Thaḷī is a Western Saraiki dialect spoken in parts of the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It has a widespread area, starting from Tank to Muzzafargarh on the eastern end of the Indus River and from Bannu running down to D I khan at the western end of the Indus River.[citation needed] It is classified as a northern dialect of Saraiki,[1][2] although it has also been described as transitional between Shahpuri and the central Saraiki Multani dialect.[3] Its name derives from the Thal Desert.[3]
| Thali | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native to | Pakistan |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | thal1241 |
  Thali dialect | |
| Coordinates: 31°N 71°E / 31°N 71°E | |
Thali is one of several Saraiki dialects that are commonly known as Jaṭkī.[4]It is spoken in Khushab District and parts of the former Shahpur District where it is known as Thaḷī.[5] Its local name in Jhang District is Thaḷochṛī.[6] In Dera Ismail Khan District it goes by the name of Ḍerāwāl[7] or Derawali,[3] and in Mianwali and Bannu districts it is known as Hindko or Mulkī.[3] A dialect of Thali spoken in the northeast is known as Kacchī.[8] Inhabitants of Dera Ismail Khan District, presumably speakers of this dialect, variously identify their language as Saraiki or Hindko.[9] Likewise for those living in Mianwali District, who identify their language as either Punjabi or Saraiki.[10]
Thali is spoken in the following districts of Punjab Province and districts of Kyber Pakhtunkha Province:[citation needed]
References
Bibliography
- Bahri, Hardev (1963). Lahndi Phonetics : with special reference to Awáṇkárí. Allahabad: Bharati Press.
- Grierson, George A. (1919). "Thali". Linguistic Survey of India. Vol. VIII, Part 1, Indo-Aryan family. North-western group. Specimens of Sindhī and Lahndā. Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India.
- Masica, Colin P. (1991). The Indo-Aryan languages. Cambridge language surveys. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-23420-7.
- Rensch, Calvin R. (1992). "The Language Environment of Hindko-Speaking People". In O'Leary, Clare F.; Rensch, Calvin R.; Hallberg, Calinda E. (eds.). Hindko and Gujari. Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan. Islamabad: National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University and Summer Institute of Linguistics. ISBN 969-8023-13-5.
- Shackle, Christopher (1976). The Siraiki language of central Pakistan : a reference grammar. London: School of Oriental and African Studies.
- Singh, Atam (1970). "An introduction to the dialects of Punjabi". Pākhā sanjam. 3 (1). ISSN 0556-4417. The account of Thali here is based entirely on Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India.
- Wagha, Muhammad Ahsan (1997). The development of Siraiki language in Pakistan (Ph.D.). School of Oriental and African Studies. (requires registration).