Khowar is a noun that refers to a language primarily spoken in the Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northern Pakistan. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family and is a member of the Dardic subgroup. Khowar is also spoken in certain areas of Afghanistan and Tajikistan, mainly by the Kho people. It is estimated that around 400,000 individuals use Khowar as their first language.
Khowar has a rich oral tradition, and its history can be traced back to ancient times. It has been influenced by other regional languages, including Persian, Arabic, and Turkic languages, due to the region's historical and cultural connections with neighboring territories. Although it lacks a formal written script, Khowar has been transcribed using the Arabic script, Devanagari script, and Latin script.
The vocabulary of Khowar encompasses a wide range of subjects, including everyday conversations, folklore, literature, and religious texts. The language is known for its complex grammar, incorporating features such as gender agreement, complex verb conjugation, and case marking. Linguists have classified Khowar as an agglutinative language, with the ability to form complex words through affixation.
Khowar holds significant cultural value for the Kho people, as it serves as a medium of communication in their daily lives, cultural expressions, and intergenerational transmission of knowledge. Efforts are being made to preserve and promote Khowar through educational initiatives, media platforms, and literary works, ensuring its continued existence and enrichment.
