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Sindhi is mainly spoken in Sindh (Pakistan) and India. A number of dialectal and stylistic variations are found in the language.
These variations may be divided into two groups: regional dialects and social dialects.
On the basis of regional varieties, Sindhi has six major dialects: Sireli, Vicholi, Lari, Thari, Lasi and Kachhi.
Vicholi is considered the standard variety of the language (1.2.2).
After the partition (1947), the Sindhi dialect situation has undergone a considerable change in India.
Out of the six dialects, Thari is spoken in the border areas of Jesalmer and Barmer districts in Rajasthan and
Kachhi is spoken in the Kutch and Saurashtra region in Gujarat.
Due to socio-geographical reasons, the speakers of these areas have little contact with the standard Sindhi language.
The Thari speakers show their closeness to Rajasthani and the Kacchi speakers consider themselves closer to Gujarati and are
trying to maintain their separate linguistic identity.
The migrated Sindhi’s are scattered allover the country mainly in the urban areas. A considerable number of these speakers are
also settled in abroad having their roots in India.
The original regional dialectal variations of the migrated Sindhi’s are reduced to the standard variety of the language.
Their language is also influenced by the dominant languages mainly Hindi and English and upto some extent by other local languages
of the regions where they are settled.
In Pakistan, Sindhi has been mainly replaced by Urdu in the domains of administration and education and the major urban areas of
Sindh have become the settlements of non- Sindhis which has reduced the use of Sindhi in the formal domains.
Persian, Arabic and Urdu remarkably influence the language of these areas. The Speakers of rural areas have maintained the
dialectal variations and a great number of native words in the language.
Variations on the basis of caste and occupation are available in Sindh (Pakistan). Some cases of such variations are also found in the language of the speakers settled in Kutch, Saurashtra region in Gujarat and Jeslmer – Bermer region in Rajasthan. There is a great need to have a detailed study of their socio-linguistic variations.
The conventional caste system does not play any important role among the Sindhi immigrants.
The language variations can be observed among them on the basis of their educational background, age group and socio-economic
status.
In Sindh, before the partition, a large number of educationists, journalists and litterateurs belonged to the Sindhi Hindu community.
When they migrated to India, they started many Sindhi medium schools, newspapers and magazines and established many cultural and
literary forums to maintain their linguistic identity.
Majority of the first generation migrants were monolingual and had education through Sindhi medium. In most of the cases,
the second generation had their elementary education in Sindhi and the third generation had been educated through non-Sindhi media.
The use of Sindhi in the formal as well as informal domains has been declined amongst all the three generations. Because of it,
the language competence in different domains shows a definite downward trend in relation to the three generations.
Apart from the generation difference, the variations among the Sindhi speakers can be observed on the basis of neighbourhood
environment and socio-economic status. In most of the cases, the Sindhi speakers settled in Sindhi pockets belong to lower middle
class or middle class. They use the language for their in-group activities. The speakers settled in the non-Sindhi environment
generally use Hindi, English on local language. They get little chance to use the language outside home. In many cases,
they do not use their mother tongue even at home. The elite classes of the community settled in the cosmopolitan environment
prefer to use English as a status symbol.
The major variations observed at the lexical and structural levels are briefly discussed below.
Before the partition, Sindhi’s were mainly settled in rural areas and had farms in Sindh. They were frequently using words and
idioms related to the rural life and agriculture. The first generation sindhis in India used those expressions in the language
but such items are not used by the younger generation. Many house hold items such as /ປkhIri/ ‘wooden mortar’, /mປhIri/ ‘wooden pestle’, /jәnḍປ/ ‘mill stone’, /chәj̉ປ/ ‘winnowing fan’, /chәţi/ ‘umbrella’, /chaղi/ ‘strainer’, /cປri/ ‘knife’, /chIko/ ‘a hanging basket’ /jәղḍປ/ ‘millstone’, /taղki/ ‘water tank’, /ţijoŗi/ ‘safe’ /ŗokIri/ ‘basket’, /ḍhәkәnປ/ ‘lid’, /tәi/ ‘a hollow frying pan’, /tәo/ ‘bread baking pan’, /tәղurປ/ ‘oven’, /thalhi/ a metallic plate, /thalhປ/ a large metallic plate, /dhaģo/ ‘thread’, /nәŗo/ ‘pipe’ /nәlປ/ ‘water tap’ , /pәղkho/ ‘fan’, /pәrdo/ ‘curtain’ /pәlәngປ/ ‘bed stead’, /pIղgho/ ‘cradle’, /peti/ ‘trunk’, /bati/ ‘lamp’, /bәrղi/ ‘jar’, /bәsi/ ‘saucer’, /balţi/ ‘bucket’, /botalә/ ‘bottle’, /b̉ປhari/ ‘broom’, /mәchәrdani/ ‘mosquito net’, /mәndhiәŗo/ ‘churning staff’, /macisປ/ ‘match-box’, /mປhIri/ ‘pestle’, meղәbәti/ ‘candle’, /lalţinu/ ‘lantern’ /loto/ ‘a round metallic utensil’, /vIniղo/ ‘hand fan’, /vIhaղo/ ‘pillow’, /velәղປ/ ‘rolling pin’, /sәndປli/ ‘pallet’, /sәnduqe/ ‘box’, /sәvәŗI/ ‘quilt’, /sabປղປ/ ‘soap’, /sປi/ ‘needle’, /sofo/ ‘sofa’.
Many lexical items, which were used for clothes and ornaments, are also changed. The lexical items / pәŗro/ ‘petticoat’, /koţi/ ‘blouse’, /rao/ ‘mantle’ are replaced by /peţikoţປ/ /blauzປ/ and /cuni/ respectively. The words /j̉humәkປ/ ‘ear ring’ and /gປj̉Iri/ ‘anklet’ are replaced by /eriŋgປ/ and /payәlә/ respectively.
Due to the Hindi influence, the occupational vocabulary is also being affected, for example /khәţi/ and /dhob̉i/ these two words were used for ‘washer man’ by the first generation. The word /dhob̉i/ has become more common in the present day Sindhi, which is nearer to the Hindi word /dhobi/: Same way many Perso- Arabic lexical items common in Hindi are being retained in Sindhi too. For example, the words /tәpປ/ and /bປxarປ/ are used for ‘fever’ in Sindhis. The frequency of /buxaru/ is more in Sindhi as it is also common in Hindi.
Sindhi is a very rich language regarding the kinship terms (2.5.14). There are separate single lexical items for different relations in Sindhi; for example /sכţu/ ‘father’s brother’s son’, /pປphaţປ/ ‘father’s sister’s son’, /maroţu/ ‘mother’s brother’s son and /masatປ/ ‘mother’s sister’s son’. All the above-mentioned words are reduced to one word /kәzin/ ‘cousin’ by the younger generation.
In Sindh, due to the Socio-political reasons, Sindhi was remarkably influenced by the Arabic and Persian languages at the lexical level. During the pre-British era Arabic was used by the muslims for religious purpose and Persian was the language of administration. Along with Sindhi it also enjoyed the status of literary language in Sindh.
When British rulers decided to use Sindhi for the local administration and education, a number of textbooks and literary works were published. Sindhi was also used for mass media. Apart from native words, a great number of Perso- Arabic technical terms were used in the formal domains i.e., administration, mass media and literature. More or less same approach was adopted by the first generation scholars and writers in India. But in the present day Indian Sindhi, a great number of native and Perso-Arabic lexical items are being replaced by the Hindi ‘tatsam’ forms and common English lexical items.
The Hindi words like /mәntri/ ‘minister’, /sәnsәdI/ ‘parliament’, /svәtәntrәta/ ‘freedom’, /akәršәņu/ ‘attraction’ and /sәmәsya/ ‘problem’, and common English words such as /mInIsţәru/ ‘minister’, /membәru/ ‘member’ /ţrәsţi/ 'trustee' /seminaru/ ‘seminar’ and /risәrcI/ ‘research’ etc. are widely used in the day-to-day speech as well as in the mass-media and literature. Such words are also frequently used to form new compounds in the present day Sindhi such as /samIno kәrәnປ/ ‘to encounter’, /siryәsI thIyәnu/ ‘to become serious’ and /cekI kәrәnປ/ ‘to check’ etc.
In some cases, the lexical items from other languages are also used, i.e. /cIki/ ‘sweetmeat made of dry fruit and sugar or jaggery’, /pavu/ ‘bread’, /Jhopәŗpәţi/ ‘slum’, and /bIndasI/ ‘daringly’ etc. are borrowed from Marathi and /vanḍo/ ‘hitch’ and /gamţu/ ‘villager’ etc. are Gujarati words used in the present day Sindhi. But the number of lexical items taken from these
regional languages is very limited in comparison to Hindi and English.
The process of lexical borrowings and structural influence of the dominant languages have greatly affected the original structure of Sindhi used by the first generation at different levels. Main observations at different levels are briefly discussed below.
The following variations at the phonological level can be observed.
As already discussed, Sindhi is a vowel ending language. In other words, each ends in a vowel in the language. It must also be observed that the short vowels /әIu/ become shorter word finally. In many cases the young Sindhi speakers who live in a bi/multi lingual environment, do not produce the short vowels word finally. Thus the words like /כrәtә/ ‘woman’ /ratI/ ‘right’ and /kitabປ/ ‘book’ are produced by them as /כrәt/, /rat/ and kitab/ respectively.
The phonemes / q x F z f/ are not used in the native words. They occur in the Perso-Arabic borrowings. The phonemes /z f/ also occur in the English borrowings. Out of these five phonemes, /q/ and /F/ have almost lost their phonemic value in the common speech of the Sindhi speakers. These sounds are replaced by /k/ and /g/ respectively. Thus the words /qәdәmປ/ ‘step’ and /FәlәtI/ ‘wrong’ are produced as /kәdәmປ/ and /gәlәtI/ respectively. The phonemes / x z f/ are produced in the formal speech but in many cases these are also replaced by /kh Jph/, as a result the words /xәtປ/ ‘letter’ /zәnjirә/ ‘chain’ and /faIdo/ ‘advantage’ are produced as /khәtປ/ /jәրjIrә/ and /phaIdo/ respectively.
Sindhi has four implosive phonemes /g̉ j̉ d̉ b̉/. No other Indian language has implosives as a distinctive feature at the phonological level. In most of the cases the implosives are maintained by the Sindhi speakers; but the children who are settled with their parents in the Non-Sindhi pockets and speak Hindi/ English at home, produce the plosive counterparts of these implosives. Thus the words / ģປrປ/ ‘jaggery’, / j̉әmu / ‘blackberry’, /d̉әnḍo/ ‘club’, and / b̉eru/ ‘jujube’, are pronounced by them as /guŗ/, /jәmu/ /ḍәnḍo/ and /ber/ respectively.
Gemination is not phonemic in Sindhi but is phonemic in Hindi. Due to it the Sindhi speakers have also started using gemination at
spoken as well as written level. The words /kәco/ ‘raw’ and /pәko/ ‘ripe’ are produced as /kәcco/ and /pәkko/ respectively.
(v) In many cases the original phonological structure of many lexical items is changed due to the influence of Hindi and English.
Some words showing pronunciation variation are given below:
Pronounced by the Pronounced by the Meaning First generation Younger generation /pIrIkašປ/ /prәkaš/ ‘light’ /asthanu/ /sthan/ ‘place’ /kәvita/ /kәvIta/ ‘poem’ /sahItu/ /sahItyu/ ‘literature’ /kIlarәku/ /klәrk/ ‘clerk’ /lekcәraru/ /lekcrәr/ ‘lecturer’
Some observations having variations at the morphological as well as syntactic levels are given below.
(i) Many prefixes and suffices have changed the word formation pattern of the Sindhi language; for example the prefix /ປpә - / was rarely used with some lexical items only such as, /ປpәb̉eţu/ ‘peninsula’ and /ປpәb̉oli/ ‘dialect’ etc. It is used more frequently with many other words such as /ປpәkәtha/ ‘sub-plot’ /ປpәjati/ ‘sub caste’, /ປpә-sәmpadәku/ ‘sub-editor’ and /ປpә-prәdhәn mәntri/ ‘deputy prime minister’ etc.
In many cases the Suffix /-i/ is replaced by /-Ik/ or /İyә/. Examples:
/Sәmajİ / > /Samajİk/ ‘Social’ /ItIhasi/ > /ItIhasIk/ ‘historical’ /bharәti/ > /bhәrәtiyә/ ‘Indian’
(ii) In Sindhi, in most of the cases, it is easy to recognize the gender category of a noun by its ending. It is also necessary to use the proper ending to show the number and case of a noun. Examples:
/ghәru/ ‘house’ (sg.m. direct case)
/ghәrә/ ‘houses’ (pl.m. direct case;
sg.m. obl. case)
/ghәrI/ ‘in the house’
As discussed earlier, in many cases, the short vowels are not being produced by the younger generation, which has affected the grammatical
structure of the language. For example, a number of Sindhi – Hindi common lexical items have different gender categories. The words
/vIšәya/ ‘subject’ and /pәnә/ ‘pen’, are feminine in Sindhi but masculine in Hindi. On the other hand /avazu/
‘voice’, /kitabu/ ‘book’ and /d̉ukanu/ ‘shop’ are masculine in Sindhi but feminine in Hindi. Many Sindhi speakers settled in Hindi
areas who are not aware about the endings of such words use the Hindi gender categories, which lead them to the erroneous sentence
formation.
(iii) Due to the influence of Hindi syntactic patterns some Sindhi patterns are being changed. For Example: the continuous present
and past tenses are expressed as follows:
/mã sәbәqu likhã pyo/ ‘I am writing a lesson’. /mã kursiә tã uthyusi pIe/ ‘I was getting up from the chair’ /mũ sәbәqu pәŗhyo pIe/ ‘I was reading a lesson’. The following patterns are becoming more common in Sindhi. /mã sәbәqu /Ikhi rәhyo ahyã/ ‘I am writing a lesson’. /mã kursiә tã uthi rәhyo hosI/ ‘I was getting up from the chair’. /mã sәbәqu pәŗhi rәhyo hosI/ ‘I was reading a lesson’.
(iv) At the morphological and syntactic levels, the pronominal suffixed type construction is one of the main peculiarities of Sindhi language. A pronoun phrase can be optionally dropped by adding a pronominal suffix to a noun. (only sg. Kinship terms), Postposition or Verb. Examples:
Pronoun Phrase Pronominal Suffixed Meaning Type construction type construction /hunәJo ghoţu/ /ghotusI/ ‘her husband’ /hunә khe/ /khesI/ ‘to him’ /mũkhe kItabu khәpe/ /kitabu khәpemI/ ‘I want a book’. /mũhunә khã puchyo/ /puchyamãsI/ ‘I asked him’.
As the Sindhi speakers are not getting any opportunity to learn the functional grammar of their own language, in many cases, they do not use the correct pronominal suffixed type patterns. Such pronominal suffixed type optional patterns are not available in Hindi and other languages known to them. Therefore, the use of the pronominal suffixed type constructions are gradually declined in the language.
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