Pahari languages

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The Pahari languages, also known as Northern Zone languages, are a group of related Indo-Aryan languages or dialects spoken in the lower ranges of the Himalayas from Nepal in the east to the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in the west. These languages fall into three groups: an eastern, consisting of the various dialects of Nepali, also known as Gorkhali, Gurkhali, Khaskura, or Parbatiya; a central, spoken in Uttarakhand state, in Kumaon and Garhwal; and a western, spoken in Himachal Pradesh. In Nepal, Nepali is the native language mainly of the Indo-Aryan population of the "hills" north of the Mahabharat Lekh up to the limits of rice cultivation at about 2,500 meters. The mother tongues of most "hill tribes" of higher elevations are Tibeto-Burman. Nepali is mainly differentiated from Central Pahari through its being affected, both in grammar and vocabulary, by Tibeto-Burman idioms. The speakers of Central and Western Pahari have not been brought into close association with Tibeto-Burmans, and their language is therefore purely Indo-Aryan. Even the Bihari people have adapted this style and also use a wide range of terms from this language. It is sometimes known as hindi code language and is known to few around bharat (aka : india) Khaskura, as its speakers themselves call it, passes under various names. English speakers generally call it Nepali or Nepalese (i.e. the language of Nepal). Khaskura is also called Gorkhali or Gurkhali, the language of the Gurkhas, and Parbatiya, the language of the mountains. Palpa, closely related to Khaskura, is deemed by some authorities to be a separate language.

The term Khaskura -- "Khas talk" -- originated in western Nepal where it referred to the tongue of "Khas" Indo-Aryan rice growers mainly living along streams that enabled irrigation.

In the highlands where rice couldn't dominate agricultural production, and particularly the knot of highlands separating the Karnali-Bheri basin from the Gandaki basin, a complex of Tibeto-Burman dialects called Khamkura -- Kham talk -- prevailed and persists today among the Kham Magar ethnic group. So the term Khaskura seems to have originated in a Khaskura/Khamkura duality.

Perhaps five hundred years ago, Khas pioneers migrated eastward. They detoured around Kham uplands where rice could hardly be grown to settle in the lowlands of the Gandaki basin. One particular Khas family settled in the small Gorkha principality and ruled it for generations. This family was destined to become the Shah family that unified Nepal as we know it today, thus Khaskura came to be called Gorkhali.

Prithvi Narayan Shah was this family's scion who answered destiny's call in the late 18th century and set out to acquire a larger domain. He conquered the urbanized Kathmandu Valley -- then called Nepal -- just east of the Gandaki basin. Nepal became Prithvi Narayan's new capital while he and his heirs went on to conquer small principalities for hundreds of miles along the Himalayas. Nepal gradually came to refer to the Shahs' entire realm, not just the Kathmandu Valley. Khaskura/Gorkhali became the new country's lingua franca, thus it came to be called Nepali as well.

[edit] List of languages

• Central Pahari
  • Kumaoni or Kumauni, spoken in Kumaon region
  • Garhwali, spoken in Garhwal region
• Eastern Pahari
  • Nepali
  • Palpa language
• Western Pahari
  • Mahasu Pahari
  • Bhadrawahi
  • Bhattiyali
  • Chambeali
  • Churahi
  • Dogri
  • Gaddi
  • Hinduri
  • Jaunsari
  • Bilaspuri
  • Kullu Pahari
  • Mandeali
  • Pangwali
  • Poonchi, Punchi
  • Potwari, spoken on the Pothohar Plateau, Pakistan, Mirpur
  • Sirmauri
  • Kangri