balochi

listen to the pronunciation of balochi
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A language spoken mainly in SW Pakistan (80% of speakers), SE Iran and S Afghanistan. SIL standard divides Balochi into three related languages, Eastern Balochi, Southern Balochi and Western Balochi
or Baluchi Any member of a group of tribes speaking the Balochi language and inhabiting the province of Balochistan in Pakistan and neighbouring areas of Iran, Afghanistan, Bahrain, and the Punjab (India). Some 70% of the total Balochi population live in Pakistan, where they are divided into two groups, the Sulaimani and the Makrani. Mentioned in 10th-century Arabic chronicles, they probably came originally from the Iranian plateau. Traditional Balochis are nomads, but settled agricultural existence is becoming more common. They raise camels and other livestock and engage in carpet making and embroidery
{i} Baluchi, Iranian language spoken in Baluchistan
an Iranian language spoken in Pakistan and Iran and Afghanistan and Russia and the Persian gulf

Related Terms

Eastern Balochi
A variety of Balochi language, spoken mainly in Pakistan, where it has about 2 million speakers
Southern Balochi
A variety of Balochi language, spoken mainly in Pakistan, where it has about 3 million speakers and in Iran (0.5 million)
Western Balochi
A variety of Balochi language, spoken in Pakistan (more than 1 million speakers), Iran (0.5 million), Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan