| Kishtwari | |
|---|---|
| |
  | |
| Native to | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Ethnicity | Kishtwaris |
Native speakers | 40,000 (2011 census)[1][2] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | kish1245 |
Kishtwari or Kashtwari is a Northern Indo-Aryan language closely related to the Kashmiri language, with strong influences from neighbouring Western Pahari varieties. It is spoken by Hindus in Kishtwar district of Jammu division in Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), India.
Like Kashmiri, Kishtwari is also a language, though George Abraham Grierson has called Kishtwari a dialect of Kashmiri and a mixed dialect. But when the issue of languages and dialects is thoroughly analysed, Grierson's postulation is found untenable. He has not studied Kishtwari and its dialects. He seems to have been influenced by Kishtwari-Kashmiri, spoken by Muslims of Kishtwar and its spectacular resemblance with kashmiri which is not pure Kashmiri but has close affinity to the Kashmiri of valley. So Kishtwari-Kashmiri is a dialect of kashmiri.
- ^ "Census of India 2011: Language" (PDF). Government of India. p. 7.
- ^ "C-16 Population By Mother Tongue". Census of India 2011. Office of the Registrar General.