Shina Language

Shina language

Shina is a Dardic language and is spoken by a majority of people in Northern Areas of Pakistan. The Valleys include Nagar,Gilgit, Hunza, Astore, Chilas, Dareil, Tangeer, Ghizer, and a few parts of Baltistan and Kohistan. It is also spoken in Gurez, Drass, Kargil, Karkit, Badgram, and Ladakh valleys of Jammu and Kashmir. There were 321,000 speakers of Gilgiti Shina as of 1981, and an estimated total of speakers of all dialects of 550,000. Many Shina speakers are also found in Pakistan's major urban centres of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Abbottabad, Hyderabad and Karachi. Shina is a highly inflected language. It does not have prepositions like English, but rather slightly modifies the nouns. Zia ul Haq Anwar, a linguist in Sweden, is of the view that Shina has some structural similarities with English since Shina verbs are modified according to the case and tense; for example: likhay "write", to likhas "have written", likhum "will write", likhao "he wrote.

Dialects include Chaproti Shina (the main dialect),


Giligti Shina

Hunzae Shina

Astori Shina

Brokskad (of Baltistan and Ladakh),

Domaaki,

Kohistani Shina

Palula Shina

Savi and

Ushojo Shina

“
" These names are used in Gilgit, Hunza, Nager, and were most probably introduced by the Shins, as they were in use long before the Sikh power was felt across the Indus. It would seem as if the Shins, while introducing the Hindu days of the week, adopted in other respects the mode of computing time already existing in the country."

Common words and phrases

Days of the week

English Shina Sanskrit

Sunday Adit Adityabar

Monday Sundura Sambar

Tuesday Ungaroo Mangalbar
Wednesday Bodo Budha bar
Thursday Bresspat Brihaspati bar

Friday Shokor Suk bar

Saturday Shimshar Sanisch bar

• 
  
  Relations
  · Babo: father
  · Ajee: mother
  · Sa: sister
  · Kaki: sister
  · Kako: brother
  · Shumalo ,Chuno babo : Uncle
  · Dado: Grand father
  · Dadei: Grand mother
  · Momo: uncle
  · Phapi: anti
  
• Phrases
  
• Khiri beyi: sit down
  
• · Weyi pi: drink water
  
• · Tiki kha: eat your food
  
• · Mas tut khush thamus: I love you
  ·
• Jaik hal hin: How are you.
  
• · Konat bujeno: Where are you going?
  
• · Gapa kon hin: Where is Gapa?
  
• · Innewa come here.
  
• · Loko: quick
  
• · Mah buja mus: I want to go
  
• · Huntthay: pick up
  
• · Aagae :sky
  
• · Atay: bring
  
• · Chhal bal: children
  
• · Mishti dish kon hin: Where is the best place around
  
• ·Tu konet bojeno: where are you going?
  
• · Bado: big
  
• · Chonu: small
  
• · Thulo: fat
  
• · Ashato: weak
  
• · Zego: tall
  
• · Khuto: short
  
• · Mulai: girl
  
• · Yok hal hi: How are you?
  
• . Aj bala jak theno?: What are you doing now in these days?
  
• · Thae noome jake han? ; What is your name?
  
• · Mae noome ali han : My name is Ali.