Sothern Hindko

HINDKO, SOUTHERN [HIN] 625,000 (1981 census). Attock District, Punjab Province, and into the southernmost portion of Hazara Division, NWFP; Kohat and Peshawar districts, NWFP. Rural and urban. Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Northwestern zone, Lahnda. Dialects: PESHAWAR HINDKO (PESHAWARI), ATTOCK HINDKO (ATTOCK-HARIPUR HINDKO), KOHAT HINDKO (KOHATI), RURAL PESHAWAR HINDKO. Investigation of intelligibility of Peshawar dialect with others is needed. Most people have limited bilingual proficiency in Urdu, Pashto, Panjabi, or other languages. Urdu is known by educated speakers. Perso-Arabic script is used. Peshawari has a literary tradition, and is being promoted as standard within NWFP. Radio and television broadcasts. The dialect in Dera Ismail Khan, sometimes called 'Hindko', is apparently closer to Siraiki. Plains, low hills. Sunni Muslim.