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Brahui language
Found in: Languages of Iran
The Brahui or Bravi language, spoken by the Brahui, is a Dravidian language mainly spoken in Pakistan, although it is also spoken in Afghanistan and Iran. The 2005 edition of Ethnologue reports some 2.2 million speakers, 90% of whom live in Pakistan. In Pakistan it is mainly spoken in the Kalat region of Balochistan.
Although it is a Dravidian language, it has been heavily influenced by the Iranian languages spoken in the area, especially Balochi.
Brahui is widely suggested to be a remnant of a formerly widespread Dravidian language family that is believed to have been reduced or replaced during the influx of Indic languages. It is also been suggested that Brahui might be a direct legacy of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Conversely, it has also been suggested that Brahuis migrated up to Baluchistan in the 13 or 14th century or by a late immigration that took place after 1000 CE.
External links
Partial bibliography of scholarly works on Brahui
Complete profile of the Brahui language, with citations to teaching materials
Ethnologue report on the Brahui language
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Brahui language