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 ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

, 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 Nowhatta, () known as Navyut () in Kashmiri, is a town of historical importance situated at a distance of 5 km from Lal Chowk, Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, India. Nowhatta is famous because of Historical Mosque known as Jamia Masjid. No ...

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 Hawal is a notified area of district Srinagar, the summer capital of union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated in the heart of the Srinagar just about from Lal Chowk Srinagar's one of the first cinemas ''Firdaus cinem ...

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 Bandipore () or Bandipora ( ; ) is the headquarters of district of Bandipore in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located on the northern banks of Wullar Lake—the second-largest freshwater lake in Asia. From baramulla ...

, Khawja Bagh,

Sopore Sopore ( ; ) is a city in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is north-west of Srinagar, and north-east of Baramulla. Sopore is one of the largest subdivisions in Jammu and Kashmir, consisting of seven tehsils an ...

and

Tangmarg Tangmarg is a town and tehsil in Baramulla district in Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2014, Tangmarg was granted a sub division and trifurcated into three Tehsils (Tangmarg, Kunzer and Karhama), with Sub Divisional Magistrate ...

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 Kupwara ( ; ) is a city, District headquarter and a municipal council in Kupwara district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Municipal council Kupwara is an Urban Local Body with elected members which administers the city Mun ...

( Kanthpora,

Kulgam Kulgam (), known as Kolgom () in Kashmiri, is a town, an administrative division and capital of the Kulgam district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located at a distance of from the summer state capital of Jammu ...

, 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 Handwara ( ; ) is a town in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located on Baramulla-Handwara National Highway NH-701 and is governed by a municipal committee. Handwara is known for its high-quality walnuts, which are a major ...

, 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 Kashmiri may refer to: * People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir * Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley * Kashmiri language, the language of the Kashmiris ethnic group People with the nam ...

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).

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