Gawar-Bati or Narsati is an
Indo-Aryan language
The Indo-Aryan languages, or sometimes Indic languages, are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. As of 2024, there are more than 1.5 billion speakers, primarily concentrated east of the Indus river in Ba ...
spoken in
Kunar Province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- ...
of eastern Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan. It is also known as Kohistani in Kunar. Gawar-Bati has an estimated 75,000 speakers, of whom 50,000 are in Kunar and 25,000 in Chitral, Pakistan.
Gawari ( Gawar-Bati) Language first Writer is Mohammad Nawaz Haqiqat Sanin is a prominent figure in Gawari literature and poetry. He is known for his contributions to the promotion and preservation of the Gawari language. His works have played a significant role in the development of modern Gawari literature.
Mohammad Nawaz Haqiqat Sanin has written numerous books in Gawari literature. His works often focus on the culture, history, and traditions of the Gawari-speaking people. He has contributed significantly to the development of Gawari poetry and prose. His books are well-regarded for their literary quality and their role in preserving Gawari language and heritage.
Study and classification
The Gawar-Bati language has not been given serious study by linguists, except that it is mentioned by George Morgenstierne (1926) and Kendall Decker (1992).
It is classified as an
Indo-Aryan language
The Indo-Aryan languages, or sometimes Indic languages, are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. As of 2024, there are more than 1.5 billion speakers, primarily concentrated east of the Indus river in Ba ...
of the
Dardic subgroup. However, the term Dardic is not linguistic but merely geographic.
Phonology
The following tables set out the phonology of the Gawar-Bati language:
Vowels
The status of short /e/ and /o/ is unclear.
Consonants
A breathy voiced series, /bʱ dʱ gʱ/, existed recently in older speakers—and may still do so.
Orthography
It is rarely written. This alphabet is used in Pakistan:
Gawarbati Alif Be
fli-online.org
Notes and references
Further reading
* Decker, Kendall D. (1992) ''Languages of Chitral'' Islamabad, Pakistan: National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, http://www.ethnologue.com/show_work.asp?id=32850
* Morgenstierne, Georg (1926) ''Report on a Linguistic Mission to Afghanistan'' Instituttet for Sammenlignende Kulturforskning, Serie C I-2. Oslo.
External links
Georg Morgenstierne multimedia database
Gawar-Bati online keyboard
{{Dardic languages
Dardic languages
Languages of Lower Chitral District