Eastern Balochi is a dialect of the Balochi language spoken in Eastern Balochistan as well as in Punjab, and Sindh.
Relatively few studies have been devoted to Eastern Balochi compared to other dialects of the Balochi language. There is too little material available.
Dialects Researchers believe that Eastern Balochi is not a unified dialect, but rather a conglomerate of dialects often referred to by the tribal names of the speakers as the Marrī, Bugṭī, Leghārī, Mazārī, Buzdar, etc.
Sulaimani is found mainly in eastern Balochistan, covering parts of Pakistan, particularly in areas such as Quetta, Kalat, Khuzdar, Sindh and Punjab.
Eastern Hill Balochi dialects are spoken in the areas of the Marri, Bugti, Leghari, Buzdar and Mazari tribes. Mansel Longworth Dames, Portuguese language scholar was the first to study this dialect and called it Northern Balochi. The Baloch Talpurs ruled Sindh for a long time, which led to Baloch interaction with the inhabitants of Sindh, and over time, Eastern Balochi, particularly the one spoken in Sindh has been influenced by Sindhi to a minor extent, and the borrowed terms are of rare occurrence. It is spoken east of Quetta, Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa and from Sibi in the west nearly to the Indus river in the east.
Phonology The sound system of Eastern Balochi is different from Southern and Western Balochi. In Eastern Balochi, the sounds /f/, /kh/, and /gh/ are pronounced as /p/, /k/, /g/.
Vowles Based on what Dames mentions, the Eastern Balochi has the long vowels a2, i2, u2, the short vowels a, i, u, and the vowels e, ai, o, au under the name of diphthongs.
+ Vowel systems in Eastern BalochiScholars Vowel systems Dames (1891) ī, i, e, a, ā, o, u, ūGrierson (1921) ī, i, e, ē, a, ā, o, ō, u, ūBashir (2008) ī, i, e, ē, a, ā, o, ō, u, ū, ã, ā̃, ẽ, ĩ, ī, õ
Eastern Balochi has its fricatives and acquired retroflex consonants, A fronting of ū > ī has taken place and n seems to have acquired phonemic status in Southern Balochi.
Consonants The following table shows consonants which are common Southern Balochi.
+ Eastern Balochi Consonant Shift word-initial and postconsonantal position postvocalic positionp, t, k aspiration: pʰ tʰ kʰ fricatives: f, ɕ, x b, d, g (no change: b, d, g) fricatives: β, ʝ, ǧč, ǰ aspiration: cʰ (no change: ǰ) fricatives: š, žw aspiration: wʰ (no change: w)
Nasalization is phonemic in the eastern/Sulemani balochi + Consonants in Eastern Balochi Dialects of Sindh Labial Dental/Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal Plosive/Affricate Fricative Nasal () Continuant
In Eastern Balochi, it is noted that the stop and glide consonants may also occur as aspirated allophones in word initial position as [pʰ tʰ ʈʰ t͡ʃʰ kʰ] and [wʱ]. Allophones of stops in postvocalic position include for voiceless stops, [f θ x] and for voiced stops [β ð ɣ]. /n l/ are also dentalized as [n̪ l̪]. The complete set off, ʃ, β, x, ɣ, ǧ, it is present as regular phonemes in eastern balochi. In Eastern Hill Baluchi, θ and ’ from postvocalic t and d; and intervocalic b tends to become v.
Syllable In Eastern Balochi, the last heavy syllable of a word is stressed. Complex verbs and preposition + noun are treated as a unit as far as stress is concerned.
Grammar The grammar of Eastern Balochi is similar to the grammar of other dialects of the Balochi language. The ending for the oblique plural of nouns is -ān, which is characteristic of Western Iranian languages. It uses the collective suffix -gal, which can function as a plural suffix.
Vocabulary
EnglishEastern BalochiSouthern BalochiWestern BalochiSoilHākh HākHakWordLawz LabzlawzWaterĀf ĀpApBreadNaghan NaganNanMotherMāth MātMâsChangeBazalBadalAvazSunRowsh/RowžRowchRowch
Example sentences EnglishEastern BalochiI have a job.Manā kār ē asten.My name is Muhammad.Maeen nam Muhammad'en.I am eating foodMan naghana waraghan. See also
Rakhshani dialect Makrani dialect
Notes
References
External links
Collett, N. A. A grammar, phrase book and vocabulary of Baluchi: (as spoken in the Sultanate of Oman). 2nd ed. [Camberley]: [N.A. Collett], 1986. Mumtaz Ahmad. Baluchi glossary: a Baluchi-English glossary: elementary level. Kensington, Md.: Dunwoody Press, 1985. EuroBalúči online translation tool – translate Balochi words to or from English, Persian, Spanish, Finnish and Swedish iJunoon English to Balochi Dictionary EuroBalúči – Baluchi alphabet, grammar and music
Jahani, C. 2019. A Grammar of Modern Standard Balochi