Punjabi (Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, Shahmukhi: پنجابی, Devanagari: पंजाबी) Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region (India and Pakistan). Punjabi is the third-most natively spoken language in South Asia, after Hindustani and Bengali. Punjabi is also currently the second-most spoken language in the United Kingdom and the third-most spoken language in Canada.
The world Punjabi is derived from the word Punjab which means "five waters" in Persian "panj aab", Panj is also derived from Sanskrit "panch" meaning "five" and refers to five major eastern tributaries of the Indus River. There are three ways to write Punjabi - Gurmukhi, Shahmukhi, and Devanagari. The word Gurmukhi translates into 'from the Guru's mouth', Shahmukhi means 'from the King's mouth' and Devanagari roughly translated means 'The container of divine light.'
Standard dialect
The Majhi is Punjabi's prestige dialect because it is standard of written Punjabi. It is spoken in the heart of Punjab in historical region of Majha which spans Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Wazirabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Pakpattan, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin Districts of Pakistan Punjab Province and also in major cities of Pakistani Punjab. In India; Amritsar, Tarn Taran Sahib, and Gurdaspur Districts of the State of Punjab and sizable population also in major cities of State of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Mumbai.
Eastern Punjabi dialect
These dialects are spoken mainly in Indian Punjab
Malwi (Ludhiana, Ambala, Bathinda, Ganganagar, Malerkotla, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Northern Haryana, Hisar, Sirsa and Kurukshetra)
Pwadhi (Kharar, Kurali, Ropar, Nurpurbedi, Morinda, Pail, Rajpura, Samrala, Pinjore, Kalka, Ismailabad, Pehowa to Bangar in Fatehabad district)
Other dialects spoken in Indian Punjab include Bhatiani, Bilaspuri, Bagri, Kangri and Chambiali
Doabi (Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur district).
