Punjabi

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language originating in the state of Punjab in pre-Partition India before it was divided into two countries in 1947. Now India and Pakistan each have a state called Punjab.

In India there are 30 million Punjabi speakers and the language is recognised as Punjab state's official and one of the 22 national languages recognised in the country's Constitution. In Pakistan there are nearly 70 million Punjabi speakers but the status of the official language is reserved only for Urdu.

Punjabi is spoken in large swathes of the U.K and Canada among Sikh populations and ranks in the top 15 languages used globally.

I'm developing an appreciation for the beautiful script and sound of spoken Punjabi, its music and poetry. Although not as romantic as Urdu, Punjabi is fun and has a mischievous sparkle; an inbuilt humour.