ABSTRACT
Panjabi is the most important of the North-Western group of New Indo-Aryan languages. It is the official language of the Indian state of Panjab, and the major language in the Panjabi province of Pakistan. Panjabi is by far the mostly widely spoken language in Pakistan, with estimates of approaching 60 million speakers – about 45% of the population and far more than for the offical and national language Urdu (8%). There are substantial Panjabi-speaking communities in Canada (where it is the fifth most widely spoken language), the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as Australia and South-East Asia. The total number of Panjabi speakers doubtless far exceeds 80 million.
