Content area
Full Text
Abstract
Pakistan is an area with unique ethnic diversity, specifically on the basis of language. This present study focuses on the Wakhi identity. Wakhi still exists as a non-written language. The present Wakhi settlers have come to Chitral at various times. Under British rule the Wakhi immigrants settled in different parts of Chitral and now their majority lies in Gojal tehsil of Hunza of Gilgit - Baltistan. This community enjoys unique cultural heritage and enjoy distinct features, which are seen all over the world with keen interest.
The Northern Pakistan is an area of geographical and ethnic diversity and is placed among the most multilingual places of the world.1 The important languages spoken in the region include Shina, Balti, Burushashki, Khawar and Wakhi.2 Wakhi is basically the language of inhabitants of Wakhan Corridor, an area presently divided between the extreme northeast of Afghanistan and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province of Tajikistan. It belongs to the southern group of the Pamiri languages which are spoken in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan and Tajikistan3. All these languages do not have a script or written legacy and, therefore, are used only as spoken languages.4
However, as far as the language structure is concerned, Wakhi, which is rich in archaisms, is relatively different from its neighboring Pamiri languages which are genetically more coherent.5 Like other Pamiri languages, Wakhi still exists as a non-written language and is limited to phonetic notations. However, different writing systems have been adopted by some scholars to preserve Wakhi language and literature which included Arabic, Cyrillic, and Latin.6
Although divided by borders, the Wakhi language is still very much the same, and dialectal differences are not great.7 Main dialects of Wakhi spoken in Pakistan include Gojali, Ishkomani, Yasini, and Yarkuni. Dialect intelligibility is reported not to be a problem even of those living in other countries. Lexical similarity is 84% between Iskoman and Gojal, 89% between Yasin and Gojal, and 91% between Iskoman and Yasin.8
The major Wakhi Community settlements in Pakistan are found in Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan areas. Their ancestors fled to these regions due to couple of reasons including wars9, natural calamities, heavy taxation, slavery, and oppression by the local rulers and Afghan officials. The Wakhan District of Afghanistan is connected with Pakistan mainly...