Translation Resources

Punjabi is the official language of the state Punjab and is also spoken in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and neighboring regions in Pakistan

Facts

• Punjabi is an Indo-European language of the Indo-Iranian subfamily.
• Punjabi is the fifth most common language in Canada.
• Punjabi is the sacred language of the Sikhs.
• Punjabi is the usual language of Bhangra music, which is popular worldwide.

	Some facts on Punjabi Primarily spoken in: Punjab, India Also spoken in: Pakistan and other countries with Punjabi migrants Official language of: Punjab Total number of speakers: 104 million Rank: 10

Vocabulary

Like other North Indian languages, the vocabulary is very similar to Western Hindi. It is derived from Sanskrit and is therefore Indo-European. Punjabi has moved around the world and has integrated local vocabulary. While most words come from Hindustani, Persian English, and Punjabi, it also has some Spanish and Dutch words.

Writing system

There are several different scripts used for writing the Punjabi language. It depends on the region, dialect, and religion of the speaker. The Gurmukhi (from the mouth of the Gurus) and Shahmukhi scripts are most commonly used for writing Punjabi and are considered the official scripts of the language. Sikhs and others in the state of Punjab tend to use the Gurmukhi script. Hindus and those living in neighboring states such as Haryana and Himachal Pradesh sometimes use the Devanagari script.

Fonts

You can download Punjabi fonts for free from the official website of the Government of Punjab.

http://punjabgovt.nic.in/election/pbifonts.html

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