Badeshi language

language spoken in Bishigram Valley of Pakistan

Badeshi is a northwestern Indo-Iranic language spoken by only 3 people in upper reaches of Bishigram Valley (Chail), east of Madyan, Swat, Kohistan in Northern Areas of Pakistan.[2]

Badeshi
RegionBishigram (Chail) Valley
Native speakers
[1]
Indo-European
Language codes
ISO 639-3bdz

The Badeshi people of Bishigram Valley and Tirat Valley total around 1,500 in numbers. The figures for Pooran Chakesar, Alai, and Mansehra towns are not available. The Badeshi people stopped using their native language completely few generations ago. In Bishigram Valley, they only speak Torwali and in Tirat Valley they speak Pashto.

Muhammad Zaman Sagar, a field linguist is working on this language. But his research over the 2 years, he has just collected one hundred words so far. In July 2007 he again visited the Bishigram valley and spent some time with the people there.

References change

  1. Badeshi at Ethnologue (16th ed., 2009)
  2. "Badeshi: Only three people speak this 'extinct' language". BBC News. 26 February 2018.