“Dil hi to hai na sang-o-khisht, dard se bhar na aaye kyun,
Royenge hum hazaar baar, koee hamein sataaye kyun?”
“It’s just a heart, not stone or brick, why doesn’t it fill with pain?
I will cry a thousand times, why does someone torment me so?”
Urdu, the eleventh most spoken language in the world, possesses a lyrical essence unlike any other. It has garnered popularity not only in South Asia but also in the UK, USA, France, and Germany, along with the Gulf region. Urdu’s influence extends to places like Guyana, Mauritius, Nepal, and South Africa, where over a billion people converse in this language.
Urdu, a blend of languages, is a Persianized form of Hindustani. With 30 consonants, 20 vowels, and two diphthongs, it is non-tonal and emphasizes the penultimate syllable. While Urdu shares intelligibility with Hindi, its formal vocabulary draws from Arabic and Persian, distinguishing it from Hindi.
Notably, the 2011 census reveals that Urdu is the seventh most spoken language in India, with over eight crore speakers. It holds official status in several Indian states and is recognized in the Constitution of India. Moreover, Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and a registered regional language in Nepal.
Ethnologue’s 2018 edition ranks Urdu as the 11th most spoken language globally, boasting approximately 16.32 crore speakers. Its sophistication and eloquence define beauty and grace, setting it apart as a language of distinction.
Urdu’s journey began in the South, with influential figures like Alauddin Hasan Bahmani contributing to its popularity in the Deccan region. This brought Urdu into contact with Marathi, Telugu, and Kannada, enriching its linguistic tapestry. The origins of Urdu literature can be traced to works like ‘Meraj ul Aashiqeen’ by Khawaja Banda Nawaz Gesu Daraz, further enhancing the language’s cultural significance
