A Grammar of Khowar Descriptive and Comparative Analysis

A pioneering linguistic study documenting Khowar’s complex structure and historic oral tradition, shaped by centuries of cultural exchange in northern Pakistan.

Grammar of Khowar is the first comprehensive English-language study of Khowar, a unique Indo-Aryan language spoken in northern Pakistan. Drawing on over thirty years of field research, Elena Bashir provides a detailed snapshot of the language at a critical moment in its evolution, as increasing cultural and economic pressures accelerate linguistic change.

The book presents Khowar’s phonology, morphology, and syntax, alongside an in-depth analysis of how its grammatical structures shape the way speakers conceptualize the world. Rife with original example sentences–many sourced from oral texts recorded in multiple villages–this work preserves linguistic data that might otherwise be lost. A special appendix includes a thirty-page sample text in Khowar’s Perso-Arabic script, followed by a romanized transcription and English translation, offering an invaluable resource for scholars.

A critical contribution to South Asian linguistics, this book underscores the urgency of studying and preserving endangered mountain languages before they fade from use.