Sheikhgal or Watali is an unclassified

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 Jammu and Kashmir, India. Its speakers, the formerly nomadic Watals, are found throughout

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

, particularly in the districts of

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

( Parimpora, Nowhatta,

Dargah A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervi ...

, Natipora, Hawal),

Baramulla Baramulla (), also known as Varmul () in Kashmiri, is a city and municipality of the Baramulla district of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various r ...

( Bandipora, Khawja Bagh, Sopore and Tangmarg),

Pulwama Pulwama ( ; or ) is a city and notified area council in the Pulwama district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mentio ...

( Lolaab and Lassipora) and Kupwara ( Kanthpora, Kulgam, Haihama,

Magam Magam is a tehsil in central Kashmir's Beerwah sub-district. It is also a town, notified area committee, and a block in Budgam district in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is away from sub-district headquarter ...

, Handwara, Tarathpora). Among its speakers the language is also known as Opedigal or Phiri kathi. Although attitudes towards the language are generally negative, the community is compact; and Sheikhgal is the dominant language within the home. However, in other domains (market, workplace etc.) the language of wider communication Kashmiri is the preferred choice, even with other speakers of Sheikhgal. Within the family, there is a slight shift away from using Sheikhgal (85% of those interviewed by Mullick speak Sheikhgal with their spouses but only 69% do so with their children).

References

Bibliography

* *

References

Bibliography

Further reading