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{{Short description|Tibetic language of Baltistan, Pakistan}}
{{language
{{Distinguish|text = the ]}}
|name=Balti
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
|nativename=بلتی
{{Infobox language
|states=], ]
| name = Balti
|region=], ], small pockets in ] & ]
| nativename = {{nq|بلتی}}<br/>{{bo-textonly|སྦལ་འཐུས་}}
|speakers=337,000
| states = ], ]
|familycolor=Sino-Tibetan
| region = ], ]
|fam2=]
| ethnicity = ]
|fam3=]
| speakers = 425,000 in Pakistan (2018) Total users in all countries: 438,800
|fam4=]
| date = 2018
|fam5=]
| ref = e24
|fam6=Western
| familycolor = Sino-Tibetan
|iso2=sit|iso3=bft}}
| fam2 = ]
| fam3 = ] (?)
| fam4 = ]
| fam5 = ]
| fam6 = ]
| script = {{Unbulleted list
|] {{small|(current)}}
|] {{small|(current)}}
|Balti {{small|(Historical)}}}}
| iso3 = bft
| glotto = balt1258
| glottorefname = Balti
| image = File:Balti language.png
| map = Balti language speaking areas.png
| mapcaption = Balti language speaking areas
| mapscale = 1.2
}}
]


'''Balti''' (]: {{nq|بلتی}}, ]: སྦལ་ཏི།, {{bo|w=sbal ti}}) is a ] natively spoken by the ethnic ] in the ] region of ], ] of the ] and in the ] of ], ].<ref name="General">{{cite book|title=Census of India, 1961: Jammu and Kashmir|year=1961|publisher=]|language=en|page=357}}</ref> The language differs from ]; many sounds of ] that were lost in Standard Tibetan are retained in the Balti language. It also has a simple ] system only in multi-syllabic words<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Sprigg|first1=R. K.|title=Lepcha and Balti Tibetan: Tonal or Non-Tonal Languages?|journal=Asia Major|date=1966|volume=12|pages=185–201}}</ref> while Standard Tibetan has a complex and distinct pitch system that includes ]. Due to effects of dominant languages in Pakistani media like Urdu, Punjabi and English and religious impact of Arabic and Persian languages, Balti, like other regional languages of Pakistan, is continuously expanding its vocabulary base with ].<ref>{{cite journal | last=Shams | first=Shammim Ara | title=The Impact of Dominant Languages on Regional Languages: A Case Study of English, Urdu and Shina | journal=Pakistan Social Sciences Review | volume=4 | issue=III |year=2020| doi=10.35484/pssr.2020(4-III)79 | pages=1092–1106| doi-access=free }}</ref>
'''Balti''' ('''بلتی''') is a ] spoken in ], in the ] of ] and adjoining parts of ]. Baltistan - before 1948 - was part of ] province. The language is a sub-dialect of ] and has many similarities with archaic ]s of the ]. It is mutually intelligible with Ladakhi and ]. Many of the consonants that are silent in most modern Tibetan dialects are pronounced in Balti.


==Demographics and distribution==
== Balti ==
Balti is spoken in most parts of ] in ] and ] and Nubra ] in ]. According to the ], the language is mostly found in the Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche, Roundu, and Kharmang parts of Gilgit-Baltistan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gilgitbaltistanscouts.gov.pk/TOGeography%20.html|access-date=2021-03-17|website=www.gilgitbaltistanscouts.gov.pk|title=Archived copy|archive-date=2020-11-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105131007/http://www.gilgitbaltistanscouts.gov.pk/TOGeography%20.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the twin districts of ] region (] and ]), it is spoken in ] and its surrounding villages like Hardass, Lato, Karkitchhoo, and Balti Bazar, as well as in ], ], and ], including ] and nearby villages. Balti is also spoken by immigrants in ], ], ], ], ], and other cities of Pakistan. In India, it is found in ], ], Ambari, Shimla, ], and other northern cities among speakers who migrated from Baltistan, Kargil, and Nubra before the partition of India and Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Curious Case Of The Baltis Of Dehradun|date=4 June 2018 |url=https://travelthehimalayas.com/kiki/the-curious-case-of-the-baltis-of-dehradun|access-date=22 March 2021}}</ref>


==Classification and dialects==
All people of different races, living in ] are called Balti. The ] derived ''Byaltae'' from ], which in Tibetan means "water gorge." The historian ] who was also a general in the army of ] had named the region (Byaltae) in his book.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} In fact ] is the ] translation of ], '''“The Homeland of Balti”.''' The people belonging to ] ] are settled on both banks of the river ] from ] (in the east) to ] (in the west) and from ] ] (in the north) to ] (in the south). In this nationality the majority comes from ] ]. However people migrated to this area in different periods of ancient times, on account of different reasons and after merging in the prevailing Tibetan ], gave birth to a new ]. All these ] groups speak ] language, which is a branch of the ancient Tibetan language. However in some rural areas, the Sheen people still speak ] language.
Historically, ] in Leh have referred to all ] in Ladakh as Balti.


The Balti language has four variants or dialects. Despite differences in pronunciation of vocabulary, they are ]. For example, ''to keep'' is ''yuq'' in other varieties, but ''juq'' in the southern dialect of Kharmang and Kargil. Similarly, ''milk'' is ''oma'' in the eastern Chorbat-Nubra, the central Khaplu, and the southern Kharmang-Kargil varieties, but ''ona'' in the western dialect of Skardu, Shigar, and Rondu valley. The four variants or dialects of Balti are:
The Balti are a very forbearing, cheerful, and hospitable people. During the Rmakpon reign (from 12th century to 1840 A.D.) they invaded ] and ] in the east and ] and ] many times and thus made these people acknowledge of their martial abilities.


# Eastern dialect of Chorbat and Nubra valley
There are several Balti communities located in Pakistan's urban areas further south, notably in ], ] and in ]
# Central dialect of ] valley
# Western dialect of ], ] and ].
# Southern dialect of Upper ] and ]
<ref>{{cite web|title=Balti: Protecting the language|date=29 January 2021 |url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/opinion/balti-protecting-the-language/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://skardu.pk/politicisation-of-balti-language-in-kargil/|title=Politicisation of Balti Language in Kargil - Skardu.pk|first=Editorial|last=Team|accessdate=25 February 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Caption text
|-
! English !! Eastern Nubra/Chorbat dialect!! Central Khaplu dialect !! Western Skardu dialect !! Southern Kharmang dialect
|-
| Milk|| Oma|| Oma|| Ona || Oma
|-
| Keep || Yuq || Yuq || Yuq || Juq
|-
| Girl|| Bono|| Bono || Bono|| Bomo
|-
|You
|yan
|yan
|yang
|yan
|-
| Mountain|| Braq|| Braq || Blaq|| Braq
|}


== Script == ==Phonology==
Balti is also the name of the Tibetan '''Balti script''', which was replaced by the ] script in the 17th century.


===Consonants===
The population of Baltistan is a heterogeneous mixture of ethnic groups. Tibetans form the principal ethnic group in the area accounting for 60 per cent of the population.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" |
!]
!]/<br/>]
!]
!]
!]
!]
!]
!]
|-
! rowspan="3" |]
!<small>]</small>
|{{IPAlink|p}}
|{{IPAlink|t}}
|{{IPAlink|ʈ}}
|
|
|{{IPAlink|k}}
|{{IPAlink|q}}
|
|-
!<small>]</small>
|{{IPAlink|pʰ}}
|{{IPAlink|tʰ}}
|{{IPAlink|ʈʰ}}
|
|
|{{IPAlink|kʰ}}
|
|
|-
!<small>]</small>
|{{IPAlink|b}}
|{{IPAlink|d}}
|{{IPAlink|ɖ}}
|
|
|{{IPAlink|ɡ}}
|{{IPAlink|ɢ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="3" |]
!<small>]</small>
|
|{{IPAlink|t͡s}}
|
|{{IPAlink|t͡ʃ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>]</small>
|
|{{IPAlink|t͡sʰ}}
|
|{{IPAlink|t͡ʃʰ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>]</small>
|
|{{IPAlink|d͡z}}
|
|{{IPAlink|d͡ʒ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |]
!<small>]</small>
|
|{{IPAlink|s}}
|({{IPAlink|ʂ}})
|{{IPAlink|ʃ}}
|
|
|{{IPAlink|χ}}
|{{IPAlink|h}}
|-
!<small>]</small>
|
|{{IPAlink|z}}
|
|{{IPAlink|ʒ}}
|
|
|{{IPAlink|ʁ}}
|
|-
! colspan="2" |]
|{{IPAlink|m}}
|{{IPAlink|n}}
|
|
|{{IPAlink|ɲ}}
|{{IPAlink|ŋ}}
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |]
|
|{{IPAlink|ɾ}}
|({{IPAlink|ɽ}})
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |]
!<small>plain</small>
|
|{{IPAlink|l}}
|({{IPAlink|ɭ}})
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>]</small>
|
|({{IPAlink|lʱ}})
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |]
|{{IPAlink|w}}
|
|
|
|{{IPAlink|j}}
|
|
|
|}


*Allophones of {{IPA|/l/}} include {{IPA|}}, {{IPA|}} and {{IPA|}}.
The language spoken by the entire population of Baltistan is called -BALTI- which is an archaic dialect of Tibetan language. At present Balti has been heavily influenced by Burushaski, Turkish and Urdu and affected by Muslim literature in Persian. With the result.it has deviated from the original Tibetan language.
*{{IPA|/ɖ/}} can be realized as a flap {{IPA|}}.
*{{IPA|/s/}} can also be retroflex {{IPA|}}.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Sharma|first=D. D.|title=Balti|publisher=New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications|year=2004|location=Tribal Languages of Ladakh Part III: A descriptive Grammar of Purki and Balti|pages=141–243}}</ref>


===Vowels===
The language spoken in Baltistan, generally known as BALTI is originally a Tibetan dialect. According to Professor Jampal Gyathso, a Chinese Scholar and expert in Epic of king Gesar and a Khampa (Tibetan) by origin, the present Balti has all the linguistic characteristics and roots from Tibetan language. According to his initial survey Balti resembles more the Kham dialect than other Tibetan dialects of U and Thsang and Amdo etc. He further suggests that either the first Tibetan settlers of Baltistan could be the Khambas or at least majority of the settlers were Khambas. The people of Baltistan, dubbed as -mini Tibet-, are related to the Tibetans and their language is a branch of the Tibetan language and retains many features of archaic Tibetan pronunciation. Reverend H. A. Jascke too has defined Balti as one of the western most-Tibetan dialect. In his Tibetan-English Dictionary (First Indian Reprint Delhi 1975-1980) he defines it as "Bal (Balti), the most westerly of the districts in which the Tibetan language is spoken". Many other scholars also are of the view that Balti is a Tibetan dialect and not a separate language from the Tibetan
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
!]
!]
!]
|- align="center"
!]
|{{IPAlink|i}}
|
|{{IPAlink|u}}
|-
!]
|{{IPAlink|e}}
|{{IPAlink|ə}}
|{{IPAlink|o}}
|-
!]
|
| colspan="2" |{{IPAlink|ɑ}}
|}


* {{IPA|/ɑ/}} varies between an open back {{IPAblink|ɑ}}, an open-mid back {{IPAblink|ʌ}}, and an open central {{IPAblink|ä}}.<ref name=":0" />
Recently a number of Balti scholars and social activists are trying to repromote the use of the Tibetan / Balti script (Yige) with the aim of helping to preserve indigenous Balti and Ladakhi form of culture and ethinic identity. Following a request from this community, the September 2006 Tokyo meeting of ISO/IEC 10646 WG2 agreed to encode two characters (U+0F6B TIBETAN LETTER KKA and TIBETAN U+0F6C LETTER RRA) in the ] / ] standards in order to support writing Urdu loanwords present in modern Balti in this script (yige).
* The mid {{IPA|/e, o/}} can be as low as open-mid {{IPA|}}.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rangan|first=K.|title=Balti Phonetic Reader|publisher=Central Institute of Indian Languages|year=1975}}</ref>


==Orthographies==
Like other Tibetan dialects, Balti had no script of its own till the Tibetans managed to create a script for their language and simultaneously introduced the same by the Tibetan Lamas and other learned people. In 727 AD when King Khri Lde-gTsug-Brtan conquered Baltistan and annexed it to his State, the Tibetan script was formally introduced as official script through their offices, religious books and rock inscriptions. The famous (Mandala) carving and the Tibetan inscription on a rock in village Manthal near Skardo town, which dates back to early 8th century AD is one of the best examples of these efforts. Till that time there was no difference between the Tibetan dialects of Lhasa or central Tibet and Baltistan; therefore, the Baltis faced no problem in reciprocal communication and usage. It is worth mentioning here that before the invasion of Tibetans, in 727 AD, the official language of Palolashahis and the clergy too was "Brahmi", which was brought into the area after the 4th legendary Buddhist Conference in jalandhar. We still find many rock-inscriptions (5th & 6th centuries) in the Brahmi script. However, the Tibetans spread their script with all their zest and zeal. This (Tibetan) script remained in use for the Balti till the 16th century AD when a strong opposition routed it away from the area and instead, the Mullahs persuaded the Balti masses to use the Persian script for Balti, but they never endeavoured to form fully corresponding Persian letters for Balti. Moreover, when the Maqpon Dynasty rose to its climax in the 16th century AD and they developed a strong political and cultural
The predominant writing system currently in use for Balti is the ], although there have been attempts to revive the ], which was used between the 8th and the 16th centuries.{{sfn|Bashir|2016|pp=808–09}} Additionally, there are two, nowadays possibly extinct, indigenous writing systems{{sfn|Pandey|2010}} and there have been proposals for the adoption of ]-{{sfn|Bashir|2016|p=808}} as well as ]-based orthographies{{sfn|Pandey|2010|p=1}} that were adjusted for writing Balti by the Central Institute of Indian Languages in the 1970s.<ref name="omniglot"/>
relationship with the Moghuls of India, they used Persian instead of Balti language for their offices and subsequently the Balti language including its script lost the strongest patron. The Dogras of Jammu conquered Baltistan in 1840 AD and annexed it to their State. Since Pakistan took it over in 1948 AD, Urdu has flooded over all the local dialects /languages including Balti. In the modem times Balti has no names /vocabulary for dozens of newly invented and introduced things, therefore, Urdu and English names/ words are being used in Balti.


In 1985, ] added four new letters to the Tibetan script and seven new letters to the Perso-Arabic script to adapt both of them to the needs of the Balti language. Two of the four added letters now stand included in the Tibetan Unicode block.
== Areas ==


Balti was written with a version of the Tibetan script from 727 AD, when Baltistan was conquered by Tibetans, until the last quarter of the 14th century, when the Baltis converted to Islam.<ref name="omniglot">{{cite web|first=Michael Peter|last=Füstumum|title=Balti|website=Omniglot: The online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages|url=https://omniglot.com/writing/balti.htm|access-date=2020-05-23}}</ref> Subsequently, the Perso-Arabic script replaced the Tibetan script, but the former had no letters for seven Balti sounds and was in vogue despite being defective. Adding the seven new letters has now made it a complete script for Balti.
The present Balti language or Balti form of Tibetan language is spoken in the whole of Baltistan and it is said that Purki-dialect of Purig and Suru-Kartse valleys come in to the Balti group linguistically. However, at the moment nearly 0.4 million people living in Baltistan and about 0.1 million Baltis who live in different cities of Pakistan and working abroad speak Balti.


Recently, a number of Balti scholars and social activists have attempted to promote the use of the Tibetan Balti or "Yige" alphabet<ref name="omniglot"/> with the aim of helping to preserve indigenous Balti and Ladakhi culture and ethnic identity. Following a request from this community, the September 2006 Tokyo meeting of ISO/IEC 10646 WG2 agreed to encode two characters invented by Abadi (U+0F6B TIBETAN LETTER KKA and TIBETAN U+0F6C LETTER RRA) in the ] and ] standards in order to support rendering ] loanwords present in modern Balti using the Yige alphabet.
== Evolution ==


===Perso-Arabic alphabet===
The Balti language has always been at a disadvantage. As mentioned earlier it had to change the script from the original to an artificial one (Persian) which never corresponded with the letters and requirements of the Balti with the result that it lost its standard and Tibetan originality. Its folk-literature is not yet available in written-shape; but continues to be orally transmitted. On the contrary the Balti has been quite promising in the sense of literature in category, aptitude and profundity. It is worth mention here that, despite all handicaps the Balti language has retained may honorific words like all the Tibetan dialects and many other languages. Below are a few examples:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Letter !! Romanization !! ]
{|class="wikitable"
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ا}}}} || ā, a, (e), o, - || {{IPA|/ɑ/}}, {{IPA|/ə/}}, {{IPA|/e/}}, {{IPA|/o/}}, {{IPA|/∅/}}
!Ordinary Balti !! Honorific !! Ladakhi !!Meaning
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ب}}}} || b || {{IPA|/b/}}
|Ata || Baba || Aba || Father
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|پ}}}} || p || {{IPA|/p/}}
|Ano/Amo || Zizi || Ama || Mother
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ت}}}} || t || {{IPA|/t/}}
|Kaka || Kacho || Acho || Brother (elder)
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ٹ}}}} || ṭ || {{IPA|/ʈ/}}
|Bustring || Zung || Nama || Wife
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ث}}}} || (s) || {{IPA|/s/}}
|Momo || Jangmocho || Ajang || Maternal uncle
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ج}}}} || j || {{IPA|/d͡ʒ/}}
|Nene || Nenecho || Ane || Aunt
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ڃ}}}} || ž || {{IPA|/ʒ/}}
|Bu || Bucho || Tugu || Son
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|چ}}}} || č || {{IPA|/t͡ʃ/}}
|Fru || Nono || || Boy
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ڇ}}}} || č̣ || {{IPA|/ʈ͡ʂ/}}
|Apo || Apocho || Meme || Grandfather
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ح}}}} || (h) || {{IPA|/h/}}
|Api || Apicho || Abi || Grandmother
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|خ}}}} || x || {{IPA|/x/}}
|Ashe || Ashcho || Singmo || Sister (elder)
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|د}}}} || d || {{IPA|/d/}}
|Zo || bjes || Zo || Eat
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ڈ}}}} || ḍ || {{IPA|/ɖ/}}
|Thung || bjes || Thung || Drink
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ذ}}}} || (z) || {{IPA|/z/}}
|Ong || Shokhs || Yong || Come
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ر}}}} || r || {{IPA|/ɾ/}}
|Zer || Kasal-byung || Zer || Speak/Say
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ڑ}}}} || ṛ || {{IPA|/ɽ/}}
|Ngid tong || gZim tong || Ngid tong || Sleep (go to)
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ز}}}} || z || {{IPA|/z/}}
|Lagpa || Phyaq-laq/g || Lagpa || Hand/Arm
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ڗ}}}} || đ/dz || {{IPA|/d͡z/}}
|Khyang || Yang/Yari-phyaqpo || Khyorang || You
|- |-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ژ}}}} || c/ts || {{IPA|/t͡s/}}
|Kama || gzok-po || || Leg
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|س}}}} || s || {{IPA|/s/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ش}}}} || š || {{IPA|/ʃ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ݜ}}}} || ṣ || {{IPA|/ʂ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ص}}}} || (s) || {{IPA|/s/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ض}}}} || (z) || {{IPA|/z/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ط}}}} || (t) || {{IPA|/t/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ظ}}}} || (z) || {{IPA|/z/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ع}}}} || (ā), (a), (e), (o), (-) || {{IPA|/ɑ/}}, {{IPA|/ə/}}, {{IPA|/e/}}, {{IPA|/o/}}, {{IPA|/∅/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|غ}}}} || ǧ || {{IPA|/ʁ~ɢ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ف}}}} || f || {{IPA|/pʰ~f/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ق}}}} || q || {{IPA|/q/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ک}}}} || k || {{IPA|/k/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|کٔ}}}} || ǩ/ṡ || {{IPA|/ɕ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|گ}}}} || g || {{IPA|/ɡ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ل}}}} || l || {{IPA|/l/}}, ({{IPA|/ɭ/}}), ({{IPA|/ɫ/}})
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|م}}}} || m || {{IPA|/m/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ن}}}} || n || {{IPA|/n/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ݨ}}}} || ŋ/ng || {{IPA|/ŋ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ݩ}}}} || ň/ny || {{IPA|/ɲ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|و}}}} || w, u || {{IPA|/w/}}, {{IPA|/u/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ہ}}}} || h || {{IPA|/h/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ھ}}}} || _h || {{IPA|/◌ʰ/}}, {{IPA|/◌ʱ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ی}}}} || y, i || {{IPA|/j/}}, {{IPA|/i/}}
|-
| style="font-size:150%" | {{lang|bft|{{Uninastaliq|ے}}}} || e/ay || {{IPA|/e/}}
|} |}


== Literature == ===Yige alphabet===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
! Additional Balti Yige Letter !! Romanization !! ]
Though Balti has remained under adverse conditions, even then it has proved to be a very fertile language capable of creating several categories/ kinds of folk and classical literature. We do not find any prose except Proverbs (in hundreds) and some Epics and Sagas (of King Kesar/Gesar, Rgyalucho-Lo-bZang and Rgyalu-Srasbu and some others), all in oral tradition. All other literature is in verse. The Balti literature has adopted numerous Persian styles of verse and vocables also wluch have amplified the beauty and melody of its poetry.
|-
| style="font-size:200%" | {{lang|bft|ཫ}} || q || {{IPA | /q/}}
|-
| style="font-size:200%" | {{lang|bft|ཬ}} || ɽ || {{IPA | /ɽ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:200%" | {{lang|bft|ཁ༹}} || x || {{IPA | /χ/}}
|-
| style="font-size:200%" | {{lang|bft|ག༹}} || ɣ || {{IPA | /ʁ/}}
|}


===Basic letters===
All the languages and dialects of the mountain region in the north of Pakistan including Burushaski and Shina belong to the Indian or Persian group of languages, but the Balti is the only language which belongs to the "Tibeto-Burman" branch of "Sino-Tibetan" group of languages. Basically it has nothing in common with them except some words absorbed later on, owing to interaction of masses. Apparently, Balti is, at the moment, cut off from its sister-languages of Ladakh but has 80-90 per cent of nouns, pronouns, verbs and other literary and grammatical character in common except those few which made their place in Balti afterwards. We can, however, term Balti and Bodhi of Ladakh as separate dialects, but not separate languages.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:75%"
Problems
|-align=center style="font-size:small"
!
!style="background:beige;" colspan=2 | Unaspirated<br/>''high''
!style="background:#d6f5d6;" colspan=2 | ]<br />''medium''
!style="background:#ffcce6;" colspan=2 | ]<br/ >''low''
!style="background:#99bbff;" colspan=2 | ]<br />''low''
|-align=center style="font-size:small"
!
! Letter
! ]
! Letter
! IPA
! Letter
! IPA
! Letter
! IPA
|-align=center
| ''''']''''' ||style="background:beige; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཀ}} || {{IPA|/ka/}} ||style="background:#d6f5d6; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཁ}} || {{IPA|/kʰa/}} ||style="background:#ffcce6; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ག}} || {{IPA|/ɡa/}} ||style="background:#99bbff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ང}} || {{IPA|/ŋa/}}
|-align=center
| ''''']''''' ||style="background:beige; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཅ}} || {{IPA|/tʃa/}} ||style="background:#d6f5d6; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཆ}} || {{IPA|/tʃʰa/}} ||style="background:#ffcce6; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཇ}} || {{IPA|/dʒa/}} ||style="background:#99bbff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཉ}} || {{IPA|/ɲa/}}
|-align=center
| rowspan="2" | ''''']''''' ||style="background:beige; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཏ}} || {{IPA|/ta/}} ||style="background:#d6f5d6; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཐ}} || {{IPA|/tʰa/}} ||style="background:#ffcce6; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ད}} || {{IPA|/da/}} ||style="background:#99bbff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ན}} || {{IPA|/na/}}
|- align="center"
| style="background:beige; font-size:24px;" |{{bo-textonly|ཙ}}||{{IPA|/tsa/}}|| style="background:#d6f5d6; font-size:24px;" |{{bo-textonly|ཚ}}||{{IPA|/tsʰa/}}|| style="background:#ffcce6; font-size:24px;" |{{bo-textonly|ཛ}}||{{IPA|/dza/}}|| style="background:#EEEFE4; font-size:24px;" |{{bo-textonly|ཝ}}||{{IPA|/wa/}}
|-align=center
| ''''']''''' ||style="background:beige; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|པ}} || {{IPA|/pa/}} ||style="background:#d6f5d6; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཕ}} || {{IPA|/pʰa/}} ||style="background:#ffcce6; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|བ}} || {{IPA|/ba/}} ||style="background:#99bbff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|མ}} || {{IPA|/ma/}}
|-align=center
|style="background:#d9b3ff;" | '''''low''''' ||style="background:#d9b3ff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཞ}} || {{IPA|/ʒa/}} ||style="background:#d9b3ff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཟ}} || {{IPA|/za/}} ||style="background:#d9b3ff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|འ}} || {{IPA|/a/}} {{angle bracket|ʼa}} ||style="background:#d9b3ff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཡ}} || {{IPA|/ja/}}
|-align=center
|style="background:#b3ffff;" | '''''medium''''' ||style="background:#b3ffff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ར}} || {{IPA|/ra/}} ||style="background:#b3ffff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ལ}} || {{IPA|/la/}} ||style="background:#b3ffff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཤ}} || {{IPA|/ʃa/}} ||style="background:#b3ffff; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ས}} || {{IPA|/sa/}}
|-align=center
|style="background:#ffffcc;" | '''''high''''' ||style="background:#ffffcc; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཧ}} || {{IPA|/ha/}} ||style="background:#ffffcc; font-size:24px;"| {{bo-textonly|ཨ}} || {{IPA|/a/}} {{angle bracket|ꞏa}}
|}


==Evolution==
The major problem of the Balti language is that it had to disconnect the relationship with its radical centre, Tibet, owing to political divisions and strong religious differences since last 500 years and even from its immediate neighbour Ladakh for the last 50 years. It has been left at the mercy of other languages and literatures which are stronger in quantity and vocabulary. The other major problem is the abandoning of its original script-Tibetan and during the last 500 years it has not been able to adopt a suitable script so far. This critical and adverse situation knocked away Balti from its original stream or natural track and left as an astray animal. At the moment neither the Baltis have the awareness to revive their original script nor there is any institution which could restore it and persuade the people to use it again. And the third problem is those Persian and Urdu letters which do not exist in Tibetan which have become now un-avoidable in some cases. There is an urgent need to establish a Forum to, at least, carry out initial efforts to revive its original status.
Since Pakistan gained control of the region in 1948, Urdu words have been introduced into local dialects and languages, including Balti. In modern times, Balti has no native names or vocabulary for dozens of newly invented and introduced things; instead, Urdu and English words are being used in Balti.


Balti has retained many honorific words that are characteristic of Tibetan dialects and many other languages.
The Balti Literature may be categorised as under:


Below are a few examples:
:'''Rgya-glu''': This can be categorised as a classical one in the folk-verses for its meaning or deepness. It contains romantic songs, elegies, advice, complaints and historical events etc.
:'''Rtse-glu''':This is a light type of poetry sung while dancing. In this kind of song, different topics and events of life, families and their social or cultural conditions, jokes, etc. are the subject matter.
:'''Yurmi-glu''': This is a song sung by the women while working or weeding in the fields. In such songs, women recollect their childhood, love and longing for her parents, pleasant or unpleasant experience or feelings about her husband or other relatives.
:'''Ridagsi-glu''': These are the songs composed in praise of mountain-goats of all sort. Some songs admire the beauty of wild-life, some depict motherhood in these animals for their kids and in some the poets lament the extinction of goats and sheep.
:'''Bar-glu''': Also called ''Deewan'', this can be described as the medieval stage between the Rgya-glu and the modern poetry (glu). This type of poetry also involves romantic and other general experiences.
:'''Glu''': This can be described as the mGul-glu as it has only romantic feelings and flavour.
:'''Hamd''': This is the form of verses in praise of God.
:'''Qaseeda''': These are verses in praise of ] and the twelve Imams, their family members according to ].
:'''Marsia''': Versed elegy commemorating the martyrdom of ] (the grandson of Muhammad , the 3rd Imam) in ], other Imams, etc.
:'''Noha''': These are versed elegies sung with rhythm while the (Shiaite) mourners beat their chests. This category is also attributed to the martyrs of Karbala and other family members of Muhammad.
:'''Bahr-e-Taweel''': These verses are in long metre and consist of several stanzas of 9 to 14 lines. In this poetry, generally, the mortality of life and other similar topics are explored in a mystic way.
:'''Goshwara''': This is similar to the Persian or Urdu "Masnavi" Narrative couplets. Usually the dignity and illustrious personalities and deeds of Muhammad and the Imams are narrated.
:''']''': These are the odes of love and romance exactly on the principles of Persian and Urdu Ghazal and Nazm.
<blockquote><center>
:youq fangsay thalang paqzi na mandoq na mabour na
:na drolbi laming yani si soq fangse chi thobtook</center>
::::::nasir karmi
</blockquote>
:'''Sa-get-pi-glu''': These are the songs praising or encouraging the farmers and agriculturists in modern time.
:'''Milli-naghma''': These are like Urdu Milli-naghmas.
balti ka ek shier '''ABDUL BARI GOHAR kharkoi(islamabad)'''
na yaan na thot pa thon ma meath


{|class="wikitable"
yaan na thot pa chagh fa meath
|-
!Ordinary Balti
!Text Writing!! Honorific !! Ladakhi !!Meaning
|-
|Ata
|اتا|| Bawa/buwa/Baba || Aba || Father
|-
|kho
|کھو|| kho || kho || he
|-
|gashay
|گشے|| liakhmo || liakhmo || Beautiful
|-
|paynay
|پینے|| khumul || paynay || Money
|-
|bila
|بلا|| Bila || bila || Cat
|-
|su
|سُو|| su || su || Who
|-
|Ano/Amo
|انو/امو|| Zizi || Ama || Mother
|-
|Kaka
|ککا|| Kacho || Acho || Brother (elder)
|-
|Bustring
|بُسترنگ|| Zung || Nama || Woman / Wife
|-
|Momo
|مومو|| Jangmocho || Ajang || Maternal uncle
|-
|Nene
|نےنے|| Nenecho || Anay || Aunt
|-
|Bu
|بُو|| Bucho || butsha || Son
|-
|Fru
|فُرو|| Nono || thugu || Boy
|-
|Apo
|اپو|| Apocho || Meme || Grandfather
|-
|Api
|اپی|| Apicho || Abi || Grandmother
|-
|Ashe
|اشے|| Ashcho || achay || Sister (elder)
|-
|Zo
|زو|| bjes || Zo || Eat
|-
|Thung
|تُھونگ|| bjes || Thung || Drink
|-
|Ong
|اونگ|| Shokhs || Yong || Come
|-
|Song
|سونگ|| Shokhs || Song || Go
|-
|Zair
|زیر|| Kasal-byung || Zer || Speak/Say
|-
|Ngid tong
|نِت تونگ|| ghzim tong || Ngid tong || Sleep (go to)
|-
|Lagpa
|لقپا|| Phyaq-laq/g || Lagpa || Hand/Arm
|-
|Khyang
|کھیانگ|| Yang/Yari-phyaqpo || Khyorang || You
|-
|Kangma
|کنگما|| gzok-po || kangba
|| Leg
|}


==Literature==
muawari sniin la dogh say cheath
Other than proverb collections, no prose literature has been found written in Balti.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} Some epics and sagas appear in oral literature such as the '']'' and the stories of ''rgya lu cho lo bzang'' and ''rgya lu sras bu''. All other literature is in verse. Balti literature has adopted numerous ] styles of verse and vocables which amplify the beauty and melody of its poetry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bano |first1=Nuzhat |last2=Mir |first2=Abdul Rehman |last3=Issa |first3=Muhammad |date=2024-01-04 |title=The Extinction of Words from Use: A Critical Aspect of Balti Language Endangerment |url=https://ojs.ahss.org.pk/journal/article/view/467 |journal=Annals of Human and Social Sciences |language=en |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=182–195 |doi=10.35484/ahss.2024(5-I)17 |issn=2790-6809|doi-access=free }}</ref>


Nearly all the languages and dialects of the mountain region in the north of Pakistan such as ], ] and Shina are ] or ], but Balti is one of the ]. As such, it has nothing in common with neighboring languages except some loanwords absorbed as a result of linguistic contact. Balti and ] are closely related.
pa khaer ya ghalea


The major issue facing Balti literature is its centuries-long isolation from ] and even from its immediate neighbor, Ladakh, due to political divisions and strong religious differences. Separated from its linguistic kin, Balti is under pressure from more dominant languages such as ]. This is compounded by the lack of a suitable means of transcription following the abandonment of its original Tibetan script. The Baltis do not have the awareness to revive their original script and there is no institution that could restore it and persuade the people to use it again.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} Even if the script were revived, it would need modification to express certain Urdu phonemes that occur in common loanwords within Balti.
== Vocabulary ==
The Balti language shares 90% of the vocabulary with the neighboring ], as well as with ] and ] dialect of North Eastern ]. However, they have adopted words from ], ] and ] with the process of Islamization.


Example of poetry:{{blockquote|{{center|
== See also ==
:Youq fangsay thalang paqzi na mandoq na mabour na
:Na drolbi laming yani si soq fangse chi thobtook
:Nasir Karimi}}}}

==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]


== References == ==References==
{{reflist}}


==Bibliography==
* Everson, Michael. . 2005-09-05
{{refbegin}}
*{{Cite book|last=Bashir|first=Elena L.|author-link=Elena Bashir|date=2016|chapter=Perso-Arabic adaptions for South Asian languages|editor1-last=Hock|editor1-first=Hans Henrich|editor1-link=Hans Henrich Hock|editor2-last=Bashir|editor2-first=Elena|editor2-link=Elena Bashir|title=The languages and linguistics of South Asia: a comprehensive guide|series=World of Linguistics|publisher=De Gruyter Mouton|location=Berlin|isbn=978-3-11-042715-8|pages=803–9}}
*{{Cite report|last = Pandey|first = Anshuman|date = 2010|title = Introducing Another Script for Writing Balti|url = https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2010/10231-n3842-balti.pdf}}
*{{Cite book|last=Rangan|first=K|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.language.0105|title=Balti Phonetic Reader|publisher=Central institute of Indian languages|year=1975}}
* Muhammad Yousuf Hussainabadi, 'Baltistan per aik Nazar'. 1984.
* Hussainabadi, Mohamad Yusuf. ''Balti Zaban''. 1990. * Hussainabadi, Mohamad Yusuf. ''Balti Zaban''. 1990.
* Muhammad Hassan Hasrat, 'Tareekh-e-Adbiat;.
* Muhammad Hassan Hasrat, Baltistan Tehzeebo Saqafat.
* Muhammad Yousuf Hussainabadi, 'Tareekh-e-Baltistan'. 2003.
* Engineer Wazir Qalbi Ali, 'Qadam Qadam Baltistan'. 2006.
* "A Short Sketch of Balti English Grammar" by ], 1995.
* Everson, Michael. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805153934/http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n2985.pdf |date=5 August 2019 }}. 2005-09-05
* Read, A.F.C. ''Balti grammar''.London:The Royal Asiatic society, 1934. * Read, A.F.C. ''Balti grammar''.London:The Royal Asiatic society, 1934.
* Sprigg, Richard Keith. ''Balti-English English-Balti dictionary''. Richmond: RoutledgeCurzon, 2002.
* Backstrom, Peter C. ''Languages of Northern Areas (Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan, 2)'', 1992. 417 pp.&nbsp;{{ISBN|969-8023-12-7}}.
{{refend}}


== External links == ==External links==
{{Incubator|code=bft}}
*
*
*
* *
* *
* * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805153934/http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n2985.pdf |date=5 August 2019 }}
* * ],
* *
* *
* *
* ]
*


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{{Sino-Tibetan languages}}
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{{Bodic languages}}
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{{Languages of Pakistan}}
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{{Languages of India}}
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Latest revision as of 23:42, 28 November 2024

Tibetic language of Baltistan, Pakistan Not to be confused with the Baltic languages.

Balti
بلتی
སྦལ་འཐུས་
Native toPakistan, India
RegionBaltistan, Ladakh
EthnicityBalti
Native speakers425,000 in Pakistan (2018) Total users in all countries: 438,800 (2018)
Language familySino-Tibetan
Writing system
Language codes
ISO 639-3bft
Glottologbalt1258
ELPBalti
Balti language speaking areas
Rizwan, a speaker of Balti

Balti (Perso-Arabic script: بلتی, Tibetan script: སྦལ་ཏི།, Wylie: sbal ti) is a Tibetic language natively spoken by the ethnic Balti people in the Baltistan region of Gilgit-Baltistan, Nubra Valley of the Leh district and in the Kargil district of Ladakh, India. The language differs from Standard Tibetan; many sounds of Old Tibetan that were lost in Standard Tibetan are retained in the Balti language. It also has a simple pitch accent system only in multi-syllabic words while Standard Tibetan has a complex and distinct pitch system that includes tone contour. Due to effects of dominant languages in Pakistani media like Urdu, Punjabi and English and religious impact of Arabic and Persian languages, Balti, like other regional languages of Pakistan, is continuously expanding its vocabulary base with loanwords.

Demographics and distribution

Balti is spoken in most parts of Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan and Kargil and Nubra Ladakh in India. According to the Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts, the language is mostly found in the Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche, Roundu, and Kharmang parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. In the twin districts of Ladakh region (Kargil and Leh), it is spoken in Kargil city and its surrounding villages like Hardass, Lato, Karkitchhoo, and Balti Bazar, as well as in Turtuk, Bogdang, and Tyakshi, including Leh city and nearby villages. Balti is also spoken by immigrants in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, Quetta, and other cities of Pakistan. In India, it is found in Dehradun, Nainital, Ambari, Shimla, Vikasnagar, and other northern cities among speakers who migrated from Baltistan, Kargil, and Nubra before the partition of India and Pakistan.

Classification and dialects

Historically, Buddhists in Leh have referred to all Muslims in Ladakh as Balti.

The Balti language has four variants or dialects. Despite differences in pronunciation of vocabulary, they are mutually intelligible. For example, to keep is yuq in other varieties, but juq in the southern dialect of Kharmang and Kargil. Similarly, milk is oma in the eastern Chorbat-Nubra, the central Khaplu, and the southern Kharmang-Kargil varieties, but ona in the western dialect of Skardu, Shigar, and Rondu valley. The four variants or dialects of Balti are:

  1. Eastern dialect of Chorbat and Nubra valley
  2. Central dialect of Khaplu valley
  3. Western dialect of Skardu, Shigar and Rondu.
  4. Southern dialect of Upper Kharmang and Kargil

Caption text
English Eastern Nubra/Chorbat dialect Central Khaplu dialect Western Skardu dialect Southern Kharmang dialect
Milk Oma Oma Ona Oma
Keep Yuq Yuq Yuq Juq
Girl Bono Bono Bono Bomo
You yan yan yang yan
Mountain Braq Braq Blaq Braq

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Dental/
Alveolar 		Retroflex Post-
alveolar 		Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
Stop voiceless p t ʈ k q
aspirated pʰ tʰ ʈʰ kʰ
voiced b d ɖ ɡ ɢ
Affricate voiceless t͡s t͡ʃ
aspirated t͡sʰ t͡ʃʰ
voiced d͡z d͡ʒ
Fricative voiceless s (ʂ) ʃ χ h
voiced z ʒ ʁ
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Tap ɾ (ɽ)
Lateral plain l (ɭ)
murmured (lʱ)
Approximant w j
  • Allophones of /l/ include , and .
  • /ɖ/ can be realized as a flap .
  • /s/ can also be retroflex .

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid e ə o
Open ɑ
  • /ɑ/ varies between an open back [ɑ], an open-mid back [ʌ], and an open central [ä].
  • The mid /e, o/ can be as low as open-mid .

Orthographies

The predominant writing system currently in use for Balti is the Perso-Arabic script, although there have been attempts to revive the Tibetan script, which was used between the 8th and the 16th centuries. Additionally, there are two, nowadays possibly extinct, indigenous writing systems and there have been proposals for the adoption of Latin script- as well as Devanagari-based orthographies that were adjusted for writing Balti by the Central Institute of Indian Languages in the 1970s.

In 1985, Yusuf Hussain Abadi added four new letters to the Tibetan script and seven new letters to the Perso-Arabic script to adapt both of them to the needs of the Balti language. Two of the four added letters now stand included in the Tibetan Unicode block.

Balti was written with a version of the Tibetan script from 727 AD, when Baltistan was conquered by Tibetans, until the last quarter of the 14th century, when the Baltis converted to Islam. Subsequently, the Perso-Arabic script replaced the Tibetan script, but the former had no letters for seven Balti sounds and was in vogue despite being defective. Adding the seven new letters has now made it a complete script for Balti.

Recently, a number of Balti scholars and social activists have attempted to promote the use of the Tibetan Balti or "Yige" alphabet with the aim of helping to preserve indigenous Balti and Ladakhi culture and ethnic identity. Following a request from this community, the September 2006 Tokyo meeting of ISO/IEC 10646 WG2 agreed to encode two characters invented by Abadi (U+0F6B TIBETAN LETTER KKA and TIBETAN U+0F6C LETTER RRA) in the ISO 10646 and Unicode standards in order to support rendering Urdu loanwords present in modern Balti using the Yige alphabet.

Perso-Arabic alphabet

Letter Romanization IPA
ا ā, a, (e), o, - /ɑ/, /ə/, /e/, /o/, /∅/
ب b /b/
پ p /p/
ت t /t/
ٹ ṭ /ʈ/
ث (s) /s/
ج j /d͡ʒ/
ڃ ž /ʒ/
چ č /t͡ʃ/
ڇ č̣ /ʈ͡ʂ/
ح (h) /h/
خ x /x/
د d /d/
ڈ ḍ /ɖ/
ذ (z) /z/
ر r /ɾ/
ڑ ṛ /ɽ/
ز z /z/
ڗ đ/dz /d͡z/
ژ c/ts /t͡s/
س s /s/
ش š /ʃ/
ݜ ṣ /ʂ/
ص (s) /s/
ض (z) /z/
ط (t) /t/
ظ (z) /z/
ع (ā), (a), (e), (o), (-) /ɑ/, /ə/, /e/, /o/, /∅/
غ ǧ /ʁ~ɢ/
ف f /pʰ~f/
ق q /q/
ک k /k/
کٔ ǩ/ṡ /ɕ/
گ g /ɡ/
ل l /l/, (/ɭ/), (/ɫ/)
م m /m/
ن n /n/
ݨ ŋ/ng /ŋ/
ݩ ň/ny /ɲ/
و w, u /w/, /u/
ہ h /h/
ھ _h /◌ʰ/, /◌ʱ/
ی y, i /j/, /i/
ے e/ay /e/

Yige alphabet

Additional Balti Yige Letter Romanization IPA
ཫ q /q/
ཬ ɽ /ɽ/
ཁ༹ x /χ/
ག༹ ɣ /ʁ/

Basic letters

Unaspirated
high 		Aspirated
medium 		Voiced
low 		Nasal
low
Letter IPA Letter IPA Letter IPA Letter IPA
Guttural ཀ /ka/ ཁ /kʰa/ ག /ɡa/ ང /ŋa/
Palatal ཅ /tʃa/ ཆ /tʃʰa/ ཇ /dʒa/ ཉ /ɲa/
Dental ཏ /ta/ ཐ /tʰa/ ད /da/ ན /na/
ཙ /tsa/ ཚ /tsʰa/ ཛ /dza/ ཝ /wa/
Labial པ /pa/ ཕ /pʰa/ བ /ba/ མ /ma/
low ཞ /ʒa/ ཟ /za/ འ /a/ ⟨ʼa⟩ ཡ /ja/
medium ར /ra/ ལ /la/ ཤ /ʃa/ ས /sa/
high ཧ /ha/ ཨ /a/ ⟨ꞏa⟩

Evolution

Since Pakistan gained control of the region in 1948, Urdu words have been introduced into local dialects and languages, including Balti. In modern times, Balti has no native names or vocabulary for dozens of newly invented and introduced things; instead, Urdu and English words are being used in Balti.

Balti has retained many honorific words that are characteristic of Tibetan dialects and many other languages.

Below are a few examples:

Ordinary Balti Text Writing Honorific Ladakhi Meaning
Ata اتا Bawa/buwa/Baba Aba Father
kho کھو kho kho he
gashay گشے liakhmo liakhmo Beautiful
paynay پینے khumul paynay Money
bila بلا Bila bila Cat
su سُو su su Who
Ano/Amo انو/امو Zizi Ama Mother
Kaka ککا Kacho Acho Brother (elder)
Bustring بُسترنگ Zung Nama Woman / Wife
Momo مومو Jangmocho Ajang Maternal uncle
Nene نےنے Nenecho Anay Aunt
Bu بُو Bucho butsha Son
Fru فُرو Nono thugu Boy
Apo اپو Apocho Meme Grandfather
Api اپی Apicho Abi Grandmother
Ashe اشے Ashcho achay Sister (elder)
Zo زو bjes Zo Eat
Thung تُھونگ bjes Thung Drink
Ong اونگ Shokhs Yong Come
Song سونگ Shokhs Song Go
Zair زیر Kasal-byung Zer Speak/Say
Ngid tong نِت تونگ ghzim tong Ngid tong Sleep (go to)
Lagpa لقپا Phyaq-laq/g Lagpa Hand/Arm
Khyang کھیانگ Yang/Yari-phyaqpo Khyorang You
Kangma کنگما gzok-po kangba Leg

Literature

Other than proverb collections, no prose literature has been found written in Balti. Some epics and sagas appear in oral literature such as the Epic of King Gesar and the stories of rgya lu cho lo bzang and rgya lu sras bu. All other literature is in verse. Balti literature has adopted numerous Persian styles of verse and vocables which amplify the beauty and melody of its poetry.

Nearly all the languages and dialects of the mountain region in the north of Pakistan such as Pashto, Khowar and Shina are Indo-Aryan or Iranic languages, but Balti is one of the Sino-Tibetan languages. As such, it has nothing in common with neighboring languages except some loanwords absorbed as a result of linguistic contact. Balti and Ladakhi are closely related.

The major issue facing Balti literature is its centuries-long isolation from Tibet and even from its immediate neighbor, Ladakh, due to political divisions and strong religious differences. Separated from its linguistic kin, Balti is under pressure from more dominant languages such as Urdu. This is compounded by the lack of a suitable means of transcription following the abandonment of its original Tibetan script. The Baltis do not have the awareness to revive their original script and there is no institution that could restore it and persuade the people to use it again. Even if the script were revived, it would need modification to express certain Urdu phonemes that occur in common loanwords within Balti.

Example of poetry:

Youq fangsay thalang paqzi na mandoq na mabour na
Na drolbi laming yani si soq fangse chi thobtook
Nasir Karimi

See also

References

  1. Balti at Ethnologue (24th ed., 2021) Closed access icon
  2. Census of India, 1961: Jammu and Kashmir. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 1961. p. 357.
  3. Sprigg, R. K. (1966). "Lepcha and Balti Tibetan: Tonal or Non-Tonal Languages?". Asia Major. 12: 185–201.
  4. Shams, Shammim Ara (2020). "The Impact of Dominant Languages on Regional Languages: A Case Study of English, Urdu and Shina". Pakistan Social Sciences Review. 4 (III): 1092–1106. doi:10.35484/pssr.2020(4-III)79.
  5. "Archived copy". www.gilgitbaltistanscouts.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "The Curious Case Of The Baltis Of Dehradun". 4 June 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  7. "Balti: Protecting the language". 29 January 2021.
  8. Team, Editorial. "Politicisation of Balti Language in Kargil - Skardu.pk". Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  9. ^ Sharma, D. D. (2004). Balti. Tribal Languages of Ladakh Part III: A descriptive Grammar of Purki and Balti: New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications. pp. 141–243.
  10. Rangan, K. (1975). Balti Phonetic Reader. Central Institute of Indian Languages.
  11. Bashir 2016, pp. 808–09.
  12. Pandey 2010.
  13. Bashir 2016, p. 808.
  14. Pandey 2010, p. 1.
  15. ^ Füstumum, Michael Peter. "Balti". Omniglot: The online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  16. Bano, Nuzhat; Mir, Abdul Rehman; Issa, Muhammad (4 January 2024). "The Extinction of Words from Use: A Critical Aspect of Balti Language Endangerment". Annals of Human and Social Sciences. 5 (1): 182–195. doi:10.35484/ahss.2024(5-I)17. ISSN 2790-6809.

Bibliography

External links


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