{{Short description|Major dialect group of Balochi spoken in Pakistan and Iran}} {{Infobox language | name = Makrani | image = Makrani_written_in_Nastaliq.png | nativename = {{lang|bcc|{{nq|مکرانی}}}} | region = Makran | state = Pakistan, Iran<ref name=":iranica">{{Cite web |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/baluchistan-iii |title=BALUCHISTAN iii. Baluchi Language and Literature| website=Encyclopædia Iranica}}</ref> | speakers = 9 million | date = | ref = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Southern Balochi|url=https://en.wal.unesco.org/languages/southern-balochi|website=UNESCO}}</ref> | familycolor = Indo-European | fam2 = Indo-Iranian | fam3 = Iranian | fam4 = Western Iranian | fam5 = Northwestern | fam6 = Balochi | fam7 = Western–Southern Balochi | fam8 = Southern–Koroshi Balochi | dia1 = Coastal | dia2 = Lashari | dia3 = Kechi | dia4 = Karachi | script = Balochi Alphabet | iso2 = bcc | iso3 = bcc | lingua = 58-AAB-ac (South Balochi) | lc1 = bcc | ld1 = Southern Balochi | glotto = sout2642 | glottoname = Southern Balochi | glotto2 = makr1243 | glottoname2 = Makrani | imagesize = 400x400 }} {{Contains special characters|Baluchi}} {{baloch}}
[[File:Avi Omani Balochi wikitongues donation.ogg|thumb|A speaker of Southern Balochi(Baloch of Oman)]] '''Makrani''' (Balochi:{{nq|مکرانی}}), or '''Southern Balochi''' (Balochi: {{nq|جنوبی بلوچی}}),<ref name=":Uppsala">{{cite web |title=The Balochi Language Project|url=https://www.uu.se/en/department/linguistics-and-philology/research/proj/the-balochi-language|website=Uppsala University |date=25 November 2024 |access-date=December 17, 2024}}</ref> is a variety of the Balochi language<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Southern Balochi |url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/sout2642 |access-date=11 December 2025 |website=Glottolog}}</ref> spoken in the historical region of Makran in Balochistan in Pakistan as well as Iran.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/274335 | jstor=274335 | title=Makranis, the Negroes of West Pakistan | last1=Edlefsen | first1=John B. | last2=Shah | first2=Khalida | last3=Farooq | first3=Mohsin | journal=Phylon | year=1960 | volume=21 | issue=2 | pages=124–130 | doi=10.2307/274335 | archive-date=2023-02-12 | access-date=2022-08-15 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212141108/https://www.jstor.org/stable/274335 | url-status=live | url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":The Baloch and Their Neighbours">{{cite book |last1=Carina،Korn |first1= Jahani،Korn|title=The Baloch and Their Neighbours |date=2003|publisher= Reichert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b3IMAQAAMAAJ|isbn=9783895003660}}</ref> The Makrani dialect is spoken by the Baloch people and has been significantly influenced by Persian language.
Makrani is the second-most spoken Balochi dialect after Rakhshani in Iranian Balochistan.<ref>https://dl1.cuni.cz/mod/resource/view.php?id=387216{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Background== After conducting phonetic, morphological, syntactic, and lexical studies, Elfenbein, first divided the Balochi dialects into six branches.<ref name="Elfenbein 1988" /><ref name=":carinaAgnes">{{cite book |last=Korn, Jahani|first= Agnes, Carina|title=The Baloch and Their Neighbours Ethnic and Linguistic Contact in Balochistan in Historical and Modern Times|publisher= Reichert |date=2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b3IMAQAAMAAJ|language=en|isbn=9783895003660}}</ref>
*1. Eastern Hill Balochi *2. Rakhshani dialects (including Kalati, Chagai-Kharani, Afghani, Sarhaddi and Panjguri) *3. Saravani *4. Kechi *5. Latuni or Lashari
But after further and more detailed research, he himself proposed another division, based on which the Balochi dialects were: *1. Rakhshani (with 3 main sub-branches: Kalati, Panjguri, and Sarhaddi) *2. Saravani *3. Lashari *4. Kechi *5. Coastal dialects *6. Eastern Hill Balochi.
Carina Jahani considers the division of Balochi into two main branches, eastern and western, more acceptable. In her opinion, the western branch is itself divided into two sub-branches, Makrani and Rakhshani. The Makrani sub-branch includes the coastal, Kechi and Lashari dialects, and the Rakhshani sub-branch includes the Rakhshani and Saravani dialects.<ref name=":carinatitus">{{cite book |last=Korn, Jahani, Titus|first= Agnes, Carina, Paul Brian |title=The Baloch and Others Linguistic, Historical and Socio-political Perspectives on Pluralism in Balochistan |publisher= Reichert Verlag |date=2008 |page=290|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nNoRAQAAMAAJ|language=en|isbn=9783895005916}}</ref> * Western Balochi **1.Rakhshani(Rakhshani and Saravani dialects) **2.Makrani<ref>{{cite book |last=Dashti|first= Naseer |title=In a Baloch Perspective|publisher= Asaap Publications |date=2007|page=31|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VHgMAQAAMAAJ|language=en|isbn=9789699149009}}</ref>(the coastal, Kechi and Lashari dialects) *Eastern Balochi(which is not a unified dialect, but rather a conglomerate of dialects often referred to by the tribal names of the speakers as the Marrī, Bugṭī, Leghārī, Mazārī, etc.)<ref name=":Uppsala" />
In general, after numerous studies, the Balochi language has three main dialects. The main dialect split is between Western, Southern, and Eastern Balochi.<ref name=":Gernot ">{{cite book |last= Windfuhr |first=Gernot |year=2013 |title=The Iranian Languages|publisher= Taylor & Francis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QtpQZ1DD6tEC|isbn=9781135797041}}</ref><ref name=":From Border to Border Research Study on Identity and Ethnicity in Iran">{{cite book |last= Ahmady |first=Kameel |year=2013 |title=From Border to Border Research Study on Identity and Ethnicity in Iran |publisher= Avaye Buf |page=68 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2VXeEAAAQBAJ|isbn=9788794295314}}</ref><ref name=":carinaAgnes" /><ref name=":Uppsala" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Balochi language |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Iranian-languages/Dialects#ref603444 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref><ref name=":arizona">{{cite web |title=Balochi|url=https://iranian-languages.arizona.edu/balochi|website=University of Arizona |access-date=January 28, 2025}}</ref>
Makrani is the main branch of Southern Balochi.
==Dialects== Southern Balochi subdialects include Lashari, Sarbazi, Kechi, Karachi and Coastal dialect. They are spoken in the Makran region, which is why all these dialects are generally called Makrani.<ref name=":Bahareh">{{Cite web |last1= Soohani, Ali Ahangar, Van Oostendorp|first1= Bahareh, Abbas, Marc |title=Syllable-Internal StructureinIranian-Balochi Dialects |date=2021|publisher=Iranian Journal of Applied LanguageStudies|url=https://ijals.usb.ac.ir/article_6149_dca6a0e9c6f7904ad65d373d2c1f12ff.pdf|issn=2008-5494|website=University of Sistan and Baluchestan}}</ref><ref name=":Gernot " />
It's Spoken in the southern parts of Balochistan, including coastal areas such as Gwadar, Chabahar, and southern Pakistan,<ref name=":Uppsala"/> Persian Gulf states, expanding up to Iranshahr in Iran and Kech valley and Karachi in Pakistan.<ref name=":arizona"/><ref name="Elfenbein 1988">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/baluchistan-iii |title=Baluchistan iii. Baluchi Language and Literature |first=J. |last=Elfenbein |date=1988 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Iranica |access-date=30 December 2014}}</ref>
'''Kechi'''<ref name=":Gernot " /> Kich region in Balochistan, including Turbat.<ref name="Elfenbein 1988" /><ref name=":The Baloch and Their Neighbours" />
'''Lashari'''<ref name="Elfenbein 1988" /> centered on the village of Lashar, south of Iranshahr where Balochi close to Persian and Baskardi.<ref name=":The Baloch and Their Neighbours" /> The Lashari dialect, which is one of the conservative Balochi dialects, is the only dialect that is spoken only in Iran.<ref name="Elfenbein 1988" />
'''Coastal dialects'''<ref name="jahani1989">{{cite book |last1=Jahani |first1=Carina |title=Standardization and Orthography in the Balochi Language |date=1989|publisher=Uppsala University|isbn=978-91-554-2487-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3XEbAQAAIAAJ}}</ref><ref name=":Agnes">{{cite book |last1=Korn|first1=Agnes|title=Towards a Historical Grammar of Balochi |publisher=Reichert|date=2005 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NHoLAQAAMAAJ&q=Coastal%20dialects|isbn=9783895003677}}</ref> Including Qasr-e Qand, Nikshahr, Rask and the southern coastal areas of Balochistan from near Bandar Abbas to Karachi Port, including the ports of Chahbahar, Gwadar, Pasni.<ref name="Elfenbein 1988" />
==Phonology== ===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable" |+ Southern Balochi vowels |- ! long vowels | â:, ā, ē, ī, ō, ū |- ! Short vowel | â, a, e, i, o, u |- ! Compound vowel | [ie], [ue] |}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Vowel system of Southern Balochi |- ! !Front !Central !Back |- align="center" ! rowspan="2" |High | rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|ī}} | rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|}} |{{IPA link|ū}} |- align="center" |{{IPA link}} |- align="center" !Mid |{{IPA link|e,ē}} |{{IPA link|}} |{{IPA link|o,ō}} |- align="center" !Low | |{{IPA link|ɑ}} |{{IPA link|ō}} |} {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Vowel systems in Southern Balochi dialects |- !Scholars ! Vowel systems !! Dialect |-
|- |Farrell (1990) | ī, i, ē, a, ā, ō, u, ū, ā͂, ē͂, ī͂, ō͂, ū͂ || Karachi |- |Yousefian (2008) | i, e, ē, a, â, o, ō, u || Lashari |- |}
It is similar to that of Koroshi dialect spoken in Iran.<ref name=":KOROSHi">{{Cite web |url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/korosh-people-02|title=KOROSH ii. Linguistic Overview of Koroshi| website=Encyclopædia Iranica}}</ref> Nasalization, which is common in Southern Balochi dialects, is phonetically less salient in Koroshi.
===Consonant=== The consonants /b/ ، /d/ ، /ḍ/ ، /g/ ، /p/ ، /t/ ، /ṭ/ ، /k/ ، /P/ /h/ ،/tʰ/ ،/ṭʰ/ ، /k/ /h/ ،/s/ ،/z/ ،/ʃ/ ،/ȝ/ ،/h/ ،/ʤ/ ، ʧ ،/ʧʰ/ ،/m/ ،/n/ ،/ŋ/ ،/r/ ،/ṛ/ ،/l/ ،/w/ ،/j/ are articulated as alveolar in Southern Balochi.<ref name=":shiraz">{{Cite web |last1= Okati, Ahangar, Balochzahi|first1= Farideh, Abbas Ali, Nawaz|title=Phonemic Study of Sarbazi Variant of Makorani Balochi Language |date=2022|publisher=Journal of Iranian Languages & linguistics|url=https://jill.shirazu.ac.ir/jufile?ar_sfile=188627|website=Shiraz University}}</ref>
Nasalization is phonemic in Eastern Balochi and that caused by the effect of the Indo-Aryan languages, similar to Sulaimani dialect that has borrowed a few sounds from them. {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ Consonants in Southern Balochi Dialects |- ! colspan="2" | ! Labial ! Dental/<br>Alveolar ! Retroflex ! Palatal ! Velar ! Glottal |- ! rowspan="2" | Plosive/<br />Affricate !{{small|voiceless}} | {{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|b|t}} |{{IPA link|b|t̥}} |č | {{IPA link|k}} | rowspan="2" | |- !{{small|voiced}} | {{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d̪|d}} | {{IPA link|d̥}} | {{IPA link|J̌}} | {{IPA link|ɡ}} |- ! rowspan="2" | Fricative !{{small|voiceless}} |(ƒ) | {{IPA link|s}} | | Š | (x) | {{IPA link|h}} |- !{{small|voiced}} | β | {{IPA link|z}} | | ž |(ǧ) |- ! colspan="2" | Nasal | {{IPA link|m}} | {{IPA link|n}} | | | | |- ! colspan="2" | Taps | | {{IPA link|r}} | r̥ | | | |- ! colspan="2" | Glides | {{IPA link|w}} | | | {{IPA link|y}} | |}
The consonants /f x ġ/ in the Rakhshani dialect often remain, but in Makrani they become /g/, /k/ or /h/, and /p/, respectively.<ref name="jahani1989" /> In addition, /f/ occurs in a few words in Southern Balochi. /x/ (voiceless velar fricative) in some loanwords in Southern Balochi corresponding to /ʁ/ (voiced uvular fricative) in Western Balochi.
===Syllable=== Makrani dialect, the presence of minimal pairs such as [iehd] - [iḳd] or [suek] - [suk] easily shows that each compound vowel can be placed as a single, independent phoneme in the center of a syllable and create new word with semantic distinction.<ref name=":shiraz" />
Southern dialects as in Lashari Balochi the place of stress depends on the weight of the syllable.<ref name=":carinatitus" />
==Grammar== Makrani dialect uses both head-marking and dependent-marking structures. In this dialect, the verb group can take four types of complements: the noun group, the adjective group, the prepositional group, and the complement clause. The Balochi Makrani dialect uses the adverb of quantity and the prepositional group as descriptors of the core adjective in the adjectival group. The prepositional group is described by adverbs. These adverbs come before the core preposition.<ref name=":Grammar">{{Cite book |last=Jahani |first=Carina |url=https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-397659 |title=A Grammar of Modern Standard Balochi |date=2019 |publisher=Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis}}</ref> The southern balochi has genitive singular -ē and the object is marked with—ānā(rā), -ânā or -ānrā.
===Pronouns=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Pronouns ! Rakhshani(Western)!! Makrani(Southern) |-
|- |1st person | من || من |- |2nd person | تهٔ || تَو |- |3rd person | آ - آئی || آ - آیی |- |1st person(Plural) | ئما/هٔما || مِشما/ما |- |2nd person(Plural) | شما || شما |- |3rd person(Plural) | آوان || آیاں |}
==Vocabulary== {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 100%" !English !Makrani !Rakhshani (Sarhaddi) |- |'''''Brother''''' |brât |brâs |- |'''''Child''''' |čokk |zahg |- |'''''Tonight''''' |enšapi |šapi |- |'''''Cloud''''' |nôd/hawr |jammar |- |'''''Pomegranate''''' |hanâr |henâr |- |'''''Sour''''' |tropš |trošp |- |'''''Irrigation''''' |dêmâp bayag |âpdâri kanag |- |'''''Home''''' |dawâr/lôg/kat |ges |- |'''''Orphan''''' |čôra |hatim |- |'''''Match''''' |bâkas |sinok |- |'''''Attack''''' |halma |halma |- |'''''Rabbit''''' |Hargôšk |kargôšk |- |'''''Egg''''' |hâmorg |hayk |- |'''''Small''''' |kasân/Hord |gwanḍ |- |'''''egg''''' |heyx |haik/hayk |- |'''''Question''''' |jost |sôj |- |'''''Owner''''' |hodâbond/mâlsâhob |wâhond |- |'''''father''''' |pet |pes |- |'''''fear''''' |torsag |trossag |- |'''''fiancé''''' |numzâð |deštàr/ještàr |- |'''''fine''''' |šarr |Jwân/zabr |- |} {{Col-break}} {{col-end}} {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}} {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 100%" !English !Makrani !Karachi |- |'''''Home''''' |Lowg |Log |- |'''''How''''' |Chown |Chon |- |'''''Going''''' |Rawag |Roag / Raoǵá |- |'''''Sister''''' |Gwár |Goár |- |'''''Camel''''' |Hoshter |Oshter |- |'''''Friend''''' |Sangat |Yár...Aŕŕey yár |- |} {{Col-break}} {{col-end}}
==Example sentences== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" !English !Balochi language|Southern Balochi(Makrani) |- |What is this? |اے چیئے؟ |- |Where is Ali? |ئَلی کۏ اِنت؟/ئلی کجا اِنت؟ |- |This horse is white. |ای سُپݔتݔن/اِسپݔتݔن اسپ اِنتٚ |- |They say he works ten hours a day. |آ گُش اَنت رۏچے دہ ساھَت کارءَ کَنت |- |I have two small brothers and sisters. |منا دو كسانݔن برات ءُ گوٚھار ھہ۔ |- |If you will go just once to their village, you won't forget the hospitality of its people. |اگہ تؤ یک برے آ مردمانء جاھا بہ روئ ھچبر آیانء مھمانداریئا نہ شمۏش اݔت؟ |- |Who called me? |کئئا منا گوانک جَت؟ |- |} {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" !English !Makrani !Karachi |- |I am mahnaz. |مَن مَهناز اں Man Mahnáz án. |مَن مَهناز اں Man Mahnáz áǹ . |- |Where is he going? |آ کجا روگ انت؟ Á kojá rawag ent? |آ کجا روگا انت؟ Á kojá raoǵá ent? |- |What are you doing? |تو چی کنگ ئے؟ To chey kanag a? |تو چی کنگا ئے؟ To chei kanaǵá a? |- |Friend, tell me what is happening? |سنگت، منا به گوش چے بیگ انت؟ Sangat, maná bogowsh che bayag ent? | اِڑے یار، منا به گوش چے بوئگا انت؟ Aŕŕey yár maná bogosh chei buaǵá ent? |- |}
==See also== {{Portal|Languages}} * Rakhshani dialect * Eastern Balochi
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Incubator|bal|lang1=Balochi (macrolanguage)|5=bcc}} {{Wikivoyage|Balochi phrasebook|Balochi|phrasebook}} * Collett, N. A. [https://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/collett/ A grammar, phrase book and vocabulary of Baluchi]: (as spoken in the Sultanate of Oman). 2nd ed. [Camberley]: [N.A. Collett], 1986. * Mumtaz Ahmad. [https://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/mumtaz/ Baluchi glossary]: a Baluchi-English glossary: elementary level. Kensington, Md.: Dunwoody Press, 1985. * [http://www.eurobaluchi.com/dictionary/index.htm EuroBalúči online translation tool] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329120156/http://www.eurobaluchi.com/dictionary/index.htm |date=2009-03-29 }} – translate Balochi words to or from English, Persian, Spanish, Finnish and Swedish * [http://www.ijunoon.com/balochidic/ iJunoon English to Balochi Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212073336/http://www.ijunoon.com/balochidic/ |date=2008-02-12 }} * [http://www.eurobaluchi.com/ EuroBalúči] – Baluchi alphabet, grammar and music * {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Baluchi|short=x}} *Jahani, C. 2019. [http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1372275&dswid=-5364 A Grammar of Modern Standard Balochi] {{Iranian languages}}
Category:Balochi language Category:Western Iranian languages