Rensch C.L., Decker S.J., Hallberg D.G. Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan. Volume 1. Languages of Kohistan

National Institute of Pakistani Studies, 1992. — 263 p.Northern Pakistan is a land of geographic and ethnic diversity, one of the most multilingual places on the face of the earth. Spectacular mountain ranges and mighty rivers segment the area, providing natural barriers which often serve as isoglosses separating linguistic varieties. Centuries of people movements across this crossroad of South and Central Asia have left a complex pattern of languages and dialects, fertile ground for sociolinguistic investigation.
Twenty-five named languages from within northern Pakistan are dealt with in the volumes of the Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan. Most languages of the region have been classified as part of the large Indo-Aryan (or Indic) family. Two of these have been called members of the Central Group according to the scheme established in Grierson’s Linguistic Survey of India: Gujari, subgrouped with other Rajasthani languages, and Domaaki, not even mentioned by Grierson, but classified as Central by Fussman (1972) and Buddruss (1985). A third named language, Hindko, was originally included within the Northwestern Group of Indo-Aryan, among those varieties which were given the label Lahnda (LSI VIII.1). The various forms called Hindko have been particularly difficult to classify (Shackle 1979, 1980), showing a wide geographic range, much linguistic divergence, and some convergence with Panjabi, which has been classified in the Central Group.The largest number of Indo-Aryan languages dealt with in these volumes belong to the Northwestern Group, Dardic branch: Shina, and its historical relations, Phalura and Ushojo; Indus Kohistani, and its smaller neighbors, Chilisso, Gowro, and, presumably, Bateri (which has not been classified); the Swat Kohistani varieties, Kalami and Torwali; the Chitral group of Khowar and Kalasha; and the Kunar group, including Dameli and Gawar-bati. The Nuristani branch accounts for some languages spoken on the northwestern frontier; within Pakistan that group is represented by Eastern Kativiri and Kamviri/Shekhani. This classification outline for members of the Dardic and Nuristani branches is based on several scholarly contributions (Fussman 1972, Masica 1991, Morgenstierne 1932), but primarily follows Strand (1973).There are also members of the larger Iranian family (classification following Payne 1987). Some come from the Southeastern Iranian group, the major example being Pashto, but also including the more divergent Waneci. Others are from the Southeastern Iranian Pamir subgroup: Wakhi and Yidgha.Ormuri has been classified as a Northwestern Iranian language but shows the influence of being surrounded by Pashto. Finally, a few linguistic relics remain from outside the
larger Indo-European family, notably the westernmost Tibeto-Burman language, Balti, and the isolate, Burushaski.