Purgi language

Purgi (alternative spellings: Purgi or Puriki) is a Tibetic language spoken by the Purikpa in parts of the Indian union territory of Ladakh and neighbouring regions of Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan territory.

Purki
Purigi, Purki
Native toIndia, Pakistan
EthnicityPurigpa
Native speakers
94,000 (2011 census)[1]
Urdu script
Language codes
ISO 639-3prx
Glottologpuri1258[2]

The Purikpa live south of the Balti in Ladakh. Most of them live in Ladakh and Baltistan, especially in Kargil although significant numbers reside in Leh. Many Purikpa are also present in China.

Because they inhabit the higher reaches of the arid Himalayas, they depend on glacial runoff for irrigation of their crops. Barley, wheat and millet are grown where water is sufficient, especially along small rivers. The hot summer temperatures also allow for a wide variety of fruits to be raised.

Unlike the Dards and the Shina, the Purikpa are not nomads. They transfer their livestock from one grazing ground to another upon the arrival of autumn. During the summer months, they drive the cattle to alpine pastures. All households own at least one female dzo, which is a cross between a cow and a yak. That animal produces milk.

Most of them are Shia Muslims by religion although significant Sunni Muslims and a small minority of Buddhists and Bön followers reside in areas like Fokar valley, Mulbekh, Wakha. Like the Balti, they speak an archaic Tibetan dialect closely related to Balti and Ladakhi, but they are not easily intelligible with each other.[3]

References
  1. Purki at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Purik-Sham-Nubra". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
    • N. Tournadre (2005) "L'aire linguistique tibétaine et ses divers dialectes." Lalies, 2005, n°25, p. 7–56
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