|
The WesternBalochiLanguage is a BalochiLanguage of Pakistan. SIL code: BGN. ISO 639-2: bal. Population: 1,116,000 in Pakistan (1998). Population total all countries: 1,800,000. Region: Northwestern Balochistan Province. Also spoken in Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan. Alternate names: BALUCHI, BALOCI, BALUCI. Dialects: RAKHSHANI (RAXSHANI), SARAWANI. Comments: Balochi is the official spelling in Pakistan. It has a small body of literature. Literacy rate in first language: 1% to 5%. Literacy rate in second language: 5% to 15%. Urdu script used. Radio programs. Sunni Muslim. Bible portions 1984. Also spoken in: Afghanistan. (Language name: BALOCHI, WESTERN. Population: 200,000 in Afghanistan (1979 estimate). Alternate names: BALUCHI, BALUCI, BALOCI. Dialects: RAKHSHANI (RAXSHANI). Comments: Largely nomadic. Literacy rate in first language: 5% to 10%. Literacy rate in second language: 15% to 25%. Arabic script. Newspapers. Sunni Muslim. Bible portions 1984. Also spoken in: Iran. (Language name: BALOCHI, WESTERN.) Population: 451,000 in Iran, 1% of the population (1986). Alternate names: BALUCHI, BALUCI, BALOCI. Dialects: RAKHSHANI (RAXSHANI), SARAWANI. Comments: Strongly influenced by Fars, but not intelligible with Farsi. Few speak Farsi. Distinct from Eastern and Southern Balochi. Ethnic group: Yarahmadza. Sunni Muslim. Bible portions 1984. Also spoken in: Turkmenistan. (Language name: BALOCHI, WESTERN.) Population: 28,000 in Turkmenistan (1993). Alternate names: BALOCI, BALUCHI, BALUCI. Comments: Turkmen is used as the literary language in Turkmenistan. Distinct from Eastern and Southern Balochi. Muslim. Bible portions 1984.(extract from http://www.ethnologue.com/)
|