Thaḷī is a

Lahnda Lahnda () () also known as Lahndi or Western Punjabi, is a group of north-western Indo-Aryan language varieties spoken in parts of Pakistan and India. Its validity as a genetic grouping is not certain. Terms like ''Lahnda'' or ''Western Punja ...

dialect spoken in parts of the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It has a widespread area, starting from Tank to Muzzafargarh on the eastern end of the Indus River and from Bannu running down to D I khan at the western end of the Indus River. It is classified as a northern dialect of Saraiki, although it has also been described as transitional between Shahpuri and the central Saraiki Multani dialect. Its name derives from the Thal Desert. Thali is one of several Saraiki dialects that are commonly known as ''Jaṭkī''. It is spoken in Khushab District and parts of the former Shahpur District where it is known as ''Thaḷī''. Its local name in Jhang District is ''Thaḷochṛī''. In

Dera Ismail Khan District Dera Ismail Khan District ( ps, ډېره اسماعیل خان ولسوالي, bal, ڈیرہ عِسمائیل خان, ur, , skr, ; often abbreviated as D.I. Khan) is a district in Dera Ismail Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in P ...

it goes by the name of ''Ḍerāwāl'' or ''

Derawali Ḍerāwālī () is a cover term for the Saraiki dialects spoken by the Derawal people in the Derajat region of central Pakistan. In Dera Ismail Khan District, ''Derawali'' is the local name of the Thali dialect, whereas in Dera Ghazi Khan Dist ...

'', and in Mianwali and

Bannu Bannu ( ps, بنو, translit=banū ; ur, , translit=bannū̃, ) is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the capital of Bannu Division. Bannu's residents are primarily members of the Banuchi tribe ...

districts it is known as ''Hindko'' or ''Mulkī''. A dialect of Thali spoken in the northeast is known as ''Kacchī''. Inhabitants of Dera Ismail Khan District, presumably speakers of this dialect, variously identify their language as Saraiki or

Hindko Hindko (, romanized: , ) is a cover term for a diverse group of Lahnda dialects spoken by several million people of various ethnic backgrounds in several areas in northwestern Pakistan, primarily in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pun ...

. Likewise for those living in Mianwali District, who identify their language as either

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

or Saraiki. Thali is spoken in the following districts of Punjab Province and districts of Kyber Pakhtunkha Province: * Layyah District *parts of

Muzaffargarh District Muzaffargarh District ( ur, ) is a district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Its capital is Muzaffargarh city. It lies on the bank of the Chenab River. Administration The district is administratively divided into the following three teh ...

Tank District Tank District ( ps, ټانک ولسوالۍ, ur, '; skr, ') is a district in Dera Ismail Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The city of Tank is the capital of the district, which consists of Union Council City I and U ...

* Lakki Marwat District *

Bhakkar District Bhakkar District ( ur, ), is a district in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The district was created out of parts of Mianwali in 1982, and has the city of Bhakkar as its headquarters. Part of its area consists of a riverine tract along the ...

*parts of Mianwali District

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * The account of Thali here is based entirely on Grierson's '' Linguistic Survey of India''. * (requires registration). {{Punjabi dialects Languages of Pakistan Punjabi dialects