Pahari-Pothwari

Pahari Pothwari^[b][c] is an Indo-Aryan language variety of the Lahnda group,^[d] spoken in the northern half of Pothohar Plateau, in Punjab, Pakistan, as well as in the most of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir and in the western areas of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. It is known by a variety of names, the most common of which are Pahari (English: /pəˈhɑːri/;^[1] an ambiguous name also applied to other unrelated languages of India), and Pothwari (or Pothohari).

Pahari Pothwari
پہاڑی ،پوٹھوہاری Poṭhohārī, Pahāṛī
Native to	Pakistan
Region	Pothohar region of Punjab, Azad Kashmir and western parts of Jammu and Kashmir
Native speakers	several million[a]
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Northwestern Punjabic Lahnda Pahari Pothwari
Writing system	Shahmukhi
Language codes
ISO 639-3	phr
Glottolog	paha1251  Pahari Potwari

The language is transitional between Hindko and standard Punjabi and is mutually intelligible with both.^[2] There have been efforts at cultivation as a literary language,^[3] although a local standard has not been established yet.^[4]

Grierson in his early 20th-century Linguistic Survey of India assigned it to a so-called "northern cluster" of Lahnda (Western Punjabi), but this classification, as well as the validity of the Lahnda grouping in this case, have been called into question.^[5] In a sense all Lahnda varieties, and standard Punjabi are "dialects" of a "greater Punjabi" macrolanguage.^[6]

Geographic distribution and dialects

60km
37miles

Baramulla

Srinagar

Bagh

Rajouri

Poonch

Jhelum

Murree

Mirpur

Gujarkhan

Bharakao

Abbottabad

Muzaffarabad

   

Azad Kashmir and surrounding areas with some of the locations mentioned in this section. Places where Pahari–Pothwari is spoken are in dark red.

There are at least three major dialects: Pothwari, Mirpuri and Pahari.^[e]

The dialects are mutually intelligible,^[7] but the difference between the northernmost and the southernmost dialects (from Muzaffarabad and Mirpur respectively) is enough to cause difficulties in understanding.^[8]

Pothohar Plateau

Pothwari (پوٹھوہاری), also spelt Potwari, Potohari and Pothohari,^[9] is spoken in the north-eastern portion of Pothohar Plateau of northern Punjab,^[10] an area administratively within Rawalpindi division.^[11] Pothwari is its most common name, and some call it Pindiwal Punjabi to differentiate it from the Punjabi spoken elsewhere in Punjab.^[12]

Pothwari extends southwards up to the Salt Range, with the city of Jhelum marking the border with Majha dialect. To the north, Pothwari transitions into the Pahari-speaking area, with Bharakao, near Islamabad, generally regarded as the point where Pothwari ends and Pahari begins.^[13] In Attock and Talagang districts of Pothohar, it comes in contact with other Lahnda varieties, namely Chacchi, Awankari and Ghebi. In Chakwal, yet another dialect is spoken, Dhani.^[14]

Pothwari has been represented as a dialect of Punjabi by the Punjabi language movement,^[4] and in census reports the Pothwari areas of Punjab have been shown as Punjabi-majority.^[f]

Mirpur

East of the Pothwari areas, across the Jhelum River into Mirpur District in Azad Kashmir, the language is more similar to Pothwari than to the Pahari spoken in the rest of Azad Kashmir.^[15] Locally it is known by a variety of names:^[g] Pahari, Mirpur Pahari, Mirpuri,^[h] and Pothwari,^[16] while some of its speakers call it Punjabi.^[17] Mirpuris possess a strong sense of Kashmiri identity that overrides linguistic identification with closely related groups outside Azad Kashmir, such as the Pothwari Punjabis.^[18] The Mirpur region has been the source of the greater part of Pakistani immigration to the UK, a process that started when thousands were displaced by the construction of the Mangla Dam in the 1960s and emigrated to fill labour shortages in England.^[19] The British Mirpuri diaspora now numbers several hundred thousand, and Pahari has been argued to be the second most common mother tongue in the UK, yet the language is little known in the wider society there and its status has remained surrounded by confusion.^[20]

Kashmir, Murree and the Galyat

Pahari (پہاڑی) is spoken to the north of Pothwari. The central cluster of Pahari dialects is found around Murree.^[21] This area is in the Galyat: the hill country of Murree Tehsil in the northeast of Rawalpindi District (just north of the capital Islamabad) and the adjoining areas in southeastern Abbottabad District.^[22] One name occasionally found in the literature for this language is Dhundi-Kairali (Ḍhūṇḍī-Kaiṛālī), a term first used by Grierson^[23] who based it on the names of the two major tribes of the area – the Kairal and the Dhund.^[10] Its speakers call it Pahari in Murree tehsil, while in Abbottabad district it is known as either Hindko or Ḍhūṇḍī.^[24] Nevertheless, Hindko – properly the language of the rest of Abbottabad District and the neighbouring areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – is generally regarded as a different language.^[25] It forms a dialect continuum with Pahari,^[10] and the transition between the two is in northern Azad Kashmir and in the Galyat region. For example, on the road from Murree northwest towards the city of Abbottabad, Pahari gradually changes into Hindko between Ayubia and Nathiagali.^[26]

A closely related dialect is spoken across the Jhelum River in Azad Kashmir, north of the Mirpuri areas. Names associated in the literature with this dialect are Pahari (itself the term most commonly used by the speakers themselves), Chibhālī,^[27] named after the Chibhal region^[28] or the Chibh ethnic group,^[11] and Pahari (Poonchi) (پونچھی, also spelt Punchhi). The latter name has been variously applied to either the Chibhali variety specific to the district of Poonch,^[29] or to the dialect of the whole northern half of Azad Kashmir.^[30] This dialect (or dialects) has been seen either as a separate dialect from the one in Murree,^[23] or as belonging to the same central group of Pahari dialects.^[31] The dialect of the district of Bagh, for example, has more shared vocabulary with the core dialects from Murree (86–88%) than with the varieties of either Muzaffarabad (84%) or Mirpur (78%).^[32]

In Muzaffarabad the dialect shows lexical similarity^[i] of 83–88% with the central group of Pahari dialects, which is high enough for the authors of the sociolinguistic survey to classify it is a central dialect itself, but low enough to warrant noting its borderline status.^[33] The speakers however tend to call their language Hindko^[34] and to identify more with the Hindko spoken to the west,^[35] despite the lower lexical similarity (73–79%) with the core Hindko dialects of Abbottabad and Mansehra.^[36] Further north into the Neelam Valley the dialect, now known locally as Parmi, becomes closer to Hindko.^[37]

Pahari is also spoken further east across the Line of Control into the Pir Panjal mountains in Indian Jammu and Kashmir. The population, estimated at 1 million,^[38] is found in the region between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers: most significantly in the districts of Poonch and Rajouri, to a lesser extent in neighbouring Baramulla and Kupwara,^[39] and also – as a result of the influx of refugees during the Partition of 1947 – scattered throughout the rest of Jammu and Kashmir.^[40] Pahari is among the regional languages listed in the sixth schedule of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.^[41] This Pahari is sometimes conflated with the Western Pahari languages spoken in the mountainous region in the south-east of Indian Jammu and Kashmir. These languages, which include Bhadarwahi and its neighbours, are often called "Pahari", although not same they are closely related to Pahari–Pothwari.^[42]

Diaspora

Pahari Pothwari is also very widely spoken in the United Kingdom. Labour shortages after World War II, and the displacement of peoples caused by the construction of the Mangla Dam, facilitated extensive migration of Pahari-Pothwari speakers to the UK during the 1950s and 1960s, especially from the Mirpur District. Academics estimate that between two thirds and 80% of people officially classified as British Pakistanis originate as part of this diaspora, with some suggesting that it is the second most spoken language of the United Kingdom, ahead of even Welsh, with hundreds of thousands of speakers.^[43] However, since there is little awareness of the identity of the language among speakers,^[44] census results do not reflect this.^[45] The highest proportions of Pahari-Pothwari speakers are found in urban centres, especially the West Midlands conurbation and the West Yorkshire Built-up Area.^[45]

Phonology

Vowels

Vowels of Pahari

	Front		Central		Back
	oral	nasal	oral	nasal	oral	nasal
Close	iː	ĩː			uː	ũː
Near-close	ɪ				ʊ
Mid	e eː	ẽː	ə		o oː
Open	æ æː		aː	ãː

Vowels of Pothwari

	Front		Central		Back
	oral	nasal	oral	nasal	oral	nasal
Close	i iː	ĩ ĩː			u uː	ũ ũː
Mid	e	ẽ	ɐ	ɐ̃	o	õ
Open					ɑ	ɑ̃

A long diphthong /ɑi/ can be realized as [äː].^[46]

Consonants

Consonants of Pahari^[47]

		Labial	Dental	Alveolar	Post-alv./ Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Stop/ Affricate	voiceless	p	t̪	t	t͡ʃ	k
	aspirated	pʰ	t̪ʰ	tʰ	t͡ʃʰ	kʰ
	voiced	b	d̪	d	d͡ʒ	ɡ
Fricative	voiceless	f		s	ʃ	x
	voiced	v		z		ɣ	ɦ
Nasal		m		n		ŋ
Approximant				l	j
Tap/Trill				r	ɽ

Consonants of Pothwari^[46]

		Labial	Alveolar	Retroflex	Post-alv./ Palatal	Velar/ Uvular	Glottal
Stop	voiceless	p	t	ʈ		k
	aspirated	pʰ	tʰ	ʈʰ		kʰ
	voiced	b	d	ɖ		ɡ
	breathy	bʱ	dʱ	ɖʱ		ɡʱ
Affricate	voiceless		t͡s
	aspirated		t͡sʰ
	voiced		d͡z
Fricative	voiceless	(f)	s		ʃ	(χ)	h
	voiced	v	z		(ʒ)	(ʁ)
Nasal		m	n	ɳ
Approximant			l	ɭ	j
Tap/Trill			r	ɽ

• Sounds [f, ʒ, χ, ʁ, q] are heard from Persian and Arabic loanwords.
• /h/ is realized as voiced [ɦ] in word-initial position.
• /n/ before a velar consonant can be heard as [ŋ].^[46]

Morphology

Nouns

Case table

Extended masculine forms can be realised as being added the oblique forms ending in -e, which is shortened to -i- (phonetically [e̯]) before back vowels and is lost before front vowels.

Pahari-Pothwari case endings

Class	Gender	Number	Direct	Oblique	Vocative	Ablative	Locative	Instrumental
Extended	Masculine	Singular	ā	e	iā	iū̃	e
		Plural	e	iāñ	io	n/a	ī̃
	Feminine	Singular	ī		īe	īū̃	e
		Plural	īā̃		īo	n/a	ī̃
Unextended	Masculine	Singular	Ø	ai	ā	ū̃	e
		Plural		āñ	o	n/a	ī̃
	Feminine	Singular		ai	e	ū̃	e
		Plural	āñ		o	n/a	ī̃

Pahari-Pothwari case endings on a noun

class	gender	number	direct	oblique	vocative	ablative	locative	instrumental
extended form	masculine	singular	kuttā	kutte	kuttiā	kuttiū̃	kutte
		plural	kutte	kuttiā̃	kuttio
	feminine	singular	kuttī		kuttīe
		plural	kuttīā̃		kuttīo
unextended forms	masculine	singular	ghar	ghare	gharā	gharū̃	ghare
		plural	ghar	gharā̃	gharo		gharī̃
	feminine	singular	gall	galle	galle	gallū̃	galle
		plural	gallā̃		gallo		gallī̃

Notes:

• Extended nouns generally end in -ā for masculine and -ī for feminine in the direct singular forms.

Irregular Oblique Forms

Pahari-Pothwari has unique forms for nouns in oblique cases. This is not observed in standard Punjabi, but is seen in Hindko.^[48]

English	Pahari-Pothwari		Standard Punjabi
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
housework	گھرے نا کمّ	Ghare nā kamm	گھر دا کمّ	Ghar dā kamm
dinner	راتی نی روٹی	Rātī nī roṭī	رات دی روٹی	Rāt dī roṭī
in a young age	نِکّی عُمرے وِچ	Nikkī umre vicc	نِکّی عُمر وِچّ	Nikkī umr vicc
on my heart	مھاڑے دِلّے اپّر	Mhāṛe dille appar	میرے دِل تے	Mere dil te
with care	دھیاݨے نال	Dhyāṇe nāl	دھیان نال	Dhyān nāl
patiently	ارامے نال	Arāme nāl	ارام نال	Arām nāl
to my sister	بھیݨُوں کی	Bhaiṇūñ kī	بھین نُوں	Bhaiṇ nūñ
for my brother	بھراُو واسطے	Bhrāū vāste	بھرا واسطے	Bhrā vāste
important detail	کمّے نی گلّ	Kamme nī gall	کمّ دی گلّ	Kamm dī gall
there's no accounting for taste	شَونقے نا کوئی مُل نہیں ہوݨا	Shaunqe koī mul nahīñ hoṇā	شَونق دا کوئی مُل نہیں ہوندا	Shaunq koī mul nahīñ hondā
understand the point	گلّے کی سمجھ	Galle kī samjh	گلّ نُوں سمجھ	Gall nūñ samjh

Pronominal suffixes

Pahari-Pothwari Pronominal forms are:

	romanisation
	singular	plural
2nd person	-ī	-ne
3rd person	-s	-ne

Examples:

English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
alright, what did he say next? (3.p.s.)	ہالا فیر کے آخیا ہیس/ہس؟	Halā fer ke ākhyā hais/has
are your hands and feet broken? (2.p.p.)	ہتھّ پَیر بھجّے / ترُٹّے نی؟	Hatth pair bhajje truṭṭe nī
I'm bringing it for you (2.p.s.)	ایہہ میں تہاڑے واسطے آݨنا ای	Eh maiñ tuhāṛe wāste āṇnā ī
did you eat? (2.p. respectful)	روٹی کھادی نے؟	Roṭī khādī ne
he didn't even bother this much (3.p.s.)	اتنا وی نہیں٘س آخیا	Itnā vī nahīñs ākhyā

Pronouns

Full pronoun tables

Pahari-Pothwari personal pronouns

person		number	direct	oblique	dative	genitive
1st person		singular	mẽ		mikī	mhārā
		plural	as	asā̃	asā̃-kī	sāhṛā
2nd person		singular	tū̃		tukī	tahṛā/tuhāṛā
		plural	tus	tusā̃	tusā̃-kī	tusā̃-nā
3rd person	near	singular	é	is	is-kī	is-nā
		plural		ehnā̃	ehnā̃-kī	ehnā̃-nā
	remote	singular	ó	us	us-kī	us-nā
		plural		ohnā̃	ohnā̃-kī	ohnā̃-nā

Verbs

Adding "i" to root form of verb

A peculiar feature of Pahari-Pothwari is to end the basic root form of verbs with an "i" sound.^[49]

English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
it happened	ہوئی گیا	Hoī gyā
it may be possible	ہوئی سکنا اے	Hoī saknā ai
together	رلی مِلی تے	Ralī milī te
finish it	مُکائی چھوڑ	Mukāī choṛ
look	تکّی گھِنو	Takkī ghinno
come back after having lunch	روٹی کھائی تے مُڑی اچھِیں	Roṭī khāī te muṛī achhī̃
eat it	کھائی گھِن	Khāī Ghin
sit quietly for once	کدے ٹِکی تے بہی وی جُلیا کر	Kade ṭikī te bahī vī julyā kar

Future tense

The future tense in Pothwari is formed by adding -s as opposed to the Eastern Punjabi gā.^[50]

This tense is also used in other western Punjabi dialects such as the Jatki dialects, Shahpuri, Jhangochi and Dhanni, as well as in and Hindko and Saraiki.^[51]

English	Pahari-Pothwari		Eastern Punjabi
	Shahmukhi	transliteration	Shahmukhi	transliteration
I will do	مَیں کرساں	mãi karsāñ	مَیں کرانگا	mãi karāngā
we will do	اَساں کرساں	asā̃ karsāñ	اَسِیں کرانگے	asī̃ karānge
you will do (s)	تُوں کرسَیں	tū̃ karsaiñ	تُوں کریں گا	tū̃ karaiñgā
you will do (p)	تُساں کرسو	tusā̃ karso	تُسِیں کروگے	tusī̃ karoge
he/she will do	اوه کَرسی	ó karsī	اوه کرے گا	ó karega
they will do	اوہ کرسن	ó karsan	اوه کرݨ گے	ó karaṇge

This type of future tense was also used by classical Punjabi poets. Punjabi poet Bulleh Shah sometimes uses a similar form of future tense in his poetry:^[52]

Shahmukhi: جو کُجھ کرسَیں, سو کُجھ پاسَیں

Transliteration: jo kujh karsãĩ, so kujh pāsãĩ

Translation: whatsoever you do, is what you shall gain^[53]

Continuous tense

Similar to other Punjabi varieties, Pothwari uses peyā (past tense form of pēṇā) to signify the continuous tense.^[54]

Present Continuous

English	Pahari-Pothwari
	transliteration	Shahmukhi
I am doing (m.)	mē̃ karnā peyā ā̃̀	میں کرنا پیا ہاں
we are doing (m./mixed)	asā̃ karne pa'e ā̃̀	اساں کرنے پئے ہاں
you are doing (sing., m.)	tū̃ karna peya aĩ̀	تُوں کرنا پیا ہیں
you are doing (sing., f.)	tū̃ karnī paī aĩ̀	تُوں کرنی پئی ہیں
you are doing (plural, m./mixed)	tusā̃ karne pa'e ò	تُساں کرنے پئے ہو
he is doing	ó karna peya aì	اوہ کرنا پیا ہے
she is doing	ó karnī paī aì	اوہ کرنی پئی ہے
they are doing (m.)	ó karne pa'e ìn	اوہ کرنے پئے ہِن
they are doing (f.)	ó karniyā̃ paiyā̃ ìn	اوہ کرنیاں پئیاں ہِن

Genitive marker

The genitive marker in Pahari-Pothwari is represented through the use of nā (ਨਾ / نا) as opposed to dā (ਦਾ / دا) in common Punjabi.^[55]

• The phrase: lokkā̃ dā (ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦਾ / لوکاں دا), meaning "people's" or "of the people" in Pahari-Pothwari, would become lokkā̃ nā (ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨਾ / لوکاں نا)

It should also be noted that in Pahari-Pothwari, the present form of verb does not end with the standard dā sound either, and is replaced with nā. This means that ākhdā would be ākhnā in Pahari-Pothwari meaning "to say" and similarly the word takkdā would be takknā in Pahari-Pothwari meaning "to look/to watch".

English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
we come	اساں اچھنے آں	Asāñ acchne āñ
what do you say?	تُوں کے آخنا ایں؟	Tūñ ke ākhnā eñ
the things I do	جہڑے کمّ میں کرنا آں	Jahiṛe kamm main̄ karnā āñ

For example:

• miki eh nih si cāhinā (میکی ایہہ نِیہ سی چاہینا), meaning "this is not what I wanted"
• oh kai pyā ākhnā ae? (اوہ کے پیا آخنا ہے؟), meaning "what is he saying?"
• This also affects the passive tense: is tarhā̃ nih ākhī nā (اِس طرحاں نہیں آخی نا), instead of "ākhee dā", meaning "that's not how it should be said"

Dative and definite object marker

The dative and definite object marker in Pahari-Pothwari is kī (ਕੀ /کی).

The phrase: "to the people" would be lokkā̃ kī (ਲੋਕਾਂ ਕੀ / لوکاں کی) in Pahari-Pothwari.

Numbering system

Pahari-Pothwari follows the numbering traditions of standard Punjabi. A point of departure from eastern Punjabi dialects occurs in the use of trai (ترَے) instead of tinn (تِنّ) for "three". Other western Punjabi dialects also tend to use trai over tinn.^[56]

English		Pahari-Pothwari
numbers	numerals	transliteration	Shahmukhi	numerals
one	1	ikk	اِکّ	۱
two	2	do	دو	۲
three	3	trai	ترَے	۳
four	4	chār	چار	۴
five	5	panj	پَنج	۵
six	6	che	چھے	۶
seven	7	satt	سَتّ	۷
eight	8	aṭṭh	اَٹّھ	۸
nine	9	nau	نَو	۹
ten	10	das	دَس	۱۰

Ordinals

English	Pahari-Pothwari
ordinals	Shahmukhi	transliteration
First	پہلا	Pehlā
Second	دووا	Dūwā
Third	تریا	Trīyā
Fourth	چوتھا	Chautthā

Vocabulary

General verbs

A majority of the general verbs between Pahari-Pothwari and most other dialects of Punjabi appear to be the same.^[57]

Pahari-Pothwari general verbs
English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
taking out	کڈھّݨا	Kaḍḍhṇā
taking off	لاہݨا	Lāhṇā
applying	لاݨا	Lāṇā
decreasing	گھٹّݨا	Ghaṭṭṇā
jumping	چھال مارنی	Chāl mārnī
agreeing	منّݨا	Mannaṇā
hesitating	جھکّݨا	Jhakkṇā
forgetting	بھُلّݨا	Bhullaṇā
wearing / pouring	باݨا	Bāṇā
lying / to be poured	پَیݨا	Paiṇā
sitting	بہݨا	Bahiṇā
breaking	بھنّݨا یا تروڑنا	Bhannaṇā yā troṛnā
returning	موڑنا	Moṛnā
flipping	پرتاݨا	Paratāṇā
seeing	تکݨا	Takkṇā
to be seen	دِسّݨا	Dissṇā
telling	دسّݨا	Dassṇā
saying	آخݨا	Ākhṇā
running	نسّݨا	Nassṇā
falling	ڈھیہݨا	Ḍhehṇā
slipping	تِلکݨا	Tilkaṇā
chewing	چِتھّݨا	Citthṇā
coughing	کھنگھݨا	Khanghṇā
raising	چاڑھنا	Cāṛhnā
coming	اچھݨا	Acchṇā
walking	ٹُرنا	Ṭurnā
pulling	چھِکّݨا	Chikkṇā
passing	لنگھّݨا	Langhṇā
capturing	مَلّݨا	Mallṇā
cooling	ٹھارنا	Ṭhārnā
obtaining	لبھّݨا	Labbhṇā
lighting up	بالݨا	Bālṇā
cooking	رِنھّݨا	Rinnhṇā
tying	بنھّݨا	Bannhṇā
roasting	بھُنّݨا	Bhunnaṇā
slaughtering	کوہݨا	Kohṇā
identifying	سیاݨنا	Siyāṇnā
throwing	سٹّݨا	Saṭṭṇā
losing	ہرنا	Harnā
entering	بڑنا	Baṛnā
crumbling	بھورنا	Bhornā
covering	کجّݨا	Kajjṇā
dividing	ونڈݨا	Wanḍaṇā
stuffing / thrusting	تُنّݨا	Tunnaṇā
pressing	منڈݨا	Manḍaṇā
vexing	کھپاݨا	Khapāṇā
spreading	کھِلارنا	Khilārnā
to be stolen	کھُسّݨا	Khussṇā
blowing	پھُوکݨا	Phūkṇā
dusting off	چھنڈݨا	Chanḍṇā
mixing	رلݨا	Ralṇā
drying	سُکّݨا	Sukkṇā
hanging	لمکݨا	Lamkṇā
boiling	کاڑھنا	Kāṛhnā
spilling	ڈولھݨا	Ḍolhṇā
shining	لِشکݨا	Lishkṇā
plastering / coating	لِنبݨا	Lanbṇā
maintaining	سانبھݨا	Sānbhṇā
taking along	کھڑنا	Khaṛnā

The passives forms are:

• bhanṅa (to break) and bhajjṅa (to be broken)
• bhunṅa (to roast) and bhujjṅa (to be roasted)
• rinnhṅa (to cook) and rijjhṅa (to be cooked)
• dolhṅa (to spill) and dullhṅa (to be spilt)
• lāhṅa (to take off) and lehṅa (to descend/come off)
• laveṛna (to besmear) and livaṛna (to be besmeared)

The irregular past tense forms are:

Differences in brackets.

• khādhā
• pītā
• dittā
• kītā
• suttā
• moeā
• seāṅtā
• latthā
• ḍhaṭṭhā
• baddhā
• nahātā
• dhotā
• khaltā e.g.: miki saṛke apar khalteon addhā ghantā hoi gya sā
• baṅtā e.g.: chāʼ kadū̃ ni banti hoi ae
• guddhā

nā and khā̃ (emphatics)

• gall suṅeṉ na "please listen"
• gall suṅ khā̃ "listen up!"

Word for sleep

Forms of the verb to sleep
English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
to sleep	سَیݨا	Saiṇā
has slept	سئی ریہا	Saī rehā
he is sleeping	اوہ سَیݨا اے پیا	Oh saiṇā ai pyā
asleep	سُتّا پیا	Suttā pyā
having slept / while asleep	سُتّیوں	Sutteyūñ
after sleeping	سئی تے	Saī te
go to sleep	سئی گو سئی جا سئی روہ	Saī go Saī jā, saī roh
he is to sleep	اوہ سئے	Oh sae
putting to sleep	سن٘واولݨا	Sañwāwlṇā

Adjectives

Adjectives
English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
difficult	اوکھا	Aukhā
easy	سَوکھا	Saukhā
small	نِکّا	Nikkā
large	بڑا / بڈّا	Baṛā/Baḍḍā
unfamiliar	اوپرا	Oprā
new	نوَاں	Nawāñ
old	پراݨاں	Purāṇāñ
straight	سِدھّا	Siddhā
inverted	پُٹھّا	Puṭṭhā
crooked	ڈِنگّا	Ḍinggā
high	اُچّا	Uccā
low	نِیواں	Nīwāñ
good	چنگا	Cangā
bad	ماڑا / مندا	Māṛā/Mandā
very bad	بھَیڑا	Bhaiṛā
heavy	بھارا	Bhārā
light (weight)	ہَولا	Haulā
narrow	سَوڑا	Sauṛā
open	کھُلھّا	Khullhā
firm	پِیڈا	Pīḍā
loose	ڈھِلّا	Ḍhillā
late	چِرکا	Cirkā
on time	ویلے نال	Vele nāl
red	رتّا لال	Rattā lāl
crimson	سُوہا کھٹّ	Sūhā ghuṭṭ
white	چِٹّا دُدھّ	Ciṭṭā duddh
black	کالا شاہ	Kālā shāh
yellow	پِلّا زرد	Pīlā zard
sweet	مِٹھّا	Miṭṭhā
bitter	کَوڑا	Kauṛā
slow	مٹھّا	Maṭṭhā
well	بلّ	Ball
empty	سکھّݨاں	Sakkhṇāñ
filled	بھریا	Bharyā
dry	سُکّا / آٹھریا	Sukkā/Āthrīyā
wet	گِلّا / بھِجّا	Gillā/bhijjā
hot	تتّا	Tattā
cold	ٹھڈّا	Ṭhaḍḍā
hungry	بھُکھّا	Bhukkhā
fed	رجّیا پُجّیا	Rajjyā pujjyā
smart	سیاݨا	Syāṇā
fool	جھلّا	Jhallā
deep	ڈُونگھا	Ḍūngha鎔
beautiful	سوہݨاں	Sohṇā
ugly	کوجھا	Kojhā
evil	لُچّا	Luccā
faux naïf	مِیسݨا	Mīsṇā

Family relations

The names of family relations are:

Relations
English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
mother, father	ماں پیو	Māñ pio
son, daughter	دھِیاں پُتّر	Dhīyāñ puttr
brother, sister	بھَیݨاں بھرا	Bhaiṇāñ bhrā
elder brother	بھاپا	Bhāpā
husband	گھر الا / جݨا / خسم	Ghar ālā/jaṇā/khasam
wife	گھر آلی / زنانی	Ghar ālī/zanānī
grandsons, granddaughters (from son)	پوترے پوترِیاں	Potre potrīyāñ
grandsons, granddaughters (from daughter)	دوترے دوترِیاں	Dotre dotrīyāñ
son-in-law	جوائی	Jawāī
daughter-in-law	نوں٘ہہ	Nūñh
mother-in-law	سسّ	Sass
father-in-law	سوہرا	Sohrā
husband's sister	نناݨ	Nanāṇ
sister's husband	بھݨوئیا	Bhan̄oīyā
brother's wife	بھرجائی	Bharjāī
father's brother, father's sister	چاچا / پُپھّی	Cācā/phupphī
father's brother's wife	چاچی	Cācī
father's sister's husband	پُھپھّڑ	Phupphṛā
mother's brother, mother's sister	ماما / ماسی	Māmā/māsī
mother's brother's wife	مامی	Māmī
mother's sister's husband	ماسڑ	Māsaṛ
cousin from father's brother	چچیر / داد پوترا	Cacer/dād potrā
cousin from father's sister	پھُپھیر	Phuppher
cousin from mother's brother	ملویر	Malwer
cousin from mother's sister	مسیر	Maser

Body part names

Names of body parts are:

Body parts
English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
eyes	اکھِّیاں	Akkhīyāñ
head	سِر	Sir
forehead	متھّا	Matthā
eyelashes	پِمݨِیاں	Pimṇīyāñ
eyebrows	بھروٹّے	Bharwaṭṭe
eyelids	چھپّر	Chappar
eyeballs	آنّے	Ānne
ears	کنّ	Kann
arms	باہاں	Bāhāñ
throat	سنگھ	Sangh
neck	دھَوݨ	Dhauṇ
shoulders	موڈھے	Moḍhe
elbow	ارک	Arak
nails	نَونہہ	Nauñh
hands	ہتھّ	Hatth
fingers	انگلاں	Angalāñ
belly	ڈھِڈّ	Dhiḍḍ
waist	لکّ	Lakk
legs	لتّاں	Lattāñ
knees	گوڈے	Goḍe
ankles	گِٹّے	Giṭṭe
feet	پَیر	Pair
palm	تلّی	Tallī
teeth	دند	Dand
molars	ہݨیوں	Haṇyūñ
tongue	جِیبھ	Jībh
nose	نکّ	Nakk
nostrils	ناساں	Nāsāñ
face	مونہہ	Mūñh
back	کنڈ	Kanḍ
hips	ڈھاکاں	Ḍhākāñ
hip bone	چُوکݨا	Cokṇā

Words for "coming" and "going"

The Pahari-Pothwari word for "coming" is acchṇā, whereas for "going" gacchṇā, julṇā and jāṇā are used.^[49]

English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
I am coming	میں اچھنا پیا ہاں	Main̄ acchnā pyā hāñ
I am going	میں گچھنا پیا ہاں میں جُلنا پیا ہاں	Maiñ gacchnā pyā hāñ Maiñ julnā pyā hāñ
I don't understand	میکی سمجھ نِیہ اچھنی پئی	Mekī samjh nahī acchnī paī
I will leave tomorrow	میں کلّ گیساں میں کلّ جُلساں	Maiñ kall gyāsāñ Maiñ kall julsāñ
we are going for work	اساں کمّے اپّر جُلے ہاں	Asāñ kamme appar julne hāñ
it happens	ہوئی گچھنا ہے ہوئی جُلنا ہے ہوئی جانا ہے	Hoī gacchnā hai Hoī julnā hai Hoī jānā hai
sit down	بہی جُل بہی گچھ بہی جا	Bahī jul Bahī gacch Bahī jā
I will take him along	اُسکی وی نال گھِنی گیساں اُسکی وی نال گھِنی جُلساں	Uskī vī nāl ghinnī gesāñ Uskī vī nāl ghinnī julsāñ

The imperative for gacchṇā is both gacch and gau.

Adverbs and post-positions

Adverbs and post-positions
English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
which (relative)	جہڑا	Jahiṛā
which (interogative)	کہڑا	Kahiṛā
if	جے	Je
and	تے	Te
near	نیڑے	Neṛe
distant	پرھاں	Parhāñ
before / previously	اگّے	Agge
hence / thus	تاں مارے	Tāñ māre
exactly why	تاں ای	Tān̄ ī
first	پہلوں	Pahilūñ
once	اِکّ واری	Ikk vārī
now	ہُن	hun
just now	ہُنے / میسں	hunne/Mesañ
right at that time	اوسے ویلے	Ose vele
sometimes	کدے	Kade
somewhere	کِرے / کُرے	Kire/Kure
when	کدوں	Kadūñ
like this (adv.)	ایوں / اِنج / اِسراں	Ayūñ/Inj/Isrāñ
like this (adj.)	ایہے جیہا	Īhe jehā
exactly this / only this	ایہے	Īhe
above	اَپّر	Appar
below	تھلّے / بُن	Thalle/bun
from below	تھلّوں	Thallūñ
right	سجّے	Sajje
left	کھبّے	Khabbe
within	وِچّ	Vicc
from within	وِچّّوں	Viccūñ
between	وِشکار	Vishkār
from	توں / سوں / کولں	Tūñ/Sūñ/Kolūñ
from the front	اگّوں	Aggūñ
from behind	پِچھوں، مگروں	Picchūñ/Magrūñ
in comparison	کولوں / نالوں	Kolūñ/Nālūñ
with (utility)	نال	Nāl
furthermore	نالے	Nāle
yet / still	حالے / اجے	Hāle/Ajje
with (possession)	کول	Kol
along / including	سݨے	Saṇe
ٰeverywhere	چوہاں پاسے	Cohāñ pāse
properly	چنگی طرحاں	Cangī tarhāñ
harshly	ڈاہڈا	Ḍāhḍā
with ease	سوکھا	Saukhā
with difficulty	اوکھا	Aukhā
lest	متے	Matte
who knows	خورے	Khore
very	بہُوں	Bahūñ
enough	بتیرا	Baterā
less	گھٹّ	Ghaṭṭ
alone	کلھیوں	Kallhyūñ
together	کٹھّیوں	Kaṭṭhyūñ
again	مُڑی تے	Muṛī te
repeatedly	مُڑی مُڑی	Muṛī muṛī
eventually	ہَولے ہَولے	Haule Haule
quickly	بہلی	Bahilī
this much (quality.)	ایڈا	Eḍā
this much (quantity.)	ہیتݨاں	Hetṇān̄
alright / okay / oh	ہلا	Halā

Causative verbs

Pahari-Pothwari causative verbs end with -ālnā.^[58] This feature also exists in the eastern Majhi dialect. (e.g.: vikhālṇā)

English	Pahari-Pothwari	Standard Punjabi	Jatki	Hindi
to cause to eat	کھوالݨا	کھواوݨا		खिलाना
to cause to drink	پیالݨا	پیاوݨا	پِواوݨا	पिलाना
to cause to bathe	نہوالݨا	نہواوݨا		नहलाना
to cause to wash	دھوالݨا	دھواوݨا		धुलना
to cause to cry	رووالنا	رواوݨا		रुलाना
to cause to sleep	سوالݨا	سواوݨا		सुलाना
to cause to sit	بہالݨا	بہاوݨا		बिठाना
to cause to stand	اُٹھالݨا	اُٹھاوݨا		उठाना

Not all causative verbs are formed like this, e.g. to play -kheṛṇā to khaṛāṇa,

Words used for "taking" and "bringing"

Commonly observed in the Lahnda dialects is the use of ghinṇā (گھِننا)^[59][60] and ānṇā (آننا)^[61][62] instead of the eastern Punjabi words laiṇā (لَینا) and lyāṇā (لیانا).

Notice how ghin āo becomes ghini achho, and ghin ghidā becomes ghini ghidā in accordance with Pothwari grammar and vocabulary.

English	Pahari-Pothwari	Jatki		Hindko	Saraiki
		Shahpuri/Jhangochi	Dhanni
from tomorrow onwards, I'll also bring it for you, just cope for today	کلّ سوں میں تُساں کی وی آݨی دِتّا کرساں، اجّ گُزارہ کری گھِنو	کلّ توں میں تُہانُوں وی لیا دِتّا کرساں، اجّ گُزارہ کر لوو	کلّ توں میں تُسانُوں وی آݨ دِتّا کریساں، اجّ گُزارہ کر گھِنو	کلّ توں میں تُساں آں وی آݨ دیا کرساں، اجّ گُزارہ کر گھِنو	کلّ توں میں تُہاکُوں وی آݨ ڈِتّا کریساں، اجّ گُزارہ کر گھِنو
take him along as well	اُسکی وی نال گھِنی اچھو	اوہنُوں وی نال لَے آوو	اوہنُوں وی نال گھِن آوو	اُساں وی نال گھِن آؤ	اُوکُوں وی نال گھِن آوو
they took it from me as well	اُنھاں مھاڑے کولُوں وی گھِنی گھِدا	اُنھاں میرے کولُوں وی لَے لیا	اُنھاں مینڈھے کولُوں وی گھِن گھِدا	اُنھان مڑھے کولُوں وی گھِن گھِدا	اُنھاں میڈے کولُوں وی گھِن گھِدا
he is bringing	اوہ آݨنا پیا ہے	اوہ لیاندا پیا ہے	اوہ اݨیندا پیا ہے	اوہ آݨدا پیا ہے	اوہ اݨیندا پیا ہے
we will also have to bring them back	اُنھاں کی واپس وی آݨنا ہوسی	اُنھاں نُوں واپس وی لیاوَݨا ہوسی	اُنھاں نُوں واپس وی آݨنا ہوسی	اُنھاں آں واپس وی آݨنا ہوسی	اُنھاں کُوں واپس وی آݨنا ہوسی
eat it	کھائی گھِن	کھا لَے	کھا گھِن	کھا گھِن	کھا گھِن
bring it brought it	چائی آݨو چائی آݨنا	چا لیاؤ چا لیاندا	چا آݨو چا اݨیندا	چا آݨو چا اݨدا	چا آݨو چا اݨیندا
take it took it	چائی گھِنو چائی گھِدا	چا لوو چا لیا	چا گھِنو چا گھِدا	چا گھِنو چا گھِدا	چا گھِنو چا گھِدا
he will take him along	اوہ اِسکی نال گھِنی گیسی/ جُلسی/ جاسی	اوہ ایہنُوں نال لَے ویسی اوہ ایہنُوں لے جاسی	اوہ ایہنُوں نال گھِن ویسی	اوہ اِساں نال گھِن جُلسی	اوہ اِیکُوں نال گھِن ویسی

Interrogative words

English	Pahari-Pothwari
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
why	کِیاں	Kīyā̃
where	کتھے	Kutthe
whither	کُدھّر	Kuddhar
who	کُݨ	Kuṇ
what?	کے	Ke

Pahari-Pothwari vocabulary similarities with closely related languages

English	Pahari-Pothwari		Punjabi(Jatki)		Hindko		Saraiki
	Shahmukhi	Transliteration	Shahmukhi	Transliteration	Shahmukhi	Transliteration	Shahmukhi	Transliteration
very / much	بُہو	Bahūñ	بہُوں	Bahūñ	بہُوں	Bahūñ	بہُوں	Bahūñ
go to sleep	سئی گو	saī go	سَیں ونج	Saiñ vanj	سَیں جُل	Sen̄ jul	سم ونج	Sam vanj
alright / okay	ہلا	Halā	ہلا	Halā	ہلا	Halā	ہلا	Halā
boy	جاکت / جاتک	Jākat/Jātak	جاتک / چھوہر	Jātak/Chohar	جندک	Jandak	چھُوہر	Chohur
what is his name?	کے ناں اُسنا؟	Ke nāñ usnā?	کیہ/کے ناں اُس؟	Keh/ke nāñ us?	کے ناں اُس؟	Ke nāñ us?	کیا ناں اُس؟	Kyā nāñ us?
take	گھِنو	Ghinno	لَوو (جھنگوچی/شاہپُوری) گھِنو (دھنی)	Lawo(Jhangochī/Shāhpūrī) Ghino(Dhanī)	گھِنو	Ghinno	گھِنو	Ghinno
bring	آݨو	Āṇo	لیاوو (جھنگوچی/شاہپُوری) آنو (دھنی)	Lyāwo(Jhangochī/Shahpūrī) Āno(Dhanī)	آنو	Āno	آنو	Āno
he speaks like us	اوہ اساں آر بولنا اے	Oh asāñ ār bolnā ai	اوہ ساڈے آر بولیندا اے	Oh sāḍe ār bolendā ai	اوہ اساں آر بولدا اے	Oh asāñ ār boldā ai	اوہ ساڈے آر الیندا اے	Oh sāḍe ār alendā ai
let's go	آ جُلِیَے	Ā julyā	آ چلِیئے/جُلِیے	Aclīye/juliye	آ جُلاں	Ā julāñ	آ جُلُوں	Ā julūñ
lift / raise	چاؤ	Cāo	چاوو	Cawo	چاؤ	Cāo	چاوو	Cawo
life	حیاتی	Hyātī	حیاتی	Hyātī	حیاتی	Hyātī	حیاتی	Hyātī

Notes

1. Baart (2003, p. 10) provides an estimate of 3.8 million, presumably for the population in Pakistan alone. Lothers & Lothers (2010, p. 9) estimate the Pakistani population at well over 2.5 million and the UK diaspora at over 0.5 million. The population in India is reported in Ethnologue (2017) to be about 1 million as of 2000.
2. Pahari: پَہاڑِی, romanized: pahāṛī, pronounced [pɐ̯ˈäː˥˩.ɽi(ː)]
3. Pothohari: پوٹھوہارِی, romanized: poṭhohārī, pronounced [poˑʈ̆.ʈʰo̯ˈä˥˩.ɾi(ː)]
4. There is no consensus among linguists or Pahari-Pothwari speakers in terms of its status as a dialect of Punjabi or a separate language entirely. For the difficulties in assigning the labels "language" and "dialect", see Shackle (1979) for Punjabi and Masica (1991, pp. 23–27) for Indo-Aryan generally.
5. According to Lothers & Lothers (2010, p. 2). Abbasi (2010, p. 104) adds as a fourth dialect the Poonchi spoken from Poonch to the Neelam Valley. Yet another classification is reportedly presented in Karnai (2007).
6. For example, according to the 1981 census report for Rawalpindi District, 85.1% of households had Punjabi as mother tongue. In any census, only a small number of major languages have been counted separately, and there has not been a separate option available for either Pahari or Pothwari.
7. One language activist from the diaspora in Britain "[has] said that he does not give the language a single name because those who speak the language call it many different things." (Lothers & Lothers 2012, p. 3).
8. Some, at least in the British diaspora, consider this term to be a misnomer if applied to the language. (Lothers & Lothers 2012, p. 3).
9. The similarity between wordlists containing 217 items of basic vocabulary from each location. (Lothers & Lothers 2010, pp. 15–16)