View source for Social:Punjabi language

{{Short description|Indo-Aryan language native to the Punjab}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Punjabi
| nativename       = {{hlist|{{lang|pa|ਪੰਜਾਬੀ}}|{{lang|pnb|{{nq|پنجابی}}}}}}
| pronunciation    = {{plainlist|
*{{IPA-pa|pəɲˈdʒab̆.bi|lang}}
*{{IPAc-en|lang|p|ʌ|n|ˈ|dʒ|ɑː|b|i}}}}
| states           = {{wipe|Pakistan}} and {{wipe|India}}
| region           = [[Place:Punjab|Punjab]]
| ethnicity        = [[Social:Punjabis|Punjabis]]
| speakers         = 113 million
| date             = 2011–2017
| ref              = {{efn|2011 Indian Census and 2017 Pakistani Census}}<ref>80.5 million in Pakistan (2017), 31.1 in India (2011), 0.5 in Canada (2016), 0.3 in the UK (2011), 0.3 in the US (2017), 0.1 in Australia (2016). See {{section link||Geographic distribution}} below.</ref>
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Social:Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
| fam3             = [[Social:Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]]
| fam4             = [[Social:Indo-Aryan languages#Northwestern Zone|Northwestern]]
| script           = {{plainlist|
*Shāhmukhī <small>(in {{wipe|Pakistan}})</small>
*Gurmukhī <small>(in India)</small>
*Devanāgarī <small>(in India)</small>
*Punjabi Braille
*Laṇḍā {{small|(historical)}}
*Takri {{small|(historical)}}
*[[Social:Mahajani|Mahajani]] {{small|(historical)}}}}
| agency           = Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture, Punjab, {{wipe|Pakistan}}<br/>  Department of Languages, Punjab, India<ref>{{cite web | last=India | first=Tribune | title=Punjabi matric exam on Aug 26 | website=The Tribune | date=19 August 2020 | url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/patiala/punjabi-matric-exam-on-aug-26-128241 | access-date=18 September 2020 | archive-date=19 August 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819214819/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/patiala/punjabi-matric-exam-on-aug-26-128241 | url-status=live }}</ref>
| nation           = {{flag|Pakistan}}
*{{flag|Punjab}} {{small|(provincial)}}{{efn|Punjabi language has ''provincial status'' in the Pakistani province of Punjab, sanctioned by the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture Act 2004 |url=http://punjablaws.gov.pk/laws//474.html |access-date=24 September 2022 |website=punjablaws.gov.pk |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817071438/http://punjablaws.gov.pk/laws/474.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{flag|India}}
*Punjab {{small|(official)}}<ref>{{cite web |title=NCLM 52nd Report |url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf |publisher=NCLM |access-date=13 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115133948/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2016 |date=15 November 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Punjab mandates all signage in Punjabi, in Gurmukhi script | website=The Hindu | date=21 February 2020 | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/punjab-mandates-all-signage-in-punjabi-in-gurmukhi-script/article30881840.ece | access-date=9 September 2020 | archive-date=22 February 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222140301/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/punjab-mandates-all-signage-in-punjabi-in-gurmukhi-script/article30881840.ece | url-status=live }}</ref>
*Haryana {{small|(additional)}}<ref>{{cite news | title=All milestones, signboards in Haryana to bear info in English, Hindi and Punjabi: Education Minister | work=The Indian Express | date=3 March 2020 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/all-milestones-signboards-in-haryana-to-bear-info-in-english-hindi-and-punjabi-education-minister-6297747/ | access-date=9 September 2020 | archive-date=14 March 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314065123/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/all-milestones-signboards-in-haryana-to-bear-info-in-english-hindi-and-punjabi-education-minister-6297747/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Place:Delhi|Delhi]] {{small|(additional)}}<ref>{{cite news | title=Punjabi, Urdu made official languages in Delhi | work=The Times of India | date=25 June 2003 | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Punjabi-Urdu-made-official-languages-in-Delhi/articleshow/43388.cms | access-date=10 September 2020 | archive-date=14 March 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314171554/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/punjabi-urdu-made-official-languages-in-delhi/articleshow/43388.cms | url-status=live }}</ref>
*West Bengal {{small|(additional, in blocks and divisions with more than 10% of the population)}}<ref name=Telegraph:1>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1121211/jsp/bengal/story_16301872.jsp |title=Multi-lingual Bengal |date=11 December 2012 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=25 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325232340/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1121211/jsp/bengal/story_16301872.jsp |archive-date=25 March 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| minority         = 
| iso1             = pa
| iso2             = pan
| lc1              = pan
| lc2              = pnb
| ld1              = Panjabi
| ld2              = Western Panjabi
| lingua           = 59-AAF-e
| image            = Punjabi gurmukhi shahmukhi.png
| imagescale       = 0.5
| imagecaption     = 'Punjabi' written in Shahmukhi script used in Punjab, Pakistan (top) and Gurmukhi script used in Punjab, India (bottom)
| map              = Geographical distribution of Punjabi language.png
| mapcaption       = Geographic distribution of Punjabi language in Pakistan and India.
| caption          = 
| notice           = IPA
| glotto           = panj1256
| glottoname       = Eastern Panjabi
| glottorefname    = Eastern Panjabi
| glotto2          = west2386
| glottoname2      = Western Panjabi<!--name as listed at Glottolog-->
| glottorefname2   = Western Panjabi<!--name as listed at Glottolog-->
| dia1             = ''See'' Punjabi dialects
| ancestor         = [[Social:Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]]
| ancestor2        = [[Social:Proto-Indo-Iranian language|Proto-Indo-Iranian]]
| ancestor3        = [[Social:Proto-Indo-Aryan language|Proto-Indo-Aryan]]
| ancestor4        = [[Social:Vedic Sanskrit|Vedic Sanskrit]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Salomon |first1=Richard |title=Indian Epigraphy – A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages |date=12 November 1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC}}</ref>
| ancestor5        = [[Social:Sanskrit#Classical Sanskrit|Classical Sanskrit]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ollett |first1=Andrew |title=Language of the Snakes – Prakrit, Sanskrit, and the Language Order of Premodern India |date=10 October 2017 |publisher=Univ of California Press |isbn=9780520968813 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CFn0DwAAQBAJ}}</ref>
| ancestor6        = ''debated'' [[Social:Prakrit|Prakrit]]{{efn|[[Social:Paishachi|Paishachi]], [[Social:Shauraseni Prakrit|Saurasheni]], or [[Social:Gandhari language|Gandhari]] Prakrits have been proposed as the ancestor [[Social:Middle Indo-Aryan languages|Middle Indo-Aryan language]] to Punjabi.}}<ref name="researchgate.net">{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Sikander |title=The Origin Theories of Punjabi Language: A Context of Historiography of Punjabi Language |journal=International Journal of Sikh Studies |date=April 2019 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353680383}}</ref>
| ancestor7        = ''debated'' [[Social:Apabhraṃśa|Apabhraṃśa]]
| ancestor8        = Old Punjabi<ref name="Languages of India">{{cite book |last1=Haldar |first1=Gopal |title=Languages of India |date=2000 |publisher=National Book Trust, India |location=New Delhi |isbn=9788123729367 |page=149 |quote=The age of Old Punjabi: up to 1600 A.D. […] It is said that evidence of Old Punjabi can be found in the Granth Sahib.}}</ref><ref name=":0"/><ref name="Routledge">{{cite book |author1=Christopher Shackle |author2=Arvind Mandair |title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus : selections from the Scriptures |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location=Abingdon, Oxon |isbn=9781136451089 |edition=First |chapter=0.2.1 – Form |quote=Surpassing them all in the frequent subtlety of his linguistic choices, including the use of dialect forms as well as of frequent loanwords from Sanskrit and Persian, Guru Nanak combined this poetic language of the Sants with his native Old Punjabi. It is this mixture of Old Punjabi and Old Hindi which constitutes the core idiom of all the earlier Gurus.}}</ref><ref name="Oxford University Press">{{cite book |last1=Frawley |first1=William |title=International encyclopedia of linguistics |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=9780195139778 |page=423 |edition=2nd}}</ref><ref name="University of California Press">{{cite book |last1=Austin |first1=Peter |title=One thousand languages : living, endangered, and lost |date=2008 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |isbn=9780520255609 |page=115}}</ref><ref name="Language in South Asia">{{cite book |author1=Braj B. Kachru |author2=Yamuna Kachru |author3=S. N. Sridhar |title=Language in South Asia |date=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781139465502 |page=411}}</ref>
}}

'''Punjabi''' ({{IPAc-en|p|ʌ|n|ˈ|dʒ|ɑː|b|i}} {{respell|pun|JAH|bee}};<ref>Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student's Handbook'', Edinburgh</ref> Shahmukhi: {{lang|pa|{{nq|پنجابی}}}}; Gurmukhi: {{lang|pa|ਪੰਜਾਬੀ}}, {{IPA-pa|pəɲˈdʒab̆.bi|lang|Pa-ਪੰਜਾਬੀ.ogg}}<ref name="bhardwaj">{{Cite Q|page=88|Q23831241}}</ref>), sometimes spelled '''Panjabi''',{{efn|''Punjabi'' is the British English spelling, and ''Pañjābī'' is the [[ISO 15919|Romanized]] spelling from the native scripts.}} is an [[Social:Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan language]] native to the [[Place:Punjab|Punjab region]] of Pakistan and India. It is one of the most widely spoken native languages in the world with approximately 113 million native speakers.<ref>{{cite news | title=The World Factbook - WORLD | work=CIA | url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/world/#people-and-society}}</ref>

Punjabi is the most widely-spoken first language in Pakistan, with 80.5 million native speakers according to the 2017 census, and the 11th most widely-spoken in India, with 31.1 million native speakers, according to the 2011 census. The language is spoken among a significant overseas diaspora, particularly in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and the Gulf states.

In Pakistan, Punjabi is written using the Shahmukhi alphabet, based on the [[Social:Persian alphabet|Perso-Arabic script]]; in India, it is written using the Gurmukhi alphabet, based on the Indic scripts. Punjabi is unusual among the Indo-Aryan languages and the broader [[Social:Indo-European languages|Indo-European language family]] in its usage of [[Social:Tone (linguistics)|lexical tone]].

== History ==
=== Etymology ===
The word ''Punjabi'' (sometimes spelled ''Panjabi'') has been derived from the word ''Panj-āb'', [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] for 'Five Waters', referring to the five major eastern [[Earth:Tributary|tributaries]] of the Indus River. The name of the region was introduced by the Turko-Persian conquerors<ref>{{cite book|last=Canfield|first=Robert L.|title=Persia in Historical Perspective|year=1991|page=1 ("Origins")|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge, United Kingdom<!--|isbn=0-521-39094-X-->|isbn=978-0-521-52291-5}}</ref> of South Asia and was a translation of the [[Social:Sanskrit|Sanskrit]] name, ''Panchanada'', which means 'Land of the Five Rivers'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?p.1:375.hobson|title=Hobson-Jobson: A glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive|first=Yule, Henry|last=Sir|date=13 August 2018|website=dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu|access-date=10 July 2018|archive-date=1 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201141824/http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?p.1:375.hobson|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/macdonell_query.py?qs=%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%96&searchhws=yes|title=A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary with Transliteration, Accentuation, and Etymological Analysis Throughout|first=Arthur Anthony|last=Macdonell |date=13 August 2018|access-date=10 July 2018|archive-date=1 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201141645/http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/macdonell_query.py?qs=%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%96&searchhws=yes|url-status=dead}}</ref>

''Panj'' is cognate with [[Social:Sanskrit|Sanskrit]] ''{{IAST|pañca}}'' ({{Lang-sa|पञ्च|label=none}}), [[Social:Greek language|Greek]] ''pénte'' ({{lang|grc|πέντε}}), and Lithuanian ''Penki'', all of which meaning 'five'; ''āb'' is cognate with Sanskrit ''áp'' ({{Lang-sa|अप्|label=none}}) and with the {{IAST|Av-}} of {{IAST|Avon}}. The historical Punjab region, now divided between India and Pakistan, is defined [[Earth:Physical geography|physiographically]] by the Indus River and these five tributaries. One of the five, the Beas River, is a tributary of another, the Sutlej.

===Origin===
[[File:Tilla Jogian.jpg|thumb|Tilla Jogian, Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, a hilltop associated with many Nath jogis (considered among compilers of earlier Punjabi works)]]
Punjabi developed from [[Social:Prakrit|Prakrit]] languages and later {{IAST|Apabhraṃśa}} ({{Lang-sa|अपभ्रंश}}, 'deviated' or 'non-grammatical speech')<ref>{{cite book |last1=Singha |first1=H. S. |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries) |date=2000 |publisher=Hemkunt Press |isbn=978-81-7010-301-1 |page=166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C&dq=punjabi+prakrit+language&pg=PA166 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121195057/https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C |archive-date=21 January 2017}}</ref> From 600&nbsp;BC, [[Social:Sanskrit|Sanskrit]] developed as the standard literary and administrative language and Prakrit languages evolved into many regional languages in different parts of India. All these languages are called Prakrit languages (Sanskrit: {{Lang-sa|प्राकृत|translit=prākṛta|label=none}}) collectively. [[Social:Paishachi|Paishachi]] Prakrit was one of these Prakrit languages, which was spoken in north and north-western India and Punjabi developed from this Prakrit. Later in northern India Paishachi Prakrit gave rise to Paishachi [[Social:Apabhraṃśa|Apabhraṃśa]], a descendant of Prakrit.<ref name="researchgate.net">{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Sikander |title=The Origin Theories of Punjabi Language: A Context of Historiography of Punjabi Language |journal=International Journal of Sikh Studies |date=April 2019 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353680383}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=G S Sidhu |url=http://archive.org/details/panjabandpanjabi_202003 |title=Panjab And Panjabi |date=2004}}</ref> Punjabi emerged as an Apabhramsha, a degenerated form of Prakrit, in the 7th century AD and became stable by the 10th century. The earliest writings in Punjabi belong to the Nath Yogi-era from 9th to 14th century.<ref name="Hoiberg 2000">{{Cite book|last=Hoiberg|first=Dale|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISFBJarYX7YC&q=Punjabi+language+Nath+Saints&pg=PA214|title=Students' Britannica India|date=2000|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-0-85229-760-5|language=en|access-date=25 October 2020|archive-date=2 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402155537/https://books.google.com/books?id=ISFBJarYX7YC&q=Punjabi+language+Nath+Saints&pg=PA214|url-status=live}}</ref> The language of these compositions is morphologically closer to [[Social:Shauraseni Prakrit|Shauraseni Apbhramsa]], though vocabulary and rhythm is surcharged with extreme colloquialism and folklore.<ref name="Hoiberg 2000"/> The precursor stage of Punjabi between the 10th and 16th centuries is termed 'Old Punjabi', whilst the stage between the 16th and 19th centuries is termed as 'Mediaeval Punjabi'.<ref name="Languages of India">{{cite book |last1=Haldar |first1=Gopal |title=Languages of India |date=2000 |publisher=National Book Trust, India |location=New Delhi |isbn=9788123729367 |page=149 |quote=The age of Old Punjabi: up to 1600 A.D. […] It is said that evidence of Old Punjabi can be found in the Granth Sahib.}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1=Bhatia |first1=Tej K. |title=Punjabi: A Cognitive-Descriptive Grammar |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=9781136894602 |page=XXV |edition=Reprint |quote=As an independent language Punjabi has gone through the following three stages of development: Old Punjabi (10th to 16th century). Medieval Punjabi (16th to 19th century), and Modern Punjabi (19th century to Present).}}</ref><ref name="Routledge"/><ref name="Oxford University Press">{{cite book |last1=Frawley |first1=William |title=International encyclopedia of linguistics |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=9780195139778 |page=423 |edition=2nd}}</ref><ref name="University of California Press">{{cite book |last1=Austin |first1=Peter |title=One thousand languages : living, endangered, and lost |date=2008 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |isbn=9780520255609 |page=115}}</ref><ref name="Language in South Asia">{{cite book |author1=Braj B. Kachru |author2=Yamuna Kachru |author3=S. N. Sridhar |title=Language in South Asia |date=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781139465502 |page=411}}</ref>

===Arabic and Persian influences===
The Arabic and modern Persian influence in the historical Punjab region began with the late first millennium Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=East of Indus: My Memories of Old Punjab|author=Brard, G.S.S.|date=2007|publisher=Hemkunt Publishers|isbn=9788170103608|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UUdYFH9skIkC&pg=PA81|page=81|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209045039/https://books.google.com/books?id=UUdYFH9skIkC&pg=PA81|archive-date=9 February 2018}}</ref> Many [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] and [[Social:Arabic|Arabic]] words have been incorporated into Punjabi.<ref name="google2">{{cite book|title=The Social Space of Language: Vernacular Culture in British Colonial Punjab|author=Mir, F.|date=2010|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520262690|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUPc5pDWKikC&pg=PA35|page=35|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209045039/https://books.google.com/books?id=EUPc5pDWKikC&pg=PA35|archive-date=9 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="google3">{{cite book|title=Language Policy and Language Conflict in Afghanistan and Its Neighbors: The Changing Politics of Language Choice|author=Schiffman, H.|date=2011|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004201453|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=52aicl9l7rwC&pg=PA314|page=314|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209045040/https://books.google.com/books?id=52aicl9l7rwC&pg=PA314|archive-date=9 February 2018}}</ref> So Punjabi relies heavily on Persian and Arabic words which are used with a liberal approach to language. Many important words like {{Lang-pa|ਅਰਦਾਸ|label=none|link=no}}, {{Lang-pa|ਰਹਿਰਾਸ|label=none|link=no}}, {{Lang-pa|ਨਹਿਰ, ਜ਼ਮੀਨ, ਗਜ਼ਲ|label=none|link=no}}, etc. are derived from Persian and Arabic. After the fall of the Sikh empire, Urdu was made the official language of Punjab (in Pakistani Punjab, it is still the primary official language), and influenced the language as well.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Schiffman|first=Harold|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=52aicl9l7rwC&q=urdu+words+in+punjabi&pg=PA314|title=Language Policy and Language Conflict in Afghanistan and Its Neighbors: The Changing Politics of Language Choice|date=9 December 2011|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-20145-3|language=en|access-date=22 March 2021|archive-date=2 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402155506/https://books.google.com/books?id=52aicl9l7rwC&q=urdu+words+in+punjabi&pg=PA314|url-status=live}}</ref>

In fact, the sounds of {{Lang-pa|ਜ਼, ਖ਼, ਸ਼|link=no|label=none}}, and {{Lang-pa|ਫ਼|link=no|label=none}} have been borrowed from Persian. Later, it was lexically influenced by [[History:Portuguese India|Portuguese]]  (words like {{Lang-pa|ਅਲਮਾਰੀ/الماری|link=no|label=none}}), [[Social:Greek language|Greek]] (words like {{Lang-pa|ਦਾਮ/دام|link=no|label=none}}), [[Social:Chagatai language|Chagatai]] (words like {{Lang-pa|ਕ਼ੈੰਚੀ, ਸੁਗ਼ਾਤ/قینچی،سوغات|link=no|label=none}}), Japanese (words like {{Lang-pa|ਰਿਕਸ਼ਾ/رکشا|link=no|label=none}}), Chinese (words like {{Lang-pa|ਚਾਹ, ਲੀਚੀ, ਲੁਕਾਠ/چاہ، لیچی، لکاٹھ|link=no|label=none}}) and English (words like {{Lang-pa|ਜੱਜ, ਅਪੀਲ, ਮਾਸਟਰ/جج، اپیل، ماسٹر|link=no|label=none}}), though these influences have been minor in comparison to Persian and Arabic.<ref name="google4">{{cite book|title=A Panorama of Indian Culture: Professor A. Sreedhara Menon Felicitation Volume|author1=Menon, A.S.|author2=Kusuman, K.K.|date=1990|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=9788170992141|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z4JqgSUSXDsC&pg=PA87|page=87|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209045039/https://books.google.com/books?id=z4JqgSUSXDsC&pg=PA87|archive-date=9 February 2018}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! English
! Gurmukhi-based (Punjab, India)
! Shahmukhi-based (Punjab, Pakistan)
|-
| President
|{{lang|pa|ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰਪਤੀ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''rāshtarpatī''}})
|{{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|صدرمملکت}}}} ({{transliteration|pa|ALA-LC|''sadar-e mumlikat''}})
|-
| Article
|{{lang|pa|ਲੇਖ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''lēkh''}})
|{{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|مضمون}}}} ({{transliteration|pa|ALA-LC|''mazmūn''}})
|-
| Prime Minister
|{{lang|pa|ਪਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''pardhān mantarī''}})*
|{{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|وزیراعظم}}}} ({{transliteration|pa|ALA-LC|''vazīr-e aʿzam''}})
|-
| Family
|{{lang|pa|ਪਰਿਵਾਰ }} ({{transliteration|pa|''parivār''}})* <br />{{lang|pa|ਟੱਬਰ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''ṭabbar''}}) <br />{{lang|pa|ਲਾਣਾ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''lāṇā''}})
|{{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|خاندان}}}} ({{transliteration|pa|ALA-LC|''kḥāndān''}}) <br /> {{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|ٹبّر}}}} ({{transliteration|pa|ALA-LC|''ṭabbar''}})
|-
| Philosophy
|{{lang|pa|ਫ਼ਲਸਫ਼ਾ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''falsafā''}}) <br />{{lang|pa|ਦਰਸ਼ਨ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''darshan''}})
|{{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|فلسفہ}}}} ({{transliteration|pa|ALA-LC|''falsafah''}})
|-
| Capital city
|{{lang|pa|ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''rājdhānī''}})
|{{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|دارالحکومت}}}} ({{transliteration|pa|ALA-LC|''dār-al ḥakūmat''}})
|-
| Viewer
|{{lang|pa|ਦਰਸ਼ਕ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''darshak''}})
|{{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|ناظرین}}}} ({{transliteration|pa|ALA-LC|''nāzarīn''}})
|-
| Listener
|{{lang|pa|ਸਰੋਤਾ}} ({{transliteration|pa|''sarotā''}})
|{{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|سامع}}}} ({{transliteration|pa|ALA-LC|''sāmaʿ''}})
|}
<small>Note: In more formal contexts, hypercorrect Sanskritized versions of these words (ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ''pradhān'' for ਪਰਧਾਨ ''pardhān'' and ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ''parivār'' for ਪਰਵਾਰ ''parvār'') may be used.</small>

=== Modern times ===
Modern Punjabi emerged in the 19th century from the Medieval Punjabi stage.<ref name=":0" /> Modern Punjabi has two main varieties, Western (Lahnda Punjab) and [[Social:Punjabi language#Eastern Punjabi (Charda Punjab)|Eastern Punjabi (Charda Punjab)]], which have many dialects and forms, altogether spoken by over 150 million people. The Majhi dialect, which is transitional between the two main varieties, has been adopted as standard Punjabi in India and Pakistan for education and mass media. The Majhi dialect originated in the Majha region of the Punjab.

In India, Punjabi is written in the Gurmukhī script in offices, schools, and media. Gurmukhi is the official standard script for Punjabi, though it is often unofficially written in the Latin scripts due to influence from English, one of India's two primary official languages at the Union-level.

In Pakistan, Punjabi is generally written using the Shahmukhī script, which in literary standards, is identical to the Urdu alphabet, however various attempts have been made to create certain, distinct characters from a modification of the Persian Nastaʿlīq characters to represent Punjabi phonology, not already found in the Urdu alphabet. In Pakistan, Punjabi loans technical words from [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] and [[Social:Arabic|Arabic]], just like [[Social:Urdu|Urdu]] does.

== Geographic distribution ==
Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan, the eleventh-most widely spoken in India, and also present in the Punjabi diaspora in various countries.

=== Pakistan ===
Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan, being the native language of 80.5 million people, or approximately 39% of the country's population.

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Census history of Punjabi speakers in Pakistan'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/index.html |title=Population Census Organization |access-date=17 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926230905/http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/index.html |archive-date=26 September 2009 }}</ref><ref name="PakistanCensus2017">{{Cite news| title = CCI defers approval of census results until elections| url = https://www.dawn.com/news/1410447| date = 21 March 2021| website = Dawn| access-date = 10 March 2021| archive-date = 20 June 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200620161758/https://www.dawn.com/news/1410447/cci-defers-approval-of-census-results-until-elections| url-status = live}} The figure of 80.54 million is calculated from the reported 38.78% for the speakers of Punjabi and the 207.685 million total population of Pakistan.</ref>
|-
! '''Year''' || '''Population of Pakistan''' || '''Percentage''' || '''Punjabi speakers'''
|-
| 1951 || 33,740,167 || 57.08% || 22,632,905
|-
| 1961 || 42,880,378 || 56.39% || 28,468,282
|-
| 1972 || 65,309,340 || 56.11% || 43,176,004
|-
| 1981 || 84,253,644 || 48.17% || 40,584,980
|-
| 1998 || 132,352,279 || 44.15% || 58,433,431
|-
| 2017 || 207,685,000 || 38.78% || 80,540,000
|}

Beginning with the 1981 and 2017 censuses respectively, speakers of the Western Punjabi's Saraiki and Hindko varieties were no longer included in the total numbers for Punjabi, which explains the apparent decrease.

Pothwari speakers however are included in the total numbers for Punjabi.<ref name=":1" />

=== India ===
[[File:Jalianwalabag.JPG|thumb|"Jallianwala Bagh" written in Hindi, Punjabi, and English in Amritsar, India.]]
Punjabi is the official language of the Indian state of [[Place:Punjab|Punjab]], and has the status of an additional official language in Haryana and Delhi. Some of its major urban centres in northern India are Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ambala, Patiala, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Firozpur and Delhi.
[[File:Punjabi_in_india.png|center|thumb|Punjabi in India]]
In the 2011 census of India, {{sigfig|31.144095|4}} million reported their language as Punjabi. The census publications group this with speakers of related "mother tongues" like [[Social:Bagri language|Bagri]] and Bhateali to arrive at the figure of {{sigfig|33.124726|4}} million.<ref name="IndiaCensus2011">{{cite web| url = https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language-2011/Statement-1.pdf| title = Statement 1 : Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2011| access-date = 21 March 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220201042328/https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language-2011/Statement-1.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Census history of Punjabi speakers in India'''<ref name="India-census">{{cite web |title=Growth of Scheduled Languages-1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001 |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement7.aspx |website=Census of India |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |access-date=22 February 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220040137/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement7.aspx |archive-date=20 February 2015 }}</ref>

|-
! '''Year''' || '''Population of India''' || '''Punjabi speakers in India''' || Percentage
|-
| 1971 || 548,159,652 || 14,108,443 || 2.57%
|-
| 1981 || 665,287,849 || 19,611,199 || 2.95%
|-
| 1991 || 838,583,988 || 23,378,744 || 2.79%
|-
| 2001 || 1,028,610,328 || 29,102,477 || 2.83%
|-
| 2011 || 1,210,193,422 || 33,124,726 || 2.74%
|}

=== Punjabi diaspora ===

[[File:BCNDP SIGNS.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Signs in Punjabi (along with English and Chinese) of New Democratic Party of British Columbia, Canada during 2009 elections]]

Punjabi is also spoken as a minority language in several other countries where Punjabi people have emigrated in large numbers, such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Punjabi_is_Canadas_2nd_most_top_language/articleshow/2782138.cms |work=The Times of India |title=Punjabi is 4th most spoken language in Canada |date=14 February 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114140743/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Punjabi_is_Canadas_2nd_most_top_language/articleshow/2782138.cms |archive-date=14 November 2016 }}</ref>

There were 670,000 native Punjabi speakers in Canada in 2021,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |date=9 February 2022 |title=Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Canada [Country] - Mother tongue |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm |access-date=11 September 2022 |website=Statistics Canada }}</ref> 300,000 in the United Kingdom in 2011,<ref>273,000 in England and Wales, and 23,000 in Scotland:
*{{Cite web|title = 2011 Census: Quick Statistics for England and Wales, March 2011|url = https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/2011censusquickstatisticsforenglandandwales/2013-01-30#tab-Main-language|access-date = 24 March 2021|archive-date = 24 September 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924114917/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-and-quick-statistics-for-wards-and-output-areas-in-england-and-wales/STB-2011-census--quick-statistics-for-england-and-wales--march-2011.html#tab-Main-language|url-status = live}}
*{{cite web| title = Table AT_002_2011 – Language used at home other than English (detailed), Scotland| url = https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/additional_tables/AT_002_2011.xls| access-date = 24 March 2021| archive-date = 5 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210305105638/https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/additional_tables/AT_002_2011.xls| url-status = dead}}</ref> 280,000 in the United States<ref>{{cite news|title=US survey puts Punjabi speakers in US at 2.8 lakh|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/us-survey-puts-punjabi-speakers-in-us-at-2-8-lakh/articleshow/62121520.cms|work=The Times of India|access-date=11 August 2020|date=18 December 2017|archive-date=22 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422124317/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/us-survey-puts-punjabi-speakers-in-us-at-2-8-lakh/articleshow/62121520.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> and smaller numbers in other countries.

=== Punjabi speakers by country ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Approximate number of Punjabi speakers by country
!Country
!Native number of speakers
!Source
|-
|{{Flag|Pakistan}}
|80,540,000
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|India}}
|33,124,726
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|Saudi Arabia}}
|800,000
|Ethnologue
|-
|{{Flag|Canada}}
|670,000
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|UK}}
|291,000
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|USA}}
|280,867
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|Australia}}
|239,033
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|UAE}}
|201,000
|Ethnologue
|}

==Major dialects==

===Standard Punjabi===
''Standard Punjabi'' sometimes referred to as Majhi in India or simply Central/Eastern Punjabi, is the most widespread and largest dialect of Punjabi. It is transitional between both Western Punjabi (Lahnda Punjab) and [[Social:Punjabi language#Eastern Punjabi (Charda Punjab)|Eastern Punjabi (Charda Punjab)]] and it first developed in the 12th century and gained prominence when Sufi poets such as Shah Hussain, Bulleh Shah among others began to use the Lahore/Amritsar-spoken dialect with infused Persian vocabulary in their works in the Shahmukhi script.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lal |first1=Mohan |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature |date=1992 |publisher=Sahitya Academy |page=4208}}</ref> Later the Gurmukhi script was developed based on Standard Punjabi by the Sikh Gurus.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bhatt|first=Shankarlal|title=Punjab|publisher=Kalpaz publ|others=Bhargava, Gopal K.|year=2006|isbn=81-7835-378-4|location=Delhi|pages=141|oclc=255107273}}</ref>

In {{wipe|Pakistan}}, the Standard Punjabi dialect is not referred to as the 'Majhi dialect', which may be considered as 'Indian terminology', rather simply as 'Standard Punjabi'. This dialect is widely used in the TV and entertainment industry, which is mainly produced in Lahore.

===Eastern Punjabi (Charda Punjab)===
The Punjabi variety predominantly spoken in the Indian Punjab, and also by partition migrants and their descendants in Pakistan, is known as "Eastern Punjabi". It includes dialects like Malwai, Doabi, Puadhi and extinct Lubanki.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glottolog 4.8 - Greater Panjabic |url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/lahn1241 |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=glottolog.org}}</ref>

===Western Punjabi (Lahnda Punjab)===
The diverse group of Punjabi varieties spoken in the western areas of Pakistani Punjab, as well as in neighbouring Hazara region and parts of Azad Kashmir is known as "Western Punjabi" or "Lahnda" ({{lang-pa|{{nq|لہندا}}|label=none|link=no}}, {{lit|western}}).<ref name=e26>{{e26|lah}}</ref>{{sfn|Shackle|1979|p=198}} These include groups of dialects like Saraiki, Pahari-Pothwari, Hindko and extinct [[Social:Inku language|Inku]]; common dialects like Jhangvi, Dhanni and Thali; and the mixed variety of Punjabi and Sindhi called Khetrani.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zograph |first=G. A. |title=Languages of South Asia: A Guide |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2023 |isbn=9781000831597 |edition=Reprint |pages=52 |chapter=Chapter 3 |quote=LAHNDA – Lahnda (Lahndi) or Western Panjabi is the name given to a group of dialects spread over the northern half of Pakistan. In the north, they come into contact with the Dardic languages with which they share some common features, In the east, they turn gradually into Panjabi, and in the south into Sindhi. In the south-east there is a clearly defined boundary between Lahnda and Rajasthani, and in the west a similarly well-marked boundary between it and the Iranian languages Baluchi and Pushtu. The number of people speaking Lahnda can only be guessed at: it is probably in excess of 20 million.}}</ref>

== Phonology ==

While a vowel length distinction between short and long vowels exists, reflected in modern Gurmukhi orthographical conventions, it is secondary to the vowel quality contrast between centralised vowels {{IPA|/ɪ ə ʊ/}} and peripheral vowels {{IPA|/iː eː ɛː aː ɔː oː uː/}} in terms of phonetic significance.{{sfn|Shackle|2003|p=587}}

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Vowels'''
! ||Front||Near-front||Central||Near-back||Back
|-
!Close
|{{IPA|iː}} {{lang|pa|ਈ}} {{Nastaliq|اِی}} ||  || || ||{{IPA|uː}} {{lang|pa|ਊ}} {{Nastaliq|اُو}}
|-
!Near-close
| ||{{IPA|ɪ}} {{lang|pa|ਇ}} {{Nastaliq|اِ}} ||  || {{IPA|ʊ}} {{lang|pa|ਉ}} {{Nastaliq|اُ}} ||
|-
!Close-mid
|{{IPA|eː}} {{lang|pa|ਏ}} {{Nastaliq|اے}} ||  || || ||{{IPA|oː}} {{lang|pa|ਓ}} {{Nastaliq|او}}
|-
!Mid
| || || {{IPA|ə}} {{lang|pa|ਅ}} {{Nastaliq|اَ}} ||  ||
|-
!Open-mid
|{{IPA|ɛː}} {{lang|pa|ਐ}} {{Nastaliq|اَے}} ||  || || || {{IPA|ɔː}} {{lang|pa|ਔ}} {{Nastaliq|اَو}}
|-
!Open
| || || {{IPA|aː}} {{lang|pa|ਆ}} {{Nastaliq|آ}} ||  ||
|}
The peripheral vowels have nasal analogues.{{sfn|Shackle|2003|p=588}} There is a tendency with speakers to insert /ɪ̆/ between adjacent ''a'' vowels as a separator. When the latter vowel is low-tone, this usually changes to /ʊ̆/.

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Consonants'''
! colspan="2"|
! Labial
! Dental/<br />Alveolar
! Retroflex
! Post-alv./<br />Palatal
! Velar
! Uvular
! Glottal
|- align=center
! colspan="2"| Nasal
| {{IPA link|m}} {{lang|pa|ਮ}} {{Nastaliq|م}}
| {{IPA link|n}} {{lang|pa|ਨ}} {{Nastaliq|ن}}<ref name="crulp">{{citation|last=Karamat |first=Nayyara |title=Phonemic inventory of Punjabi |page=182 |citeseerx=10.1.1.695.1248}}</ref>
| {{IPA link|ɳ}} {{lang|pa|ਣ}} {{Nastaliq|ݨ}}
| ({{IPA link|ɲ}}) {{lang|pa|ਞ}} {{Nastaliq|ن}}
| ({{IPA link|ŋ}}) {{lang|pa|ਙ}} {{Nastaliq|ن٘}}
|
|
|- align=center
! rowspan="4"| Stop/<br />Affricate
! {{small|tenuis}}
| {{IPA link|p}} {{lang|pa|ਪ}} {{Nastaliq|پ}}
| {{IPA link|t̪}} {{lang|pa|ਤ}} {{Nastaliq|ت}}
| {{IPA link|ʈ}} {{lang|pa|ਟ}} {{Nastaliq|ٹ}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}} {{lang|pa|ਚ}} {{Nastaliq|چ}}
| {{IPA link|k}} {{lang|pa|ਕ}} {{Nastaliq|ک}}
| ({{IPA link|q}} {{lang|pa|ਕ਼}} {{Nastaliq|ق}})
|
|- align=center
! {{small|aspirated}}
| {{IPA link|pʰ}} {{lang|pa|ਫ}} {{Nastaliq|پھ}}
| {{IPA link|tʰ}} {{lang|pa|ਥ}} {{Nastaliq|تھ}}
| {{IPA link|ʈʰ}} {{lang|pa|ਠ}} {{Nastaliq|ٹھ}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃʰ}} {{lang|pa|ਛ}} {{Nastaliq|چھ}}
| {{IPA link|kʰ}} {{lang|pa|ਖ}} {{Nastaliq|کھ}}
|
|
|- align=center
! {{small|voiced}}
| {{IPA link|b}} {{lang|pa|ਬ}} {{Nastaliq|ب}}
| {{IPA link|d̪}} {{lang|pa|ਦ}} {{Nastaliq|د}}
| {{IPA link|ɖ}} {{lang|pa|ਡ}} {{Nastaliq|ڈ}}
| {{IPA link|d͡ʒ}} {{lang|pa|ਜ}} {{Nastaliq|ج}}
| {{IPA link|ɡ}} {{lang|pa|ਗ}} {{Nastaliq|گ}}
|
|
|- align=center
! {{small|tonal}}
| {{lang|pa|ਭ}} {{Nastaliq|بھ}}
| {{lang|pa|ਧ}} {{Nastaliq|دھ}}
| {{lang|pa|ਢ}} {{Nastaliq|ڈھ}}
| {{lang|pa|ਝ}} {{Nastaliq|جھ}}
| {{lang|pa|ਘ}} {{Nastaliq|گھ}}
|
|
|- align=center
! rowspan="2" |Fricative
! {{small|voiceless}}
| ({{IPA link|f}} {{lang|pa|ਫ਼}} {{Nastaliq|ف}})
| {{IPA link|s}} {{lang|pa|ਸ}} {{Nastaliq|س}}
|
| {{IPA link|ʃ}} {{lang|pa|ਸ਼}} {{Nastaliq|ش}}
| colspan="2"|({{IPA link|x}} {{lang|pa|ਖ਼}} {{Nastaliq|خ}})
|
|- align=center
! {{small|voiced}}
|
| ({{IPA link|z}} {{lang|pa|ਜ਼}} {{Nastaliq|ز}})
|
|
| colspan="2"|({{IPA link|ɣ}} {{lang|pa|ਗ਼}} {{Nastaliq|غ}})
| {{IPA link|ɦ}} {{lang|pa|ਹ}} {{Nastaliq|ہ}}
|- align=center
! colspan="2"|Rhotic
|
| {{IPA link|ɾ}}~{{IPA link|r}} {{lang|pa|ਰ}} {{Nastaliq|ر}}
| {{IPA link|ɽ}} {{lang|pa|ੜ}} {{Nastaliq|ڑ}}
|
|
|
|
|- align=center
! colspan="2"|Approximant
| {{IPA link|ʋ}} {{lang|pa|ਵ}} {{Nastaliq|و}}
| {{IPA link|l}} {{lang|pa|ਲ}} {{Nastaliq|ل}}
| {{IPA link|ɭ}} {{lang|pa|ਲ਼}} {{Nastaliq|ࣇ}}<ref>ArLaam (similar to ArNoon) has been added to Unicode since Unicode 13.0.0, which can be found in [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U08A0.pdf Unicode] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228072827/http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U08A0.pdf |date=28 February 2020 }} [[Arabic Extended-A]] 08C7, PDF Pg 73 under "Arabic Letter for Punjabi"

08C7 : ࣇ Arabic Letter Lam With Small Arabic Letter Tah Above</ref>
| {{IPA link|j}} {{lang|pa|ਯ}} {{Nastaliq|ی}}
|
|
|
|}
Note: for the tonal stops, refer to the next section about Tone.

The three retroflex consonants {{IPA|/ɳ, ɽ, ɭ/}} do not occur initially, and the nasals {{IPA|[ŋ, ɲ]}} occur only as allophones of {{IPA|/n/}} in clusters with velars and palatals (there are limited exceptions, but these are archaic). The well-established phoneme {{IPA|/ʃ/}} may be realised allophonically as the voiceless retroflex fricative {{IPA|[ʂ]}} in learned clusters with retroflexes. The phonemic status of the consonants {{IPA|/f, z, x, ɣ, q/}} varies with familiarity with [[Social:Hindustani language|Hindustani]] norms, more so with the Gurmukhi script, with the pairs {{IPA|/f, pʰ/}}, {{IPA|/z, d͡ʒ/}}, {{IPA|/x, kʰ/}}, {{IPA|/ɣ, g/}}, and {{IPA|/q, k/}} systematically distinguished in educated speech.{{sfn|Shackle|2003|p=589}} The retroflex lateral is most commonly analysed as an approximant as opposed to a flap.{{sfn|Masica|1991|p=97}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Arora |first1=K. K. |last2=Arora |first2=S. |last3=Singla |first3=S. R. |last4=Agrawal |first4=S. S. |title=SAMPA for Hindi and Punjabi based on their Acoustic and Phonetic Characteristics |journal=Proceedings Oriental COCOSDA |date=2007 |url=https://www.academia.edu/3350695 |pages=4–6 |access-date=11 October 2022 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326031533/https://www.academia.edu/3350695 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ladefoged |first1=Peter |last2=Maddieson |first2=Ian |title=The Sounds of the World's Languages |date=1996 |publisher=Blackwell |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0631198154 |pages=190–191}}</ref> The voiceless aspirates /t͡ʃʰ, pʰ/ often soften to fricatives /ɕ, f/. This hardly happens with /kʰ, t̪ʰ/ into /x, θ/, and never with /ʈʰ/.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

In very rare cases, the archaic isolated /ɲ/ and /ŋ/ phonemes in Shahmukhi may be represented with letters from [[Social:Sindhi language#Perso-Arabic script|Sindhi]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

=== Diphthongs ===

Like [[Social:Hindustani language|Hindustani]], the diphthongs /əɪ/ and /əʊ/ have mostly disappeared, but are still retained in some dialects.

Long vowels /aː, iː, uː/ are treated as doubles of their short vowel counterparts /ə, ɪ, ʊ/ rather than separate phonemes, and all instances of ''ai'' and ''au'' are monophthongised into /ɛː/ and /ɔː/. Hence, diphthongs like ''aī'' and ''āu'' phonotactically are stretched to ''aii'' and ''aau'', whence the newly formed diphthongs ''ai'' and ''au'' are monophthongised, causing the sequences to be pronounced as /ɛːɪ/ and /əɔː/ rather than /əiː/ and /aːʊ/. This also brings about flexibility in the script whence diphthongs such as ''aaai'' can be written as ''ā-ai'', ''a-ā-i'', etc.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

The phonemes /j/ and /ʋ/ have become marginalised in Punjabi. /j/ is only pronounced word-initially, where it is otherwise /ɪ/, and /ʋ/ becomes /ʊ/ when between a consonant and a vowel.

=== Tone ===
Unusually for an Indo-Aryan language, Punjabi distinguishes [[Social:Tone (linguistics)|lexical tones]].<ref>{{cite book|author-last = Bhatia|author-first = Tej| date = 1999| editor1-last = Lust| editor1-first = Barbara| editor2-last = Gair| editor2-first = James| title = Lexical Anaphors and Pronouns in Selected South Asian Languages| chapter = Lexican Anaphors and Pronouns in Punjabi| page = 637| publisher = Walter de Gruyter| isbn = 978-3-11-014388-1}} Other tonal Indo-Aryan languages include Hindko, Dogri, Western Pahari, Sylheti and some Dardic languages.</ref> Three tones are distinguished in Punjabi (some sources have described these as tone contours, given in parentheses): low (high-falling), high (low-rising), and level (neutral or middle).<ref name="Bailey">Bailey, T.Grahame (1919), ''English-Punjabi Dictionary'', introduction.</ref><ref>Singh, Sukhvindar, "Tone Rules and Tone Sandhi in Punjabi".</ref><ref name="Bowden">Bowden, A.L. (2012). [https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3982&context=etd "Punjabi Tonemics and the Gurmukhi Script: A Preliminary Study"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417192042/https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3982&context=etd |date=17 April 2018 }}.</ref> The transcriptions and tone annotations in the examples below are based on those provided in Punjabi University, Patiala's ''Punjabi-English Dictionary''.<ref>{{Cite Q|Q113676548}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" |Examples
! colspan="3" |Pronunciation
! rowspan="2" |Meaning
|-
! Gurmukhi 
!Shahmukhi
! Transliteration
!IPA
! Tone
|-
| {{lang|pa|ਘਰ}}
| {{lang|pnb|{{Uninastaliq|گھر}}}}
| ghar
|{{IPA|/kə̀.rᵊ/|lang=pa}}<ref>Punjabi University (2018). p. 281</ref>{{Efn|Standard or Eastern dialect. Western dialects usually pronounce it as {{IPA|/käː˨ɾᵊ/|lang=pa}}.}}
| low
| ''house''
|-
| {{lang|pa|ਕਰ੍ਹਾ}}
| {{lang|pnb|{{Uninastaliq|کرھا}}}}
| karhā
|{{IPA|/kə́.ra/|lang=pa}}<ref>Punjabi University (2018). p. 194</ref>
| high
| ''powdered remains of cow-dung cakes''
|-
| {{lang|pa|ਕਰ}}
| {{lang|pnb|{{Uninastaliq|کر}}}}
| kar
|{{IPA|/kər/|lang=pa}}<ref>Punjabi University (2018). p. 192</ref>
| level
| ''do, doing''
|-
| {{lang|pa|ਝੜ}}
| {{lang|pnb|{{Uninastaliq|جھڑ}}}}
| jhaṛ
|{{IPA|/t͡ʃə̀.ɽᵊ/|lang=pa}}<ref>Punjabi University (2018). p. 369</ref>
| low
| ''shade caused by clouds''
|-
| {{lang|pa|ਚੜ੍ਹ}}
| {{lang|pnb|{{Uninastaliq|چڑھ}}}}
| chaṛh
|{{IPA|/t͡ʃə́.ɽᵊ/|lang=pa}}<ref name="pu300">Punjabi University (2018). p. 300</ref>
| high
| ''rise to fame, ascendancy''
|-
| {{lang|pa|ਚੜ}}
| {{lang|pnb|{{Uninastaliq|چڑ}}}}
| caṛ
|{{IPA|/t͡ʃəɽ/|lang=pa}}<ref name="pu300" />
| level
| ''hangnail''
|}
Level tone is found in about 75% of words and is described by some as absence of tone.<ref name=Bailey /> There are also some words which are said to have rising tone in the first syllable and falling in the second. (Some writers describe this as a fourth tone.)<ref name=Bailey /> However, a recent acoustic study of six Punjabi speakers in the United States found no evidence of a separate falling tone following a medial consonant.<ref>Kanwal, J.; Ritchart, A.V (2015) [https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/icphs-proceedings/ICPhS2015/Papers/ICPHS0929.pdf "An experimental investigation of tonogenesis in Punjabi".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418161201/https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/icphs-proceedings/ICPhS2015/Papers/ICPHS0929.pdf |date=18 April 2018 }} Proceedings of the 18th International of Phonetic Sciences, 2015</ref>
*{{lang|pa|ਮੋਢਾ}} / {{lang|pnb|{{Nastaliq|موڈھا}}}}, ''móḍà'' (rising-falling), "shoulder"

[[File:Punjabi specific sounds.ogg|thumb|Some Punjabi distinct tones for gh, jh, ḍh, dh, bh]]

It is considered that these tones arose when voiced aspirated consonants ({{IAST|gh, jh, ḍh, dh, bh}}) lost their aspiration. At the beginning of a word, they became voiceless unaspirated consonants ({{IAST|k, c, ṭ, t, p}}) followed by a high-falling tone; medially or finally they became voiced unaspirated consonants ({{IAST|g, j, ḍ, d, b}}), preceded by a low-rising tone. (The development of a high-falling tone apparently did not take place in every word, but only in those which historically had a long vowel.)<ref name=Bowden />

==== Tonal H letter ====

The presence of an [h] (although the [h] is now silent or very weakly pronounced except word-initially) word-finally (and sometimes medially) often causes a rising tone before it, for example ''{{IAST|cá(h)}}'' "tea".<ref>Lata, Swaran; Arora, Swati (2013) [http://www.tdil.meity.gov.in/WSI/papers/updated-ICHCI_SL%20SA.pdf "Laryngeal Tonal characteristics of Punjabi: An Experimental Study"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418092956/http://www.tdil.meity.gov.in/WSI/papers/updated-ICHCI_SL%20SA.pdf |date=18 April 2018 }}</ref>

* Syllable-initially, [h] causes a falling-tone after it, e.g. {{IAST|''he'' > ''ʰè''}} "is"{{efn|Word-initial [h] is preserved in standard formal Punjabi but pronounced weaker in casual speech and in northern areas such as Gujrat.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}}}
** In dialects with exemplified tone, ''ahā'' becomes ''ā̀'', e.g. ''pahāṛ'' > ''pā̀ṛ''{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}
* Syllable-finally, [h] causes a rising-tone before it, e.g. {{IAST|''cā(h)'' > ''cā́''}} "tea"
** The series ''ih'' and ''uh'' are pronounced as rising-tone /éː/ and /óː/, e.g. {{IAST|''ki(h)-ṛā'' > ''kḗṛā''}} "which"{{efn|These usually revert to ''eh / oh'' word-finally.}}
*** There are few exceptions, e.g. {{IAST|''tu-(h)āḍ-ḍē'' > ''twā̀ḍḍē''}}{{efn|Here initial [h] causes the following vowel to be falling-tone.}} "yours"
** The series ''ahi'' and ''ahu'' are pronounced as rising-tone /ɛ́ː/ and /ɔ́ː/{{efn|For dialects in which the ''ai'' or ''au'' diphthongs are retained: /əɪ́, əʊ́/}}
** Some dialects avoid using these for /éː óː ɛ́ː ɔ́ː/ and opt to either write them as ''ēh, ōh, eh, oh'' regardless of position or aspirate the following consonant, e.g. ''kihṛā'' > ''kēhṛā / kēṛhā''

The Gurmukhi script which was developed in the 16th century has separate letters for voiced aspirated sounds, so it is thought that the change in pronunciation of the consonants and development of tones may have taken place since that time.<ref name=Bowden />

Some other languages in Pakistan have also been found to have tonal distinctions, including [[Social:Burushaski|Burushaski]], [[Social:Gujari language|Gujari]], Hindko, Kalami, Shina, and Torwali,<ref>Baart, J.L.G. [http://www.geocities.ws/kcs_kalam/tonefeat.pdf "Tonal features in languages of northern Pakistan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728101201/http://www.geocities.ws/kcs_kalam/tonefeat.pdf |date=28 July 2020 }}</ref> though these seem to be independent of Punjabi.

=== Gemination ===
Gemination of a consonant (doubling the letter) is indicated with ''adhak'' in Gurmukhi and ''tashdīd'' in Shahmukhi.{{sfn|Masica|1991|p=149}} Its inscription with a unique diacritic is a distinct feature of Gurmukhi compared to Brahmic scripts.

All consonants except six (''ṇ'', ''ṛ'', ''h'', ''r'', ''v'', ''y'') are regularly geminated. The latter four are only geminated in loan words from other languages.{{efn|/jː/ is found in one other instance, for the name of the Gurmukhi letter ਯ (''yayyā'' ਯੱਯਾ)}}

There is a tendency to irregularly geminate consonants which follow long vowels, except in the final syllable of a word, e.g.''menū̃'' > ''mennū̃''.{{efn|This never occurs with /ɳ/ and /ɽ/, and is rare before /ʋ, ɾ, ɦ/}} It also causes the long vowels to shorten but remain peripheral, distinguishing them from the central vowels /ə, ɪ, ʊ/. This gemination is less prominent than the literarily regular gemination represented by the diacritics mentioned above.

Before a non-final prenasalised consonant,{{efn|''bindī/ṭippī'' or ''nūn ġunna'' before a consonant often causes it to be pre-nasalised, except where there is a true nasal vowel.}} long vowels undergo the same change but no gemination occurs.

The true gemination of a consonant after a long vowel is unheard of but is written in some English loanwords to indicate short /ɛ/ and /ɔ/, e.g. ਡੈੱਡ {{resize|{{nq|ڈَیڈّ}}}} /ɖɛɖː/ "dead".

== Grammar ==
[[File:Gurmukhi Script - traditional alphabet.svg|thumb|The 35 traditional characters of the Gurmukhi script]]
Punjabi has a canonical word order of [[Social:Subject–object–verb|SOV]] (subject–object–verb).<ref>Gill, Harjeet Singh and Gleason Jr, Henry A. (1969). ''A Reference Grammar of Panjabi''. Patiala: Department of Linguistics, Punjabi University</ref> Function words are largely postpositions marking grammatical case on a preceding nominal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_pan|title=WALS Online – Language Panjabi|website=wals.info|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=12 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212073124/https://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_pan|url-status=live}}</ref>

Punjabi distinguishes two genders, two numbers, and six cases of direct, oblique, vocative, ablative, locative, and instrumental. The ablative occurs only in the singular, in free variation with oblique case plus ablative postposition, and the locative and instrumental are usually confined to set adverbial expressions.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Shackle|2003|p=599}}</ref>

Adjectives, when declinable, are marked for the gender, number, and case of the nouns they qualify.<ref name="Shackle2003p601">{{Harvcoltxt|Shackle|2003|p=601}}</ref> There is also a T-V distinction.
Upon the [[Social:Inflection|inflection]]al case is built a system of particles known as postpositions, which parallel English's prepositions. It is their use with a noun or verb that is what necessitates the noun or verb taking the oblique case, and it is with them that the locus of grammatical function or "case-marking" then lies. 
The Punjabi verbal system is largely structured around a combination of aspect and [[Social:Grammatical tense|tense]]/mood. Like the nominal system, the Punjabi verb takes a single inflectional suffix, and is often followed by successive layers of elements like auxiliary verbs and postpositions to the right of the [[Social:Root (linguistics)|lexical base]].<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Masica|1991|p=257}}</ref>

== Vocabulary ==
Being an Indo-Aryan language, the core vocabulary of Punjabi consists of [[Social:Tadbhava|tadbhav]] words inherited from [[Social:Sanskrit|Sanskrit]].<ref name="Frawley2003">{{cite book |last1=Frawley |first1=William |title=International Encyclopedia of Linguistics: 4-Volume Set |date=2003 |publisher=[[Organization:Oxford University Press|Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-513977-8 |page=423 |language=en |quote=Hindus and Sikhs generally use the Gurmukhi script; but Hindus have also begun to write Punjabi in the Devanagari script, as employed for Hindi. Muslims tend to write Punjabi in the Perso-Arabic script, which is also employed for Urdu. Muslim speakers borrow a large number of words from Persian and Arabic; however, the basic Punjabi vocabulary is mainly composed of ''tadbhava'' words, i.e. those descended from Sanskrit.}}</ref><ref name="Bhatia1993">{{cite book |last1=Bhatia |first1=Tej K. |title=Punjabi: A Conginitive-descriptive Grammar |date=1993 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-415-00320-9 |page=xxxii |language=en |quote=Punjabi vocabulary is mainly composed of ''tadbhav'' words, i.e., words derived from Sanskrit.}}</ref> It contains many loanwords from [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] and Arabic.<ref name="Frawley2003"/>

== Writing systems ==
[[File:Wiki Loves Women South Asia Logo-pa.png|thumb|Gurmukhi writing system on a sample logo]]
The Punjabi language is written in multiple scripts (a phenomenon known as synchronic digraphia). Each of the major scripts currently in use is typically associated with a particular religious group,{{sfn|Bhatia|2008|p=128}}{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|pp=12–13}} although the association is not absolute or exclusive.{{sfn|Jain|2003|pp=53, 57–8}}
In India, Punjabi Sikhs use Gurmukhi, a script of the Brahmic family, which has official status in the state of Punjab. In Pakistan, Punjabi Muslims use Shahmukhi, a variant of the Perso-Arabic script and closely related to the Urdu alphabet. Sometimes Punjabi is recorded in the Devanagari script in India, albeit rarely.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zograph |first=G. A. |title=Languages of South Asia: A Guide |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2023 |isbn=9781000831597 |edition=Reprint |pages=52 |chapter=Chapter 3 |quote=Devanagari itself is also used for Panjabi, if more rarely.}}</ref> The Punjabi Hindus in India had a preference for Devanagari, another Brahmic script also used for Hindi, and in the first decades since independence raised objections to the uniform adoption of Gurmukhi in the state of Punjab,{{sfn|Nayar|1966|pp= 46 ff}} but most have now switched to Gurmukhi{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=12}} and so the use of Devanagari is rare.{{sfn|Shackle|2003|p=594}} Often in literature, Pakistani Punjabi (written in Shahmukhi) is referred as Western-Punjabi (or West-Punjabi) and Indian Punjabi (written in Gurmukhi) is referred as Eastern-Punjabi (or East-Punjabi), although the underlying language is the same with a very slight shift in vocabulary towards Islamic and Sikh words respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Punjabi Language – Structure, Writing & Alphabet – MustGo|url=https://www.mustgo.com/worldlanguages/punjabi/|access-date=8 February 2022|website=MustGo.com|language=en-US|archive-date=23 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123124609/https://www.mustgo.com/worldlanguages/punjabi/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The written standard for Shahmukhi also slightly differs from that of Gurmukhi, as it is used for western dialects, whereas Gurumukhi is used to write eastern dialects.

Historically, various local Brahmic scripts including Laṇḍā and its descendants were also in use.{{sfn|Shackle|2003|p=594}}{{sfn|Bhardwaj|2016|p=15}}

The Punjabi Braille is used by the visually impaired. There is an altered version of IAST often used for Punjabi in which the diphthongs ''ai'' and ''au'' are written as ''e'' and ''o'', and the long vowels ''e'' and ''o'' are written as ''ē'' and ''ō''.

== Sample text ==

This sample text was adapted from the Punjabi Wikipedia article on Lahore.

'''Gurmukhi'''

ਲਹੌਰ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨੀ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ਹੈ। ਲੋਕ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਕਰਾਚੀ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਲਹੌਰ ਦੂਜਾ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡਾ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਹੈ। ਲਹੌਰ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਦਾ ਸਿਆਸੀ, ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈ ਦਾ ਗੜ੍ਹ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇਸੇ ਲਈ ਇਹਨੂੰ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਦਾ ਦਿਲ ਵੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਲਹੌਰ ਰਾਵੀ ਦਰਿਆ ਦੇ ਕੰਢੇ ’ਤੇ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸਦੀ ਲੋਕ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਇੱਕ ਕਰੋੜ ਦੇ ਨੇੜੇ ਹੈ।

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'''Shahmukhi'''

{{resize|{{Uninastaliq|لہور پاکستانی پنجاب دی راجدھانی اے۔ لوک گݨتی دے نال کراچی توں بعد لہور دوجا سبھ توں وڈا شہر اے۔ لہور پاکستان دا سیاسی، رہتلی کاروباری اتے پڑھائی دا گڑھ اے اتے، ایسے لئی ایہہ نوں پاکستان دا دل وی کہا جاندا اے۔ لہور راوی دریا دے کنڈھے تے وسدا اے۔ ایسدی لوک گݨتی اک کروڑ دے نیڑے اے۔}}}}

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'''Transliteration'''

''Lahaur Pākistānī Panjāb dī rājtā̀ni ài. Lok giṇtī de nāḷ Karācī tõ bāad Lahaur dūjā sáb tõ vaḍḍā šáir ài. Lahaur Pākistān dā siāsī, kārobāri ate paṛā̀ī dā gáṛ ài te ise laī ínū̃ Pākistān dā dil vī kihā jāndā ài. Lahaur Rāvī dariā de káṇḍè te vassdā ài. Isdī lok giṇtī ikk karoṛ de neṛe ài''.

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'''[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]'''

{{IPA|/ləˈɔ̀ːɾᵊ pakˑɪˈstaːniː pənˈd͡ʒaːbᵊ diː ɾaːd͡ʒᵊˈtàːniː ʱɛ̀ː ‖ loːkᵊ ˈɡɪɳᵊtiː deː naːɭᵊ kəˈɾat͡ʃˑiː tõː baːədᵊ ləˈɔ̀ːɾᵊ dud͡ʒˑaː sə́bᵊ tõː ʋəɖːaː ʃɛ́ːɾ ʱɛ̀ː ‖ ləˈɔ̀ːɾᵊ pakˑɪstaːnᵊ daː sɪaːsiː {{!}} kaːɾobˑaːɾiː əteː pəɽàːiː daː ɡə́ɽ ʱɛ̀ː əteː ɪseː ləiː énˑũː pakˑɪstaːnᵊ daː dɪlᵊ ʋiː kéːa d͡ʒaːndaː ʱɛ̀ː ‖ ləˈɔ̀ːɾᵊ ɾaːʋiː ˈdəɾɪaː deː kə́ɳɖèː teː ʋəsːᵊdaː ʱɛ̀ː ‖ ˈɪsᵊdiː loːkᵊ ɡɪɳᵊtiː ɪkːᵊ kəˈɾoːɽᵊ deː neːɽeˑ ʱɛ̀ː ‖/}}

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'''Translation'''

Lahore is the capital city of Pakistani Punjab. After [[Place:Karachi|Karachi]], Lahore is the second largest city. Lahore is Pakistan's political, cultural, and educational hub, and so it is also said to be the heart of {{wipe|Pakistan}}. Lahore lies on the bank of the Ravi River. Its population is close to ten million people.

==Literature development==


===Medieval period ===
*Fariduddin Ganjshakar (1179–1266) is generally recognised as the first major poet of the Punjabi language.<ref name="sikh">[http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/arts/shiv%20batalvi/Shiv%20batalvi.htm Shiv Kumar Batalvi] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030410071639/http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/arts/shiv%20batalvi/Shiv%20batalvi.htm |date=10 April 2003 }} sikh-heritage.co.uk.</ref> Roughly from the 12th century to the 19th century, many great Sufi saints and poets preached in the Punjabi language, the most prominent being Bulleh Shah. Punjabi Sufi poetry also developed under Shah Hussain (1538–1599), Sultan Bahu (1630–1691), Shah Sharaf (1640–1724),  Ali Haider (1690–1785), [[Religion:Waris Shah|Waris Shah]] (1722–1798), Saleh Muhammad Safoori (1747–1826), Mian Muhammad Baksh (1830–1907) and Khwaja Ghulam Farid (1845–1901).
*The Sikh religion originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region and Punjabi is the predominant language spoken by Sikhs.<ref>{{Cite book |editor1=Melvin Ember |editor2=Carol R. Ember |editor3=Ian A. Skoggard |title=Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediadias00embe |url-access=limited |publisher=Springer |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-306-48321-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediadias00embe/page/n1100 1077]}}</ref> Most portions of the [[Biography:Guru Granth Sahib|Guru Granth Sahib]] use the Punjabi language written in Gurmukhi, though Punjabi is not the only language used in [[Religion:Sikh scriptures|Sikh scriptures]].
[[File:Varan Gyan Ratnavali.jpg|thumb|Varan Gyan Ratnavali by 16th-century historian Bhai Gurdas.]]

The ''[[Religion:Janamsakhis|Janamsakhis]]'', stories on the life and legend of [[Biography:Guru Nanak|Guru Nanak]] (1469–1539), are early examples of Punjabi prose literature.

*The Punjabi language is famous for its rich literature of ''qisse'', most of which are about love, passion, betrayal, sacrifice, social values and a common man's revolt against a larger system. The qissa of Heer Ranjha by [[Religion:Waris Shah|Waris Shah]] (1706–1798) is among the most popular of Punjabi qissas. Other popular stories include ''Sohni Mahiwal'' by Fazal Shah, ''Mirza Sahiban'' by Hafiz Barkhudar (1658–1707), ''Sassui Punnhun'' by Hashim Shah (c. 1735–c. 1843), and ''Qissa Puran Bhagat'' by Qadaryar (1802–1892).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unc.edu/depts/cdeisi/abstracts.html|title=Representations of Piety and Community in Late-nineteenth-century Punjabi Qisse|first=Farina|last=Mir|publisher=[[Organization:Columbia University|Columbia University]]|access-date=4 July 2008|archive-date=6 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106223100/http://www.unc.edu/depts/cdeisi/abstracts.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Heroic ballads known as ''Vaar'' enjoy a rich oral tradition in Punjabi. Famous ''Vaars'' are ''Chandi di Var'' (1666–1708), ''Nadir Shah Di Vaar'' by Najabat and the ''Jangnama'' of Shah Mohammad (1780–1862).<ref>The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature (Volume One – A to Devo). Volume 1. Amaresh Datta, ed. Sahitya Akademi: 2006, 352.</ref>

=== Modern period ===
[[File:Ghadar di gunj.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|''Ghadar di Gunj'' 1913, newspaper in Punjabi of Ghadar Party, US-based Indian revolutionary party.]]
The Victorian novel, Elizabethan drama, free verse and [[Philosophy:Modernism|Modernism]] entered Punjabi literature through the introduction of British education during the Raj. Nanak Singh (1897–1971), Vir Singh, Ishwar Nanda, Amrita Pritam (1919–2005), Puran Singh (1881–1931), Dhani Ram Chatrik (1876–1957), Diwan Singh (1897–1944) and Ustad Daman (1911–1984), Mohan Singh (1905–78) and Shareef Kunjahi are some legendary Punjabi writers of this period.
After independence of Pakistan and India Najm Hossein Syed, Fakhar Zaman and Afzal Ahsan Randhawa, Shafqat Tanvir Mirza, Ahmad Salim, and Najm Hosain Syed, Munir Niazi, Ali Arshad Mir, Pir Hadi Abdul Mannan enriched Punjabi literature in Pakistan, whereas Jaswant Singh Kanwal (1919–2020), Amrita Pritam (1919–2005), Jaswant Singh Rahi (1930–1996), Shiv Kumar Batalvi (1936–1973), Surjit Patar (1944–) and Pash (1950–1988) are some of the more prominent poets and writers from India.

==Status==
Despite Punjabi's rich literary history, it was not until 1947 that it would be recognised as an official language. Previous governments in the area of the Punjab had favoured Persian, Hindustani, or even earlier standardised versions of local registers as the language of the court or government. After the annexation of the [[Place:Sikh Empire|Sikh Empire]] by the British East India Company following the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849, the British policy of establishing a uniform language for administration was expanded into the Punjab. The British Empire employed Urdu in its administration of North-Central and Northwestern India, while in the North-East of India, [[Social:Bengali language|Bengali language]] was used as the language of administration. Despite its lack of official sanction, the Punjabi language continued to flourish as an instrument of cultural production, with rich literary traditions continuing until modern times. The Sikh religion, with its Gurmukhi script, played a special role in standardising and providing education in the language via [[Religion:Gurdwara|Gurdwara]]s, while writers of all religions continued to produce poetry, prose, and literature in the language.

In India, Punjabi is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. It is the first official language of the Indian State of Punjab. Punjabi also has second language official status in Delhi along with [[Social:Urdu|Urdu]], and in Haryana.

<!-- WP:NFCC violation: [[File:2000 INR Rev 2016.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Punjabi on Indian currency, see in language box on eleventh place]] -->
In Pakistan, no regional ethnic language has been granted official status at the national level, and as such Punjabi is not an official language at the national level, even though it is the most spoken language in Pakistan. It is, however, the official provincial language of Punjab, Pakistan, the second largest and the most populous province of Pakistan as well as in [[Place:Islamabad|Islamabad]] Capital Territory. The only two official languages in Pakistan are [[Social:Urdu|Urdu]] and English.<ref>{{cite web |title=Facts about Pakistan |url=http://opr.gov.pk/Detail/ZmI0YjVhNTEtZTE0OS00NDcxLWE0NDEtNGI2ZDY3N2UxYzg3 |website=opr.gov.pk |publisher=Government of Pakistan – Office of the Press Registrar |access-date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204114529/http://opr.gov.pk/Detail/ZmI0YjVhNTEtZTE0OS00NDcxLWE0NDEtNGI2ZDY3N2UxYzg3 |archive-date=4 February 2022 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===In Pakistan===
[[File:Punjabi-speakers by Pakistani District - 2017 Census.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.35|<div style="text-align: center">The proportion of people with Punjabi as their mother tongue in each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan Census</div>]]
[[File:Punjabi prachar demand.jpg|thumb|A demonstration by Punjabis at Lahore, Pakistan, demanding to make Punjabi as official language of instruction in schools in Punjab]]

When {{wipe|Pakistan}} was created in 1947,  despite Punjabi being the majority language in West Pakistan and [[Social:Bengali language|Bengali]] the majority in East Pakistan and {{wipe|Pakistan}} as whole, English and [[Social:Urdu|Urdu]] were chosen as the official languages. The selection of Urdu was due to its association with South Asian Muslim nationalism and because the leaders of the new nation wanted a unifying national language instead of promoting one ethnic group's language over another, due to this the [[Social:Punjabis|Punjabi]] elites started identifying with [[Social:Urdu|Urdu]] more than Punjabi because they saw it as a unifying force on an ethnoreligious perspective.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Ishtiaq |date=14 July 2020 |title=Why Punjabis in Pakistan Have Abandoned Punjabi |url=https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/ishtiaq-ahmed-pakistan-punjab-south-asian-languages-punjabi-language-world-news-16791/ |access-date=9 April 2023 |website=Fair Observer}}</ref> Broadcasting in Punjabi language by Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation decreased on TV and radio after 1947.  Article 251 of the Constitution of Pakistan declares that these two languages would be the only official languages at the national level, while provincial governments would be allowed to make provisions for the use of other languages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/part12.ch4.html|title=Chapter 4: "General." of Part XII: "Miscellaneous"|website=pakistani.org|access-date=30 December 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140603233302/http://pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/part12.ch4.html|archive-date=3 June 2014}}</ref> However, in the 1950s the constitution was amended to include the [[Social:Bengali language|Bengali language]]. Eventually, Punjabi was granted status as a provincial language in Punjab Province, while the [[Social:Sindhi language|Sindhi language]] was given official status in 1972 after 1972 Language violence in Sindh.

Despite gaining official recognition at the provincial level, Punjabi is not a language of instruction for primary or secondary school students in Punjab Province (unlike Sindhi and Pashto in other provinces).<ref name="Zaidi">{{cite web|last1=Zaidi|first1=Abbas|title=Linguistic cleansing: the sad fate of Punjabi in Pakistan|url=http://www.gowanusbooks.com/punjabi.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029194115/http://www.gowanusbooks.com/punjabi.htm|archive-date=29 October 2016}}</ref> Pupils in secondary schools can choose the language as an elective, while Punjabi instruction or study remains rare in higher education. One notable example is the teaching of Punjabi language and literature by the University of the Punjab in Lahore which began in 1970 with the establishment of its Punjabi Department.<ref>University of the Punjab (2015),  "B.A. Two-Year (Pass Course) Examinations"
*{{cite web|url=http://pu.edu.pk/page/show/ba_gen_pattern.html|publisher=pu.edu.pk|title=University of the Punjab – Examinations|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-date=8 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208022145/http://pu.edu.pk/page/show/ba_gen_pattern.html}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pu.edu.pk/home/department/32/Department-of-Punjabi|title=Department of Punjabi|last=University of the Punjab|date=2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127220237/http://pu.edu.pk/home/department/32/Department-of-Punjabi|archive-date=27 November 2016}}</ref>

In the cultural sphere, there are many books, plays, and songs being written or produced in the Punjabi-language in Pakistan. Until the 1970s, there were a large number of Punjabi-language films being produced by the Lollywood film industry, however since then Urdu has become a much more dominant language in film production. Additionally, television channels in Punjab Province (centred on the Lahore area) are broadcast in Urdu. The preeminence of Urdu in both broadcasting and the Lollywood film industry is seen by critics as being detrimental to the health of the language.<ref name="Masood 2015">{{cite web | last=Masood | first=Tariq | title=The colonisation of language | website=The Express Tribune | date=21 February 2015 | url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/841584/the-colonisation-of-language/ | access-date=19 September 2015 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912044311/http://tribune.com.pk/story/841584/the-colonisation-of-language/ | archive-date=12 September 2015 | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="Warraich Ali 2015">{{cite web|last1=Warraich |first1=Faizan |last2=Ali |first2=Haider |title=Intelligentsia urges govt to promote Punjabi language |website=DailyTimes |date=15 September 2015 |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/punjab/07-Feb-2015/intelligentsia-urges-govt-to-promote-punjabi-language |access-date=15 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630230024/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/punjab/07-Feb-2015/intelligentsia-urges-govt-to-promote-punjabi-language |archive-date=30 June 2015 }}</ref>

The use of Urdu and English as the near-exclusive languages of broadcasting, the public sector, and formal education have led some to fear that Punjabi in Pakistan is being relegated to a low-status language and that it is being denied an environment where it can flourish. Several prominent educational leaders, researchers, and social commentators have echoed the opinion that the intentional promotion of Urdu and the continued denial of any official sanction or recognition of the Punjabi language amounts to a process of "Urdu-isation" that is detrimental to the health of the Punjabi language<ref name="apnaorg">{{cite web|url=http://apnaorg.com/articles/ishtiaq8/|publisher=apnaorg.com|title=Punjabis Without Punjabi|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525144848/http://apnaorg.com/articles/ishtiaq8/|archive-date=25 May 2017}}</ref><ref>"Inferiority complex declining Punjabi language: Punjab University Vice-Chancellor". PPI News Agency
*{{cite web|url=http://ppinewsagency.com/inferiority-complex-declining-punjabi-language-punjab-university-vice-chancellor/|publisher=ppinewsagency.com|title=Inferiority complex declining Punjabi language: Punjab University Vice-Chancellor &#124; Pakistan Press International|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127220151/http://ppinewsagency.com/inferiority-complex-declining-punjabi-language-punjab-university-vice-chancellor/|archive-date=27 November 2016}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/880483/urdu-isation-of-punjab/|title=Urdu-isation of Punjab – The Express Tribune|date=4 May 2015|newspaper=The Express Tribune|language=en-US|access-date=30 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127215535/http://tribune.com.pk/story/880483/urdu-isation-of-punjab/|archive-date=27 November 2016}}</ref> In August 2015, the Pakistan Academy of Letters, International Writer's Council (IWC) and World Punjabi Congress (WPC) organised the ''Khawaja Farid Conference'' and demanded that a Punjabi-language university should be established in Lahore and that Punjabi language should be declared as the medium of instruction at the primary level.<ref name="The Nation 2011">{{cite web|url=http://nation.com.pk/lahore/21-Feb-2011/Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi|title=Rally for ending 150-year-old 'ban on education in Punjabi|date=21 February 2011|website=The Nation|access-date=15 September 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307142807/http://nation.com.pk/lahore/21-Feb-2011/Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi|archive-date=7 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://nation.com.pk/lahore/26-Aug-2015/sufi-poets-can-guarantee-unity|title=Sufi poets can guarantee unity|date=26 August 2015|magazine=The Nation|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030021751/http://nation.com.pk/lahore/26-Aug-2015/sufi-poets-can-guarantee-unity|archive-date=30 October 2015}}</ref> In September 2015, a case was filed in Supreme Court of Pakistan against Government of Punjab, Pakistan as it did not take any step to implement the Punjabi language in the province.<ref name="The Nation 2015">{{cite web|url=http://nation.com.pk/blogs/15-Sep-2015/supreme-court-s-urdu-verdict-no-language-can-be-imposed-from-above|title=Supreme Court's Urdu verdict: No language can be imposed from above|date=15 September 2015|website=The Nation|access-date=15 September 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916165410/http://nation.com.pk/blogs/15-Sep-2015/supreme-court-s-urdu-verdict-no-language-can-be-imposed-from-above|archive-date=16 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="Business Recorder 2015">{{cite web|url=http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/109-world-top-news/254518-two-member-sc-bench-refers-punjabi-language-case-to-cjp.html|title=Two-member SC bench refers Punjabi language case to CJP|date=14 September 2015|website=Business Recorder|access-date=15 September 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021133224/http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/109-world-top-news/254518-two-member-sc-bench-refers-punjabi-language-case-to-cjp.html|archive-date=21 October 2015}}</ref> Additionally, several thousand Punjabis gather in Lahore every year on International Mother Language Day. Thinktanks, political organisations, cultural projects, and individuals also demand authorities at the national and provincial level to promote the use of the language in the public and official spheres.<ref>"Mind your language—The movement for the preservation of Punjabi". ''The Herald''. 2 September 2106.
*{{cite web|url=http://herald.dawn.com/news/1153482|publisher=herald.dawn.com|title=Mind your language—The movement for the preservation of Punjabi – People & Society – Herald|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223065731/http://herald.dawn.com/news/1153482|archive-date=23 December 2016|date=4 August 2016}}</ref><ref>"Punjabi in schools: Pro-Punjabi outfits in Pakistan threaten hunger strike". ''The Times of India''. 4 October 2015.
*{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Punjabi-in-schools-Pro-Punjabi-outfits-in-Pakistan-threaten-hunger-strike/articleshow/49214265.cms|work=The Times of India|title=Punjabi in schools: Pro-Punjabi outfits in Pakistan threaten hunger strike|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927231834/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Punjabi-in-schools-Pro-Punjabi-outfits-in-Pakistan-threaten-hunger-strike/articleshow/49214265.cms|archive-date=27 September 2016}}
</ref><ref>"Rally for Ending the 150-year-old Ban on Education in Punjabi" ''The Nation.'' 21 February 2011.
*{{cite web|url=http://nation.com.pk/lahore/21-Feb-2011/Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi|publisher=nation.com.pk|title=Rally for ending 150-year-old 'ban on education in Punjabi|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307142807/http://nation.com.pk/lahore/21-Feb-2011/Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi|archive-date=7 March 2016|date=21 February 2011}}
</ref>

===In India===
At the federal level, Punjabi has official status via the Eighth Schedule to the Indian Constitution,<ref name="Khokhlova">{{cite journal|last1= Khokhlova|first1= Liudmila|date= January 2014|title= Majority Language Death|url= https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/4600/1/02Khokhlova.pdf|journal= Language Endangerment and Preservation in South Asia|access-date= 29 April 2017|quote= Punjabi was nonetheless included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India and came to be recognized as one of the fifteen official languages of the country.|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141614/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/4600/1/02Khokhlova.pdf|archive-date= 25 May 2017|df= dmy-all}}</ref> earned after the Punjabi Suba movement of the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/displayPageContent.jsp?ID=2123&page=1&CategoryID=1&Searched=W3GX|title=Fifty Years of Punjab Politics (1920–70)|website=[[Panjab Digital Library]]|access-date=6 January 2019|archive-date=6 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106204510/http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/displayPageContent.jsp?ID=2123&page=1&CategoryID=1&Searched=W3GX|url-status=live}}</ref> At the state level, Punjabi is the sole official language of the state of Punjab, while it has secondary official status in the states of Haryana and Delhi.<ref>{{cite journal|last1= Ayres|first1= Alyssa|date= 2008|title= Language, the Nation, and Symbolic Capital: The Case of Punjab|url= https://alyssaayres.com/pdf/Ayres-JAS-Language-Nation.pdf|journal= The Journal of Asian Studies|volume= 67|issue= 3|pages= 917–946|doi= 10.1017/S0021911808001204|s2cid= 56127067|access-date= 28 April 2017|quote= in India, Punjabi is an official language as well as the first language of the state of Punjab (with secondary status in Delhi and widespread use in Haryana).|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141617/https://alyssaayres.com/pdf/Ayres-JAS-Language-Nation.pdf|archive-date= 25 May 2017|df= dmy-all}}</ref> In 2012, it was also made additional official language of West Bengal in areas where the population exceeds 10% of a particular block, sub-division or district.<ref name=Telegraph:1 />

Both union and state laws specify the use of Punjabi in the field of education. The state of Punjab uses the Three Language Formula, and Punjabi is required to be either the medium of instruction, or one of the three languages learnt in all schools in Punjab.<ref>{{cite journal|last1= Kumar|first1= Ashutosh|date= 2004|title= Electoral Politics in Punjab: Study of Akali Dal|journal= Economic & Political Weekly|volume= 39|issue= 14/15|pages= 1515–1520|quote= Punjabi was made the first compulsory language and medium of instruction in all the government schools whereas Hindi and English as second and third language were to be implemented from the class 4 and 6 respectively|jstor= 4414869}}</ref> Punjabi is also a compulsory language in Haryana,<ref>{{cite report|url= http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf|title= 52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India|date= 2015|page= 25|publisher= National Commission on Linguistic Minorities|access-date= 28 April 2017|quote= "Languages taught in the State under the Three Language Formula: First Language : Hindi Second Language : Punjabi Third language : English"|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141614/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf|archive-date= 25 May 2017|df= dmy-all}}</ref> and other states with a significant Punjabi speaking minority are required to offer Punjabi medium education.{{dubious|date=October 2017}}

There are vibrant Punjabi language movie and news industries in India, however Punjabi serials have had a much smaller presence within the last few decades in television due to market forces.<ref name="Singh 2015">{{cite web | last=Singh | first=Jasmine | title=Serial killer | website=The Tribune | date=13 September 2015 | url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/spectrum/serial-killer/130865.html | access-date=15 September 2015 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916044000/http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/spectrum/serial-killer/130865.html | archive-date=16 September 2015 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Despite Punjabi having far greater official recognition in India, where the Punjabi language is officially admitted in all necessary social functions, while in Pakistan it is used only in a few radio and TV programs, attitudes of the English-educated elite towards the language are ambivalent as they are in neighbouring Pakistan.<ref name="Khokhlova" />{{rp|37}} There are also claims of state apathy towards the language in non-Punjabi majority areas like Haryana and Delhi.<ref name="http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 2015">{{cite web | title=SGPC claims Haryana govt ignoring Punjabi language | website=Hindustan Times | date=30 July 2015 | url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/amritsar/sgpc-claims-haryana-govt-ignoring-punjabi-language/article1-1374818.aspx | archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20170525141618/http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/sgpc-claims-haryana-govt-ignoring-punjabi-language/story-m8iAzfGSSp5xoQ1zwE6nYN.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=25 May 2017 | access-date=15 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="Aujla 2015">{{cite web | last=Aujla | first=Harjap Singh | title=Punjabi's of Delhi couldn't get justice for Punjabi language | website=Punjab News Express | date=15 June 2015 | url=http://punjabnewsexpress.com/news/mainpage.aspx?name=news%5C41059-punjabi-s-of-delhi-couldn-t-get-justice-for-punjabi-language | access-date=19 September 2015 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="Singh 2013">{{cite web |last=Singh |first=Perneet |title=Sikh bodies oppose DU's 'anti-Punjabi' move |website=Tribune India |date=9 July 2013 |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130710/punjab.htm#1 |access-date=21 February 2018 |archive-date=19 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519214547/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130710/punjab.htm#1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Advocacy==
*Punjabi University was established on 30 April 1962, and is only the second university in the world to be named after a language, after [[Organization:Hebrew University of Jerusalem|Hebrew University of Jerusalem]]. The Research Centre for Punjabi Language Technology, Punjabi University, Patiala<ref name="punjabiuniversity">{{cite web|url=http://punjabiuniversity.ac.in/pbiuniweb/pages/departments/newresearchdepartment.html|publisher=punjabiuniversity.ac.in|title=final|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124024441/http://punjabiuniversity.ac.in/pbiuniweb/pages/departments/newresearchdepartment.html|archive-date=24 November 2016}}</ref> is working for development of core technologies for Punjabi, Digitisation of basic materials, online Punjabi teaching, developing software for office use in Punjabi, providing common platform to Punjabi cyber community.<ref name="learnpunjabi2">{{cite web|url=http://www.learnpunjabi.org/about.aspx|publisher=learnpunjabi.org|title=ACTDPL, Punjabi University, Patiala|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210232833/http://learnpunjabi.org/about.aspx|archive-date=10 December 2016}}</ref> [[Punjabipedia]], an online encyclopaedia was also launched by Patiala university in 2014.<ref name="punjabipedia">{{cite web|url=http://punjabipedia.org/aboutus.aspx|publisher=punjabipedia.org|title=ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪੀਡੀਆ|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221005250/http://punjabipedia.org/aboutus.aspx|archive-date=21 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="hindustantimes">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/pbi-university-launches-punjabipedia/story-4nxtGZT4ajuIY02MbjwouN.html|publisher=Hindustan Times|title=Pbi University launches Punjabipedia &#124; punjab &#124; Hindustan Times|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123201247/http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/pbi-university-launches-punjabipedia/story-4nxtGZT4ajuIY02MbjwouN.html|archive-date=23 November 2016|date=26 February 2014}}</ref>
*The Dhahan Prize was created to award literary works produced in Punjabi around the world. The Prize encourages new writing by awarding $25,000 CDN annually to one "best book of fiction" published in either of the two Punjabi scripts, Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi. Two second prizes of $5,000 CDN are also awarded, with the provision that both scripts are represented among the three winners. The Dhahan Prize is awarded by Canada India Education Society (CIES).<ref name="dhahanprise">{{cite web|url=http://dhahanprize.com/|publisher=dhahanprize.com|title=The Dhahan Prize &#124; The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227040500/http://www.dhahanprize.com/|archive-date=27 February 2017}}</ref>

===Governmental academies and institutes===
The Punjabi Sahit academy, Ludhiana, established in 1954<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.quamiekta.com/2017/05/03/36257/ |title=ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਲੇਖਕਾਂ ਦਾ ਮੱਕਾ : ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਵਨ, ਲੁਧਿਆਣਾ |access-date=16 October 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503114809/http://www.quamiekta.com/2017/05/03/36257/ |archive-date=3 May 2017 |date=3 May 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/news/ludhiana/community/sirsa-again-elected-punjabi-sahit-akademi-president/223834.html |title=Sirsa again elected Punjabi Sahit Akademi president |publisher=Tribuneindia.com |date=18 April 2016 |access-date=13 August 2018 |archive-date=13 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813111927/https://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/news/ludhiana/community/sirsa-again-elected-punjabi-sahit-akademi-president/223834.html |url-status=live }}</ref> is supported by the Punjab state government and works exclusively for promotion of the Punjabi language, as does the Punjabi academy in Delhi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.punjabiacademy.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170718101904/http://punjabiacademy.com/|url-status=dead|title=Punjabi Academy|archive-date=18 July 2017|website=www.punjabiacademy.com}}</ref> The Jammu and Kashmir academy of art, culture and literature<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jkculture.nic.in/seminars.htm# |title= JK Cultural Academy|website=jkculture.nic.in |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123081031/http://jkculture.nic.in/seminars.htm |archive-date=23 November 2016}}</ref> in Jammu and Kashmir UT, India works for Punjabi and other regional languages like Urdu, Dogri, Gojri etc. Institutions in neighbouring states<ref>{{cite web |url=http://m.livehindustan.com/news/lucknow/article1-punjabi-academy-581875.amp.html |title=पंजाबी सीखने वाले छात्रों को अगले माह बटेगा एकल प्रोत्साहन राशि |publisher=M.livehindustan.com |date=24 October 2016 |access-date=13 August 2018 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728101205/https://www.livehindustan.com/news/lucknow/article1-punjabi-academy-581875.amp.html |url-status=live }}</ref> as well as in Lahore, Pakistan<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pilac.punjab.gov.pk/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711180642/http://www.pilac.punjab.gov.pk/|url-status=dead|title=Welcome to Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture &#124; Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture|archive-date=11 July 2017|website=pilac.punjab.gov.pk}}</ref> also advocate for the language.

<gallery>
File:Punjabi academy ludhiana.jpeg|Punjabi Sahit Academy, Ludhiana, 1954
File:Punjabi academy delhi.jpg|Punjabi Academy, Delhi, 1981–1982
File:Jammu and Kashmir academy of art culture and literature.jpg|Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Literature
File:Punjab institute of language art and culture.jpeg|Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture, Lahore, 2004
</gallery>

===Software===
*Software is available for the Punjabi language on almost all platforms. This software is mainly in the Gurmukhi script. Nowadays, nearly all Punjabi newspapers, magazines, journals, and periodicals are composed on computers via various Punjabi software programmes, the most widespread of which is [[Software:InPage|InPage]] Desktop Publishing package. [[Company:Microsoft|Microsoft]] has included Punjabi language support in all the new versions of Windows and both [[Software:Windows Vista|Windows Vista]], [[Software:Microsoft Office 2007|Microsoft Office 2007]], 2010 and 2013, are available in Punjabi through the [[Software:Language Interface Pack|Language Interface Pack]]<ref name="microsoft">{{cite web|url=https://www.microsoft.com/pa-in/download|publisher=microsoft.com|title=Microsoft Download Center|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123205551/https://www.microsoft.com/pa-in/download|archive-date=23 November 2016}}</ref> support. Most [[Software:Linux|Linux]] Desktop distributions allow the easy installation of Punjabi support and translations as well.<ref name="sourceforge">{{cite web|url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/punlinux/|publisher=sourceforge.net|title=Punjabi Linux (punlinux) download &#124; SourceForge.net|date=21 April 2013 |access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123203353/https://sourceforge.net/projects/punlinux/|archive-date=23 November 2016}}</ref> [[Company:Apple Inc.|Apple]] implemented the Punjabi language keyboard across [[Engineering:Mobile device|Mobile device]]s.<ref name="apple">{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/punjabi-keyboard/id428805745?mt=8|publisher=itunes.apple.com|title=Connecting to the iTunes Store.|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123203742/https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/punjabi-keyboard/id428805745?mt=8|archive-date=23 November 2016}}</ref> Google also provides many applications in Punjabi, like [[Software:Google Search|Google Search]],<ref name="google6">{{cite web|url=https://www.google.co.in/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=DYs1WMq5FvGK8QebkZzoBQ|title=Google|access-date=13 January 2017|archive-date=9 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809113422/https://www.google.co.in/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=DYs1WMq5FvGK8QebkZzoBQ|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Software:Google Translate|Google Translate]]<ref name="google7">{{cite web|url=https://translate.google.co.in/?hl=pa&tab=wT|title=Google ਅਨੁਵਾਦ|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229033335/https://translate.google.co.in/?hl=pa|archive-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> and Google Punjabi Input Tools.<ref name="google8">{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/intl/pa/inputtools/try/|title=Cloud ਇਨਪੁਟ ਔਜ਼ਾਰ ਔਨਲਾਈਨ ਅਜਮਾਓ – Google ਇਨਪੁਟ ਔਜ਼ਾਰ|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112124745/https://www.google.com/intl/pa/inputtools/try/|archive-date=12 January 2017}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Large-sized Guru Granth Sahib manuscript that was handwritten by Pratap Singh Giani and completed in 1908 C.E. 03.jpg|Guru Granth Sahib in Gurmukhi
File:Gurmukhi Script - traditional alphabet.svg| Punjabi Gurmukhi script
File:Shahmukhi1.JPG|Punjabi Shahmukhi script
File:Bhulay Shah.jpg|Bulleh Shah poetry in Punjabi (Shahmukhi script)
File:Munir niazi.gif|Munir Niazi poetry in Punjabi (Shahmukhi script)
File:Das Buch der Schrift (Faulmann) 138.jpg|Gurmukhi alphabet
File:Punjabi language sign board at hanumangarh rajasthan india.jpeg|A sign board in Punjabi language along with Hindi at Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, India
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Social:Khalsa bole|Khalsa bole]] – coded language of Nihang Sikhs largely based on Punjabi
* List of Punjabi-language newspapers
* Punjabi cinema
* [[Social:Punjabi Language Movement|Punjabi Language Movement]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |last = Bhardwaj | first = Mangat Rai | date = 2016 | title = Panjabi: A Comprehensive Grammar | doi = 10.4324/9781315760803| isbn = 9781138793859 | publisher = Routledge }}.
* {{citation |last = Bhatia | first = Tej K. | year = 2008 | chapter = Major regional languages | doi= 10.1017/CBO9780511619069.008 | title = Language in South Asia | publisher = Cambridge University Press |editor1 = Braj B. Kachru |editor2=Yamuna Kachru |editor3 = S.N. Sridhar |pages=121–131 |isbn = 9780511619069 }}.
* {{Citation
 |last=Jain
 |first=Dhanesh
 |year=2003
 |chapter=Sociolinguistics of the Indo-Aryan Languages
|editor1-last= Cardona
|editor1-first= George
|editor2-last= Jain
|editor2-first= Dhanesh
 |title=The Indo-Aryan Languages
 |publisher=Routledge
 |isbn=978-0-415-77294-5
 |pages=46–66
}}.
*{{Citation
 |last=Masica
 |first=Colin
 |year=1991
 |title=The Indo-Aryan Languages
 |place=Cambridge
 |publisher=Cambridge University Press
 |isbn=978-0-521-29944-2
 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J3RSHWePhXwC&q=indo-aryan+languages
 |access-date=7 October 2020
|archive-date=2 April 2023
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402155532/https://books.google.com/books?id=J3RSHWePhXwC&q=indo-aryan+languages
 |url-status=live
 }}.
*{{citation | last = Nayar | first = Baldev Raj | year = 1966 | title = Minority Politics in the Punjab | publisher = Princeton University Press | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=WBrWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA46 | isbn = 9781400875948 | access-date = 9 November 2019 | archive-date = 2 April 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230402155514/https://books.google.com/books?id=WBrWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA46 | url-status = live }}.
* {{cite journal |last=Shackle |first=Christopher |title=Problems of classification in Pakistan Panjab |journal=Transactions of the Philological Society |date=1979 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-968X.1979.tb00857.x |issn=0079-1636 |volume=77 |issue=1 |pages=191–210}}
*{{Citation
 |last=Shackle
 |first=Christopher
 |year=2003
 |chapter=Panjabi
 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jPR2OlbTbdkC&q=indo-aryan+languages&pg=PA581
 |editor1-last=Cardona
 |editor1-first=George
 |editor2-last=Jain
 |editor2-first=Dhanesh
 |title=The Indo-Aryan Languages
 |publisher=Routledge
 |isbn=978-0-415-77294-5
 |pages=581–621
 |access-date=7 October 2020
|archive-date=2 April 2023
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402155504/https://books.google.com/books?id=jPR2OlbTbdkC&q=indo-aryan+languages&pg=PA581
 |url-status=live
 }}.
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
* Bhatia, Tej. 1993 and 2010. ''Punjabi : a cognitive-descriptive grammar''. London: Routledge. Series: Descriptive grammars.
* Gill H.S. [Harjit Singh] and Gleason, H.A. 1969. A reference grammar of Punjabi. Revised edition. Patiala, Punjab, India: Languages Department, Punjab University.
* Chopra, R. M., Perso-Arabic Words in Punjabi, in: Indo-Iranica Vol.53 (1–4).
* Chopra, R. M.., The Legacy of The Punjab, 1997, Punjabee Bradree, Calcutta.
* Singh, Chander Shekhar (2004). Punjabi Prosody: The Old Tradition and The New Paradigm. Sri Lanka: Polgasowita: Sikuru Prakasakayo.
* Singh, Chander Shekhar (2014). Punjabi Intonation: An Experimental Study. Muenchen: LINCOM EUROPA.

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Punjabi phrasebook|Punjabi|a phrasebook}}
{{InterWiki|Eastern Punjabi|code=pa}}
{{InterWiki|Western Punjabi|code=pnb}}
* [http://www.shabdkosh.com/pa/ English to Punjabi Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310134224/http://www.shabdkosh.com/pa/ |date=10 March 2010 }}


[[Category:Fusional languages]]
[[Category:Subject–object–verb languages]]

{{Sourceattribution|Punjabi language}}