Hindko

Hindko''' ({{lang|hno|{{Nastaliq|ہندکو}}}} {{IPA-ur|ˈɦɪnd̪koː|IPA}}) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by several million people primarily in northwestern Languages of Pakistan It is recognized as a distinct language within the Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan family, encompassing a diverse group of Lahnda languages Hindko is characterized by its unique linguistic features and has a significant cultural and linguistic presence in regions such as [[Hazara Division]],Peshawar Kohat and Pothohar

Hindko
Peshori (For the dialect spoken in Peshawar)
ہندکو
Hindko in Shahmukhi
Native to	Pakistan
Region	Hazara Division, Peshawar, Kohat, Pothohar
Ethnicity	Hindkowans Hazarewal
Native speakers	5–7 million (2017–2020)[1][2]
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Northwestern Punjabi Lahnda Hindko
Dialects	Peshawari Kohati Awankari, Ghebi, Chacchi Hazara Hindko
Writing system	Shahmukhi
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either: hnd – Southern Hindko hno – Northern Hindko
Glottolog	hind1271
The proportion of people with Hindko as their mother tongue in each Pakistani District as of the 2017 Pakistan Census

There is a literary tradition based on Peshawari, the urban variety of Peshawar in the northwest, and another one based on the language of Abbottabad in the northeast. In the 2017 census of Pakistan, 5.1 million people declared their language to be Hindko, while a 2020 estimate placed the number of speakers at 7 million.

Hindko is distinguished by its various dialects, including Peshawari, Kohati, Awankari, Ghebi, and Chacchi, each with its own linguistic nuances and regional variations. It is predominantly written in the [[Shahmukhi alphabet|Shahmukhi]] script. According to the 2017 Pakistan census, approximately 5.066 million people identified Hindko as their mother tongue, with estimates in 2020 suggesting a speaker population of around 7 million. The language is prevalent among diverse ethnic backgrounds, including [[Hindkowans]], Pashtun/pathan Kashmiri, and Awanis

According to the 2017 Pakistan census, approximately 5.066 million people identified Hindko as their mother tongue, with estimates in 2020 suggesting a speaker population of around 7 million. The language is prevalent among diverse ethnic backgrounds, including Hindkowans pathan/pashtun Kashmiris and awan

Hindko belongs to the Northwestern branch of the Indo-Aryan languages and shares mutual intelligibility with other Pahari-Pothwarsaraiki language Hindko maintains distinct morphological and phonological features that set it apart.Hindko has many words similar to Pashto language reflecting historical and linguistic interactions between the two languages.

The word Hindko, commonly used to refer to a number of Indo-Aryan language spoken in the neighborhood of Pashto, likely originally meant "the Indian language" (in contrast to Pashto). An alternative local name for this language group is Hindki. A speaker of Hindko may be referred to as Hindki, Hindkun, or Hindkowan (Hindkuwan).

Like other Lahnda language, Hindko is derived from the Shauraseni Prakrit.

Due to the effects of dominant languages in Pakistani media such as Urdu, Standard Punjabi, and English and the religious impact of Arabic and Persian, Hindko, like other regional varieties of Pakistan, is continuously expanding its vocabulary base with loan words.