Parya (russian: язык Парья) is an isolated
Central Indo-Aryan
The Central Indo-Aryan languages or Hindi languages are a group of related language varieties Spoken across North India and Central India. These language varieties form the central part of the Indo-Aryan language family, itself a part of the I ...
language spoken in the border region between
Tajikistan
Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
and
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
. There are several thousand speakers worldwide.
Classification and Status
Parya is classified as a
Central Zone
The Central Indo-Aryan languages or Hindi languages are a group of related language varieties Spoken across North India and Central India. These language varieties form the central part of the Indo-Aryan language family, itself a part of the ...
language in the
Indo-Aryan language family.
Tajuzbeki (or Tadj-Uzbeki) was an alternative name coined by Bholanath Tiwari for the same language.
Much of the academic research in documenting and characterizing Parya was done by prominent
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
linguist
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
I. M. Oranski. The language may also be referred to as Afgana-Yi Nasfurush, Afghana-Yi Siyarui, Changgars, Laghmani, or Pbharya.
[
SIL estimates that there may be between 2,500 and 7,500 speakers.]
The language is not officially recognized or used in schools and is categorized as severely endangered.
Speakers of Parya
Parya is spoken in the Hissor Valley of Tajikistan, west of Dushanbe, and the adjacent Surkhondaryo basin of Uzbekistan, including the towns of Hisor
, image_skyline = Hisor-Tajikistan1.jpg
, image_caption = Old castle in Hisar
, image_flag =
, image_seal =
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Tajikistan
, pushpin_label_position =bottom
, pushpin_map_caption =Locatio ...
, Shahrinav, Regar/Tursunzoda, Surchi, Afghonobod, Qalai Hisor, Pravda Vostok, Boloi Kanal, and Kolkhozi Leninism.
The language is mostly spoken with ones family and relations, and it is almost always spoken in the homes of native speakers.
Parya speakers tend to be bilingual in the dominant languages surrounding them, but tend to exclusively use Parya at home.[
The Tajik language has increasingly influenced the Parya language.]
Phonology
Grammar
Vigesimal counting
Parya employs some vigesimal
vigesimal () or base-20 (base-score) numeral system is based on twenty (in the same way in which the decimal numeral system is based on ten). '' Vigesimal'' is derived from the Latin adjective '' vicesimus'', meaning 'twentieth'.
Places
In ...
numeral counting patterns.[Jadranka Gvozdanović, "Numeral types and changes worldwide", Walter de Gruyter, 1999; , ][Iosef Mikhailovich Oranski, "Dva indoariyski dialekta iz Srednei Azii", Indiyskaya i Iranskaya Filologiya; Institut Narodov Azii, Nauka, 1964.]
References
External links
The Indo-Aryan languages - a tour
{{Central Indo-Aryan languages
Indo-Aryan languages
Languages of Uzbekistan
Languages of Tajikistan
Hindi languages