Balti language

Balti (بلتی) is Tibetic language spoken in the Baltistan region of Gilgit Baltistan in northeastern Pakistan occupied Kashmir and a few neighboring villages of the territory of Indian Kashmir. The language is an archaic dialect of the Tibetan language, but many of the consonants of Classical Tibetan that are silent in most modern Tibetan dialects are pronounced in Balti.

 History & People 
Greeks used the word Byaltae instead of Bal-ti, which in Tibetan means water gorge. The historian Ptolemy who was also a general in the army of Alexander the Great had named the region (Byaltae) in his book. Baltistan is the Persian translation of the native term Baltiyul meaning “The Homeland of Balti”. The people belonging to Balti nationality are settled on both banks of the river Indus from Turtuk (in the east) to Haramosh (in the west) and from Karakoram range (in the north) to Deosai plains (in the south). Majority of Balti language speakers are of Tibetan origin. However people from Indus Plains (Monpa's) and Central Asia (Horpa's) migrated to this area in different periods of ancient times, on account of different reasons and after merging in the prevailing Tibetan society, they also speak the Balti language, which is a branch of the ancient Tibetan language. Small pockets of Brokskat, Purgi, Changthang and Ladakhi also exist in Baltistan.

The Balti people are a very forbearing, cheerful, brave and hospitable people. They ruled the area of Ladakh and Western Tibet under the Makpon reign (from 12th century to 1840 A.D.).

There are several Balti communities in Pakistan's urban areas farther south, that is in Lahore, Islamabad, in Karachi and other places.

 Evolution 

The Balti language has kept many honorific words like all other Tibetan dialects and many other languages. Below are a few examples:

Ordinary Balti  Honorific  Ladakhi Meaning  Baba    Father  Zizi    Mother  Kacho    Brother (elder)  Zung    Wife  Jangmocho    Maternal uncle  Nenecho    Aunt  Bucho    Son  Nono     Boy  Apocho    Grandfather  Apicho    Grandmother  Ashcho    Sister (elder)  bjes    Eat  bjes    Drink  Shokhs    Come  Kasal-byung    Speak/Say  gZim tong    Sleep (go to)  Phyaq-laq/g    Hand/Arm  Yang/Yari-phyaqpo    YouKanma gzok-po     Leg

 References 

 Everson, Michael. ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N2985: Proposal to add four Tibetan characters for Balti to the BMP of the UCS . 2005-09-05
 Hussainabadi, Mohamad Yusuf.  Balti Zaban. 1990.
 Read, A.F.C. Balti grammar.London:The Royal Asiatic society, 1934.

 Other websites 
 Unicode
 Koshur: The Balti Language
 Tibetan script makes a comeback in Pakistan 
 Proposal to add four Tibetan characters for Balti to the BMP of the UCS 
 Tibetan Extensions 2 : Balti 
 Pakistan's Northern Areas dilemma
 Northern Areas Development Gateway 
 Pakistan's Northern Areas 

Category:Languages of Pakistan
Category:Languages of Gilgit-Baltistan
Category:Sino-Tibetan languages
Category:Languages of Jammu and Kashmir
Category:Languages of India