashto:
Both Pashto and Kashmiri are Indo-Aryan. They use Perso-Arabic scripts and have many loanwords from Persian and Urdu.
Pashto is more closely related to Dari than Kashmiri is to Hindko. Pashto has a stronger Afghan identity than Kashmiri does with its Indian identity.
There are many differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation between the two languages.
There are some similarities between Pashto and Kashmiri. But there are also many differences.
So, if you’re looking for a language similar to Kashmiri, Pashto is not the best choice.
If you’re interested in learning a challenging language, Pashto is a great option!
3. Persian:
Both languages are part of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family.
Persian gets written in Arabic script. In opposition to that, Kashmiri gets written in the Devanagari script.
Persian has many loanwords from Arabic, while Kashmiri has many from Sanskrit.
Persian and Kashmiri are still quite similar. Both languages are part of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family.
That means they share a common ancestor language. That makes them more closely related than many other languages.
Persian and Kashmiri also have similar grammar rules.
For example, both languages use the same word order (Subject-Object-Verb.) They have many of the same verb tenses.
Both languages have a similar vocabulary. For example, words like “mother” are almost identical in Persian and Kashmiri.
Despite these similarities, there are still some significant differences between Persian and Kashmiri.
For one thing, Persian is a much more widely spoken language than Kashmiri.
Persian has over 60 million speakers compared to just 5 million Kashmiri.
Additionally, Persian has official status in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.
4. Hindi:
Hindi and Kashmiri are both Indo-Aryan languages. That means they share a common ancestor in the form of Sanskrit.
As a result, Hindi and Kashmiri share many features in terms of grammar and vocabulary.
For instance, both languages use the same word order (Subject-Object-Verb.) They both have many of the same verb tenses.
In addition, the two languages have similar vocabulary. For example, words like “mother” are almost identical in both Hindi and Kashmiri.
Despite these similarities, there are still some significant differences between Hindi and Kashmiri.
For one thing, Hindi is a much more widely spoken language than Kashmiri. Hindi has over 500 million speakers compared to just 5 million Kashmiri.
Additionally, Hindi has been heavily influenced by Sanskrit. On the other hand, Persian and Arabic have influenced Kashmiri.
Even with the differences, Hindi and Kashmiri do share some similarities.
5. Urdu:
There are several ways in which Urdu is similar to Kashmiri. First, both languages are Indo-European, meaning they share a common ancestor.
They are also both members of the Western Hindi subgroup of Indo-Aryan languages.
Urdu and Kashmiri have Perso-Arabic scripts. Persian and Arabic have heavily influenced their grammar and vocabulary.
Additionally, both Urdu and Kashmiri have the influence of Persian and Arabic.
As a result, they have many loanwords from these languages. Finally, Urdu and Kashmiri get spoken in regions with large Muslim populations.
Despite these similarities, Urdu and Kashmiri still have some significant differences.
Urdu gets spoken by over 100 million people. In contrast, there are only around 5 million Kashmiri speakers.
6. Arabic:
Both Arabic and Kashmiri get written in the Perso-Arabic alphabet. They are both spoken in regions with large Muslim populations.
As a result, Persian and Arabic have influenced Kashmiri a lot. Hence, the relationship between Arabic and Kashmiri is bigger.
However, there are some key ways in which they differ.
A relatively small number speaks Kashmiri of people. It has been more heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic than other languages in the region.
On the other hand, Arabic gets spoken by millions of people across the globe. It has had a more significant impact on Kashmiri than vice versa.
7. Punjabi:
Punjabi and Kashmiri are two of the many languages spoken in the region.
Both languages have similar features. Both have similar grammatical genders and many loanwords from Persian and Arabic.
However, some key differences set them apart.
For example, Punjabi has a more complex system of tenses than Kashmiri.
Punjabi also has more dialects than Kashmiri. That makes it difficult for speakers of different dialects to understand each other.
Kashmiri is also written in a different script than Punjabi. Kashmiri gets written in the Nastaliq script.
On the other hand, Punjabi gets written in the Gurmukhi script.
That can make it difficult for speakers of one language to read texts written in another.
Despite these differences, Punjabi and Kashmiri are both mutually intelligible.
That means that speakers of one language can understand other languages without difficulty.
8. Siraiki:
Siraiki is a language spoken in Pakistan. It is similar to Punjabi and Kashmiri and is intelligible in both languages. Siraiki gets written in Arabic script.
Similar to Punjabi and Kashmiri, Siraiki has many dialects. That makes it difficult for speakers of different dialects to understand each other.
However, Siraiki is mutually intelligible with Punjabi and Kashmiri. That means the speaker of the other language can understand the language.
Both languages have many dialects, making communication between speakers of different dialects difficult.
Siraiki and Kashmiri are similar. Even so, there are some important differences between the two languages.
Siraiki gets written in Arabic script. While Kashmiri gets written in the Devanagari script. That means that the two languages use different writing systems.
Siraiki has more loanwords from Persian and Urdu than Kashmiri. That is because Siraiki got spoken in areas with Persian and Urdu speakers.
Finally, Siraiki has the influence of South Asian languages such as Hindi.
While Kashmiri influences Central Asian languages such as Uzbek, the two languages have different linguistic influences.
9. Brahui:
Brahui is a language spoken in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is distantly related to Persian, Kurdish, and Pashto.
Kashmiri gets spoken in the Kashmir region of Pakistan. It is mainly related to Punjabi, Pothohari, and Siraiki.
Persian has influenced both Brahui and Kashmiri. This influence is most evident in the vocabulary of these languages.
Both Brahui and Kashmiri are Indo-European languages. They are both spoken in Pakistan.
Brahui gets written in Arabic script. While Kashmiri gets written in the Devanagari script.
The grammar of Brahui is more similar to Persian than Kashmiri.
Brahui has loanwords from Persian, Arabic, and Turkic languages. While Kashmiri has loanwords from Sanskrit, Hindustani, and Persian.
Conclusion:
Similarities between languages are because of various reasons. These reasons can be like if they share their linguistic roots or the same region.
Languages similar to Kashmiri include Punjabi, Pashto, Siraiki, and Urdu. Each of these languages has its distinct script.
Approximately 12 million people speak Kashmiri in the Kashmir region. It is also spoken in parts of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan.
The language is also known as Koshur, Kashur, and Kashi. Languages similar to Kashmiri share certain features.
These include being mostly spoken in the same region. That is of the Indian subcontinent. Plus also has a variety of dialects.
However, each language also has its unique characteristics. Those make the language unique in its way, even being similar to others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is Kashmiri A Dying Language?
Kashmiri is not a dying language. Surely, the number of people who speak Kashmiri as their first language is declining.
However, it is still spoken by many people in the Kashmir region and beyond.
Furthermore, efforts are being made to revive and promote the use of Kashmiri. That includes promoting language through educational initiatives.
Plus, Kashmiri is one of the official languages of Jammu and Kashmir.
Hence various efforts are being made to promote and revive the use of the language.
Finally, Kashmiri has a rich literary tradition. Many people appreciate and value the literature written in this language.
Q2. Do People Speak English In Kashmir?
Yes, English is widely spoken in Kashmir. English is one of the official languages of Jammu and Kashmir, along with Urdu.
That is because English got introduced to the region during the British rule of India. It has remained an important language in the region since then.
Few people speak English as their first language compared to other parts of India.
Many people in Kashmir are proficient in English. That is especially true for young people, who learn English in school and use it daily.
Kashmiri is the primary language spoken in the region. Even so, English is also widely used and understood. That can be helpful for visitors to the region.
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