Balti
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Balti (بلتی) is a language spoken in Baltistan, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and adjoining parts of Indian Occupied Kashmir. Baltistan - before 1948 - was part of Ladakh province. The language is a sub-dialect of Ladakhi and an archaic dialect of the Tibetan language. It is mutually intelligible with Ladakhi and Burig. Many of the consonants that are silent in most modern Tibetan dialects are pronounced in Balti.
[change] Balti
All people of different races, living in Baltistan are called Balti. Greeks derived Byaltae from sBal-ti, which in Tibetan means water gorge. The historian Ptolemy who was also a general in the army of Alexander the Great had named the region (Byaltae) in his book. In fact Baltistan is the Persian translation of Baltiyul, “The Homeland of Balti”. The people belonging to Balti nationality are settled on both banks of the river Indus from Kargil (in the east) to Haramosh (in the west) and from Karakoram range (in the north) to Deosai plains (in the south). In this nationality the majority comes from Tibetan origin. However people migrated to this area in different periods of ancient times, on account of different reasons and after merging in the prevailing Tibetan society, gave birth to a new civilisation. All these multi-racial groups speak Balti language, which is a branch of the ancient Tibetan language. However in some rural areas, the Sheen people still speak Shina language.
The Balti are a very forbearing, cheerful, and hospitable people. During the Rmakpon reign (from 12th century to 1840 A.D.) they invaded Ladakh and Tibet in the east and Gilgit and Chitral many times and thus made these people acknowledge of their martial abilities.
There are several Balti communities located in Pakistan's urban areas further south, notably in Lahore, Islamabad and in Karachi