Sawi | |
---|---|
Savi, Sauji | |
ساوي | |
Native to | Afghanistan, Pakistan |
Native speakers | 9,000 (2021)[1] |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | sdg |
Glottolog | savi1242 |
ELP | Savi |
Sawi is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger |
Sawi, Savi, or Sauji,[3] is an endangered[4] Indo-Aryan language spoken in northeastern Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan.[5] It is classified as a member of the Shina language cluster within the Dardic subgroup.
It is spoken in the village of Sau, on the east bank of the Kunar River, around 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the town of Arandu, which is on the border with Pakistan's Chitral region.[6] Sawi speakers consider themselves part of the Gawar ethnic group, which is found in half a dozen of the surrounding villages and whose language is Gawarbati. In communicating with them, the people of Sau reportedly resort to using Pashto.[7] During the long period of unrest, the population of the village was displaced into refugee camps in Chitral and Dir, but reportedly many people have now returned to Afghanistan.[6]