View source for Balochi language

{{Short description|Western Iranian language}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Balochi
| nativename       = {{lang|bal|بلۏچی}} {{Clear}} {{transliteration|bal|Balòci}}
| pronunciation = {{IPA|bal|bəˈloːt͡ʃiː|}}
| image            = Balòci.png
| imagescale       = 0.6
| imagecaption     = ''Balòci'' (Balochi) written [[#Writing system|Balo-Rabi]] in [[Nastaliq]] style.
| states           = [[Pakistan]], [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]]
| region           = [[Balochistan]]
| ethnicity        = [[Baloch people|Baloch]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|8.784850|2}} million
| date             = 2017{{ndash}}2020
| ref              = e26
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
| fam3             = [[Iranian languages|Iranian]]
| fam4             = [[Western Iranian languages|Western Iranian]]
| fam5             = [[Northwestern Iranian languages|Northwestern]]
| nation           =
| minority         = 
| agency           = [[Balochi Academy]], Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan <br>[[Balochi Academy Sarbaz]], Sarbaz, Iran
| iso2             = bal
| iso3             = bal
| lc1              = bgp
| ld1              = Eastern Balochi
| lc2              = bgn
| ld2              = Western Balochi
| lc3              = bcc
| ld3              = Southern Balochi
| lingua           = 58-AAB-a > 58-AAB-aa (East Balochi) + 58-AAB-ab (West Balochi) + 58-AAB-ac (South Balochi) + 58-AAB-ad (Bashkardi)
| glotto           = balo1260
| glottorefname    = Balochic
| map              = Iranian_tongues_de.svg
| mapcaption       = The position of Balochi language among Iranian languages.<ref>{{cite web |title=worldhistory|url=https://titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de/didact/karteng/iran/irann.htm |access-date=2022-02-20 |website=titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de}}</ref>
| notice           = IPA
| script           = [[Balochi Standard Alphabet]]
}}
{{Contains special characters|Baluchi}}
[[File:WIKITONGUES- Malek speaking Eastern Balochi.webm|thumb|A speaker of Eastern Balochi]]
{{Baloch people}}

'''Balochi''' ({{lang|bal|بلۏچی|rtl=yes}}, romanized: {{Transliteration|bal|Balòci}}) is a [[Northwestern Iranian language]], spoken primarily in the [[Balochistan|Balochistan region]] of [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Pakistan]], [[Sistan and Baluchestan province|Iran]] and [[Balochistan, Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]. In addition, there are speakers in [[Oman]], the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[East Africa]] and in diaspora communities in other parts of the world.<ref name="Spooner2011">{{cite book |last1=Spooner |first1=Brian |editor1-last=Schiffman |editor1-first=Harold F. |title=Language Policy and Language Conflict in Afghanistan and Its Neighbors |date=2011 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-9004201453 |page=319 |chapter=10. Balochi: Towards a Biography of the Language |quote=It [Balochi] is spoken by three to five million people in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Oman and the Persian Gulf states, Turkmenistan, East Africa, and diaspora communities in other parts of the world.}}</ref> The total number of speakers, according to ''[[Ethnologue]]'', is {{sigfig|8.750850|2}} million.<ref name=e26/> Of these, 6.28 million are in Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=Table 11 – Population by Mother Tongue, Sex and Rural/Urban |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2017/tables/pakistan/Table11n.pdf |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=[[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref>

Balochi varieties constitute a dialect continuum and collectively at least have 10 million native speakers. The main varieties of Balochi are Eastern (Soleimani), [[Makrani dialect|Southern]] (Makrani) and [[Rakhshani dialect|Western]] (Rakhshani).<ref name=":zone">{{cite book |last1= Donald L. Stilo, Haig, Schreiber, Mahand, Schiborr|first1= Geoffrey , Laurentia, Mohammad, Rasekh, Nils  |title=Language Science Press |date=2024|page=122|publisher= BoD – Books on Demand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LRs3EQAAQBAJ|language=en|isbn=9783985541218}}</ref> The [[Koroshi dialect|Koroshi]] dialect is a dialect of the Balochi language, spoken mainly in the provinces of [[Fars province|Fars]] and [[Hormozgan province|Hormozgan]].<ref name=":Anousha">{{cite book |last= Sedighi |first=Anousha  |year=2023 |title=Iranian and Minority Languages at Home and in Diaspora|publisher= De Gruyter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ogGdEAAAQBAJ&dq=balochi+dialect&pg=PA22|isbn=9783110694314}}</ref><ref name=":zone" /><ref>{{cite book |last1= Asadpour, Jügel|first1= Hiwa , Thomas|title=Word Order Variation|date=2022|page=93,225|publisher= Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q0R6EAAAQBAJ|language=en|isbn=9783110790368}}</ref>

According to [[Brian Spooner (anthropologist)|Brian Spooner]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Spooner |first1=Brian |editor1-last=Schiffman |editor1-first=Harold F. |title=Language Policy and Language Conflict in Afghanistan and Its Neighbors |date=2011 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-9004201453 |page=320 |chapter=10. Balochi: Towards a Biography of the Language}}</ref>{{blockquote|Literacy for most Baloch-speakers is not in Balochi, but in [[Urdu]] in Pakistan and [[Persian language|Persian]] in Afghanistan and Iran. Even now very few Baloch read Balochi, in any of the countries, even though the alphabet in which it is printed is essentially identical to Persian and Urdu.}}

Balochi belongs to the [[Western Iranian languages|Western Iranian]] subgroup, and its original homeland is suggested to be around the central [[Caspian Sea|Caspian]] region.<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>

== Classification ==
Balochi is an [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European language]], spoken by the [[Baloch people|Baloch]] and belonging to the [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]] branch of the family. As an [[Iranian languages|Iranian language]], it is classified in the [[Western Iranian languages|Northwestern group]].

''[[Glottolog]]'' classifies four different varieties, namely [[Koroshi dialect|Koroshi]], Southern Balochi and Western Balochi (grouped under a "Southern-Western Balochi" branch), and Eastern Balochi, all under the "Balochic" group.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Glottolog 4.3 – Balochic|url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/balo1260|access-date=2021-05-13|website=glottolog.org}}</ref>

According to [[Carina Jahani]] research,<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><ref>{{cite book |last1=Carin|first1= Jahani|title=A Grammar of Modern Standard Balochi |date=2019|publisher= Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=crdpzQEACAAJ|isbn=9789151308203}}</ref> ISO 639-3 groups Southern, Eastern, and Western Baloch under the Balochi macrolanguage, keeping Koroshi separate.

== Dialects ==
{{Main|Rakhshani dialect | Makrani dialect|Eastern Balochi (dialect)}}
These dialects are broadly categorized into three main groups:<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>

*'''[[Eastern Balochi (dialect)|Eastern group]]''' (the Soleimani dialect group): Found mainly in [[eastern Balochistan]], covering parts of Pakistan, particularly in areas like [[Quetta]], [[Kalat, Balochistan|Kalat]], and [[Khuzdar]].
*'''Southern group or [[Makrani dialect]]''' (part of the Makrani dialect group): Spoken in the southern parts of Balochistan, including coastal areas like [[Gwadar]], [[Chabahar]], and southern Pakistan.<ref name=":Uppsala"/>
*'''Western group''' (part of the [[Rakhshani dialect]] group) : Predominantly spoken in western Balochistan, including parts of Iran and Afghanistan. Commonly spoken in [[Sistan and Baluchestan province|Sistan and Balochestan]] province and [[Khorasan province|Khorasan]] in Iran.<ref name=":Anousha"/><ref name=":Uppsala"/>

[[Koroshi dialect|Koroshi]] is also  classified as Balochi.<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=90021 Ethnologue report for Southwestern Iranian languages]</ref>

Elfenbein divides the dialects of the Balochi language into six categories: Rakhshani (subdialects: Kalati and Sarhaddi), Panjguri, Saravani, Lashari, Kechi, and Coastal Dialects.<ref name="Elfenbein 1988" />

'''Rakhshani''' <ref name="Elfenbein 1988" />
*Kalati (areas between [[Lasbela District|Las Bela]] in the north of Karachi to [[Mastung District|Mastung]] in the south of Quetta [[Chagai District|Chaghi]] and [[Kharan District|Kharan]] (northern areas of Balochistan, Pakistan, including [[Nushki|Noshki]], [[Dalbandin]], Kharan, and Kalat).
*Panjguri(southern and southwestern areas of Afghanistan, mainly the areas around the Helmand River).
*Sarhadhi (an area that extends from the east to Dalbandin in Pakistan and from the northeast to [[Chahar Burjak District|Chahar Burjak]] in Afghanistan, and includes [[Merv]] in the Republic of Turkmenistan and Sistan in Iran, with [[Nosratabad]] in Balochistan, Iran, forming its southernmost part).

'''Panjguri'''<ref name=":The Iranian Languages">{{cite book |last= Windfuhr |first=Gernot |year=2013 |title=The Iranian Languages|publisher= Taylor & Francis |page=637 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QtpQZ1DD6tEC|isbn=9781135797041}}</ref><ref name=":The Baloch and Their Neighbours" />
It includes most of the Kharan region, with the [[kech River]] forming its southern border and the [[Rakshan River|Rakhshan River]] its northern border, and Kolwa located to its east.<ref name="Elfenbein 1988" />

'''Saravani'''<ref name=":The Iranian Languages" />
[[Saravan, Iran|Saravan]] and its surrounding areas, with [[Khash, Iran|Khash]] as its northern border and Espidan as its western border. In later works, Elfenbein, [[Iranshahr, Iran|Iranshahr]], and [[Bampur]] are also considered to be within the Saravani dialect area.<ref name="Elfenbein 1988" /><ref name=":The Baloch and Their Neighbours" />

'''Kechi'''<ref name=":The Iranian Languages" />
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" />

'''Coastal dialects'''<ref>{{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, Iran|Rask]] and the southern coastal areas of Balochistan from near [[Bandar Abbas]] to Karachi Port, including the ports of [[Chabahar|Chahbahar]], [[Gwadar]], [[Pasni (city)|Pasni]].<ref name="Elfenbein 1988" />

There are two main dialects: the dialect of the Mandwani (northern) tribes and the dialect of the Domki (southern) tribes.<ref name="Dames1">{{harvnb|Dames|1922|p=1}}.</ref> The dialectal differences are not very significant.<ref name="Dames1" /> One difference is that grammatical terminations in the northern dialect are less distinct compared with those in the southern tribes.<ref name="Dames1" /> An isolated dialect is [[Koroshi dialect|Koroshi]], which is spoken in the Qashqai tribal confederation in the [[Fars province]]. Koroshi distinguishes itself in grammar and lexicon among Balochi varieties.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Borjian |first1=Habib |date=December 2014 |title=The Balochi dialect of the Korosh |url=https://www.academia.edu/8651533 |journal=Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae |volume=67 |issue=4 |pages=453–465 |doi=10.1556/AOrient.67.2014.4.4}}</ref>

The [[Balochi Academy Sarbaz]] has designed a [[Balochi Standard Alphabet|standard alphabet]] for Balochi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-16 |title=Main Balochi Language( Rèdagèn Balòci Zubàn ) |url=http://www.balochiacademy.ir/en/2023/02/16/main-balochi-language-redagen-baloci-zuban/ |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=[[Balochi Academy Sarbaz]]}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2023}}

[[Uppsala University]] offers a course titled Balochi A, which provides basic knowledge of the phonetics and syntax of the Balochi language.<ref name=":Uppsala"/> [[Carina Jahani]]  is a prominent Swedish [[Iranian studies|Iranologist]] and professor of [[Iranian languages]] at Uppsala University, deeply researching in the study and preservation of the Balochi language.<ref>{{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&q=balochi}}</ref>

== Phonology ==
=== Vowels ===
The Balochi vowel system has at least eight vowels: five [[Vowel length|long]] and three [[Vowel length|short]].<ref>{{harvnb|Farrell|1990}}. {{harvnb|Serge|2006}}.</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}} These are {{IPA|/aː/}}, {{IPA|/eː/}}, {{IPA|/iː/}}, {{IPA|/oː/}}, {{IPA|/uː/}}, {{IPA|/a/}}, {{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/u/}}. The short vowels have more [[Relative articulation#Centralized|centralized]] phonetic quality than the long vowels. The variety spoken in [[Karachi]] also has nasalized vowels, most importantly {{IPA|/ẽː/}} and {{IPA|/ãː/}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Farrell|1990}}.</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}} In addition to these eight vowels, Balochi has two vowel glides, that is /aw/ and /aj/.<ref name=":0" />

=== Consonants ===
The following table shows consonants which are common to both Western (Northern) and Southern Balochi.<ref>{{harvnb|Serge|2006}}. {{harvnb|Farrell|1990}}.</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}} The consonants /s/, /z/, /n/, /ɾ/ and /l/ are articulated as [[Alveolar consonant|alveolar]] in Western Balochi. The plosives /t/ and /d/ are dental in both dialects. The symbol ń is used to denote [[nasalization]] of the preceding [[vowel]].<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="2" |
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br>[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! [[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Plosive]]/<br />[[Affricate]]
!{{small|voiceless}}
| {{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|t̪|t}}
| {{IPA link|ʈ}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|k}}
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA link|ʔ}}
|-
!{{small|voiced}}
| {{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|d̪|d}}
| {{IPA link|ɖ}}
| {{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
| {{IPA link|ɡ}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
!{{small|voiceless}}
|{{IPA link|f}}
| {{IPA link|s}}
|
| {{IPA link|ʃ}}
|
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA link|h}}{{efn|Word-initial {{IPA|/h/}} is dropped in Balochi as spoken in Karachi.}}
|-
!{{small|voiced}}
|
| {{IPA link|z}}
|
| {{IPA link|ʒ}}{{efn|Words with {{IPA|/ʒ/}} are uncommon.{{dubious|date=September 2024}}}}
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]
|
| {{IPA link|ɾ}}
| {{IPA link|ɽ}}{{efn|The retroflex tap has a very limited distribution.}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
| {{IPA link|w}}
| {{IPA link|l}}
|
| {{IPA link|j}}
|
|
|}
{{notelist}}

In addition, {{IPA|/f/}} occurs in a few words in Southern Balochi. {{IPA|/x/}} (voiceless velar fricative) in some [[loanword]]s in Southern Balochi corresponding to {{IPA|/χ/}} (voiceless uvular fricative) in Western Balochi; and {{IPA|/ɣ/}} (voiced velar fricative) in some loanwords in Southern Balochi corresponding to {{IPA|/ʁ/}} (voiced uvular fricative) in Western Balochi.

In Eastern Balochi, it is noted that the stop and glide consonants may also occur as aspirated allophones in word initial position as {{IPA|[pʰ tʰ ʈʰ t͡ʃʰ kʰ]}} and {{IPA|[wʱ]}}. Allophones of stops in postvocalic position include for voiceless stops, {{IPA|[f θ x]}} and for voiced stops {{IPA|[β ð ɣ]}}. {{IPA|/n l/}} are also dentalized as {{IPA|[n̪ l̪]}}.<ref>{{harvnb|JahaniKorn|2009|pp=634–692}}.</ref>

=== Intonation ===
Difference between a question and a statement is marked with the tone, when there is no question word. Rising tone marks the question and falling tone the statement.<ref name=":0" /> Statements and questions with a question word are characterized by falling intonation at the end of the sentence.<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable"
|+Falling Intonation – Statement
!Language
!Example
|-
|Latin
|(Á) wassh ent.
|-
|Perso-Arabic with Urdu alphabet 
| .آ) وشّ اِنت)
|-
|English
|He is well.
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Falling Intonation – Question
!Language
!Example
|-
|Latin
|(Taw) kojá raway?
|-
|Perso-Arabic with Urdu alphabet 
|تئو) کجا رئوئے؟)
|-
|English
|Where are you going?
|}
Questions without a question word are characterized by rising intonation at the end of the sentence.<ref name=":0">{{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>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Rising Intonation – Question
!Language
!Example
|-
|Latin
|(Á) wassh ent?
|-
|Perso-Arabic with Urdu alphabet
|آ) وشّ اِنت؟) 
|-
|English
|Is he well?
|}
Both coordinate and subordinate clauses that precede the final clause in the sentence have rising intonation. The final clause in the sentence has falling intonation.<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable"
|+Rising Intonation – In clauses that precede the final clause
!Language
!Example
|-
|Latin
|Shahray kuchah o damkán hechkas gendaga nabut o bázár angat band at.
|-
|Perso-Arabic with Urdu alphabet 
|شهرئے کوچه ءُ دمکان هچکَس گندگَ نبوت ءُ بازار انگت بند اَت.
|-
|English
|Nobody was seen in the streets of the town, and the marketplace was still closed.
|}

== Grammar ==
The normal word order is [[subject–object–verb]]. Like many other Indo-Iranian languages, Balochi also features [[split ergativity]]. The subject is marked as nominative except for the past tense constructions where the subject of a [[transitive verb]] is marked as [[oblique case|oblique]] and the verb agrees with the [[grammatical object|object]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/february/balochi.html |title=Balochi |work=National Virtual Translation Center |access-date=20 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118155049/http://www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/february/balochi.html |archive-date=18 November 2007 |language=en-US}}</ref> Balochi, like many Western Iranian languages, has lost the [[Old Iranian]] gender distinctions.<ref name="Elfenbein 1988"/>

=== Numerals ===
Much of the Balochi number system is identical to [[Persian language|Persian]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Korn |first1=Agnes |title=Indoiranskoe jazykoznanie i tipologija jazykovyx situacij. Sbornik statej k 75-letiju professora A. L. Grjunberga (1930–1995) |year=2006 |publisher=Nauka |pages=201–212 |chapter-url=https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01500154 |chapter=Counting Sheep and Camels in Balochi |access-date=16 January 2020 |language=en}}</ref> According to [[Mansel Longworth Dames]], Balochi writes the first twelve numbers as follows:<ref>{{harvnb|Dames|1922|pp=13–15}}.</ref>

{{col-float|width=15em}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Cardinal numerals
!Balochi
!Standard Alphabet(Balòrabi)
!English
|-
|Yak
| یکّ
|One{{efn|The latter ''ya'' is with nouns while ''yak'' is used by itself.}}
|-
|Do
|دو
|Two
|-
|Sae
|سئ
|Three
|-
|Chàr
|چار
|Four
|-
|Panch
|پنچ
|Five
|-
|Shash
|شش
|Six
|-
|Hapt
| ھپت
| Seven
|-
|Hasht
| ھشت
| Eight
|-
|Noh
|نُھ
|Nine
|-
|Dah
|دَہ
|Ten
|-
|Yàzhdah
| یازدہ
|Eleven
|-
|Dwàzhdah
| دوازدھ
|Twelve
|}
{{col-float-break}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Ordinal numerals
!Balochi
!Standard Alphabet(Balòrabi)
!English
|-
|Awali / Pèsari
|اولی / پݔسَری
|First
|-
|Domi
|دومی
|Second
|-
|Sayomi
|سئیُمی
|Third
|-
|Cháromi
|چارمی
|Fourth
|-
|Panchomi
|پنچُمی
|Fifth
|-
|Shashomi
|شَشُمی
|Sixth
|-
|Haptomi
|ھپتُمی
|Seventh
|-
|Hashtomi
|ھشتمی
|Eighth
|-
|Nohmi
|نُھمی
|Ninth
|-
|Dahomi
|دھمی
|Tenth
|-
|Yázdahomi
|یازدھمی
|Eleventh
|-
|Dwázdahomi
|دوازدھمی
|Twelfth
|-
|Goďďi
|گُڈڈی
|Last
|}
{{col-float-end}}

;Notes
{{notelist}}

== Writing system ==
Balochi was not a written language before the 19th century,<ref name="Dames3">{{harvnb|Dames|1922|p=3}}.</ref> and the Persian script was used to write Balochi wherever necessary.<ref name="Dames3" /> However, Balochi was still spoken at the Baloch courts.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

British colonial officers first wrote Balochi with the Latin script.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hussain |first1=Sajid |title=Faith and politics of Balochi script |url=https://balochistantimes.com/faith-and-politics-of-balochi-script/ |access-date=16 January 2020 |work=Balochistan Times |date=18 March 2016 |language=en}}</ref> Following the creation of Pakistan, Baloch scholars adopted the [[Persian alphabet]]. The first collection of poetry in Balochi, [[Gulbang]] by [[Mir Gul Khan Nasir]] was published in 1951 and incorporated the [[Arabic Script]]. It was much later that Sayad Zahoor Shah Hashemi wrote a comprehensive guidance on the usage of Arabic script and standardized it as the Balochi Orthography in Pakistan and Iran. This earned him the title of the 'Father of Balochi'. His guidelines are widely used in Eastern and Western Balochistan. In Afghanistan, Balochi is still written in a modified Arabic script based on [[Persian language|Persian]].{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

In 2002, a conference was held to help standardize the script that would be used for Balochi.<ref>{{cite news |title=Script for Balochi language discussed |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/63991 |access-date=16 January 2020 |work=Dawn |date=28 October 2002 |location=Quetta |language=en}}</ref>

=== Old Balochi Alphabet ===

{{Further|Syed Zahoor Shah Hashmi}}
The following alphabet was used by [[Syed Zahoor Shah Hashmi]] in his lexicon of Balochi ''Sayad Ganj'' ({{lang|bal|{{nq|سید گنج}}}}) (lit. ''Sayad's Treasure'').<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shah Hashemi |first1=Sayad Zahoor |title=The First Complete Balochi Dictionary |url=http://sayadganj.albaloch.com/ |website=Sayad Ganj |access-date=16 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sayad Zahoor Shah Hashmi: A one-man institution |url=https://balochistantimes.com/sayad-zahoor-shah-hashmi-one-man-institution/ |access-date=16 January 2020 |work=Balochistan Times |date=14 November 2016 |language=en}}</ref> Until the creation of the [[Balochi Standard Alphabet]], it was by far the most widely used alphabet for writing Balochi, and is still used very frequently.

{{lang|bal|{{nq|آ، ا، ب، پ، ت، ٹ، ج، چ، د، ڈ، ر، ز، ژ، س، ش، ک، گ، ل، م، ن، و، ھ ہ، ء، ی ے}}}}

=== Standard Perso-Arabic Alphabet ===
{{Arabic-script sidebar|Balochi}}
{{Main|Balochi Standard Alphabet}}
The '''Balochi Standard Alphabet''', standardized by Balochi Academy Sarbaz, consists of 29 letters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Balochi Standarded Alphabet |url=http://balochiacademy.ir/page/alphabets |website=BalochiAcademy.ir |access-date=16 January 2020}}</ref> It is an extension of the [[Perso-Arabic script]] and borrows a few glyphs from [[Urdu alphabet|Urdu]]. It is also sometimes referred to as Balo-Rabi or Balòrabi. Today, it is the preferred script to use in a professional setting and by educated folk.

=== Latin alphabet ===
The following Latin-based alphabet was adopted by the International Workshop on "Balochi Roman Orthography" (University of Uppsala, Sweden, 28–30 May 2000).<ref>{{cite web |title=Baluchi Roman ORTHOGRAPHY |url=http://www.phrasebase.com/archive/baluchi/45-baluchi-roman-orthography.html |work=Phrasebase.com |access-date=23 October 2015 |archive-date=23 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123080603/http://www.phrasebase.com/archive/baluchi/45-baluchi-roman-orthography.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

;Alphabetical order:

{{nowrap|a á b c d ď e f g ĝ h i í j k l m n o p q r ř s š t ť u ú v w x y z ž ay aw}} (33 letters and 2 digraphs)

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Letter
!IPA
!Example words<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jahani |first=Carina |title=A grammar of modern standard Balochi |date=2019 |publisher=Uppsala Universitet |isbn=978-91-513-0820-3 |series=Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Studia Iranica Upsaliensia |location=Uppsala}}</ref>
|-
| A / a
|{{IPAblink|a}}
| style="text-align:left" | asp (horse), garm (warm), mard (man)
|-
| Á / á
|{{IPAblink|aː}}
| style="text-align:left" | áp (water), kár (work)
|-
| B / b (''bé'')
|{{IPAblink|b}}
| style="text-align:left" |barp (snow, ice), bám (dawn), bágpán (gardener), baktáwar (lucky)
|-
| Ch / ch (''ché'')
|{{IPAblink|tʃ}}
| style="text-align:left" |chamm (eye), bacch (son), kárch (knife)
|-
| D / d (''de'')
|{{IPAblink|d}}
| style="text-align:left" |dard (pain), drad (rainshower), pád (foot), wád (salt)
|-
| Dh / dh
|{{IPAblink|ɖ}}
|style="text-align:left"| ''dhawl (''shape''), gwandh (short), chondh (piece)''
|-
| E / e
|{{IPAblink|i}}
|style="text-align:left"|esh (this), pet (father), bale (but)
|-
|É / é 
|{{IPAblink|eː}}
|éraht (harvest), bér (revenge), shér (tiger) dér (late, delay), dém (face, front), 
|-
| F / f (''fe'')
|{{IPAblink|f}}
| style="text-align:left" | ''Only used for loanwords:'' fármaysí (pharmacy).
|-
| G / g (''ge'')
|{{IPAblink|ɡ}}
|style="text-align:left"|gapp (talk), ganók (mad), bág (garden), bagg (herd of camels), pádag (foot), Bagdád (Baghdad)
|-
| Gh / gh
|{{IPAblink|ɣ}}
|style="text-align:left"| ''Like [[Ghain|ĝhaen]] in Perso-Arabic script.''<br />''Used for loanwords and in eastern dialects:'' ghair (others), ghali (carpet), ghaza (noise)
|-
| H / h (''he'')
|{{IPAblink|h}}
|style="text-align:left"|hár (flood), máh (moon), kóh (mountain), mahár (rein), hón (blood)
|-
| I / i (''i'')
|{{IPAblink|iː}}
| style="text-align:left" |imán (faith), shir (milk), pakir (beggar), samin (breeze), gáli (carpet)
|-
| J / j (''jé'')
|{{IPAblink|dʒ}}
| style="text-align:left" |jang (war), janag (to beat), jeng (lark), ganj (treasure), sajji (roasted meat)
|-
| K / k (''ké'')
|{{IPAblink|k}}
| style="text-align:left" |Kermán (Kirman), kárch (knife), nákó (uncle), gwask (calf), kasán (small)
|-
| L / l (''lé'')
|{{IPAblink|l}}
| style="text-align:left" |láp (stomach), gal (joy), gal (party, organization), goll (cheek), gol (rose)
|-
| M / m (''mé'')
|{{IPAblink|m}}
| style="text-align:left" |mát (mother), bám (dawn), chamm (eye), master (leader, bigger)
|-
| N / n (''né'')
|{{IPAblink|n}}
| style="text-align:left" |nagan (bread), nók (new, new moon), dhann (outside), kwahn (old), nákó (uncle)
|-
| O / o
|{{IPAblink|u}}
| style="text-align:left" |oshter (camel), shomá (you), ostád (teacher), gozhn (hunger), boz (goat)
|-
| Ó / ó (''ó'')
|{{IPAblink|oː}}
|style="text-align:left"|óshtag (to stop), ózhnág (swim), róch (sun), dór (pain), sochag (to burn)
|-
| P / p (''pé'')
|{{IPAblink|p}}
|style="text-align:left"|Pád (foot), shap (night), shapád (bare-footed), gapp (talk), haptád (70)
|-
| R / r (''ré'')
|{{IPAblink|ɾ}}
| style="text-align:left" |rék (sand), barag (to take away), sharr (good), sarag (head)
|-
| Rh / rh (''rhé'')
|{{IPAblink|ɽ}}
| style="text-align:left" |márhi (building), nájórh (sick)
|-
| S / s (''sé'')
|{{IPAblink|s}}
| style="text-align:left" |sarag (head), kass (someone), kasán (little), bass (enough), ás (fire)
|-
| Sh / sh (''shé'')
|{{IPAblink|ʃ}}
| style="text-align:left" |shap (night), shád (happy), mésh (sheep), shwánag (shepherd), wašš (happy, tasty)
|-
| T / t (''té'')
|{{IPAblink|t}}
| style="text-align:left" |tagerd (mat), tahná (alone) tás (bowl), kelitt (key)
|-
| Th / th (''thé'')
|{{IPAblink|ʈ}}
| style="text-align:left" |thong (hole), thilló (bell), batth (cooked rice), batthág (eggplant)
|-
| U / u (''u'')
|{{IPAblink|uː}}
| style="text-align:left" | zurag (to take), bezur (take), dur (distant)
|-
| W / w (''wé'')
|{{IPAblink|w}}
| style="text-align:left" | warag (food, to eat), warden (provision), dawár (abode), wád (salt), kawwás (learned)
|-
| X / x
|{{IPAblink|x}}
|style="text-align:left"| ''Like [[Ḫāʾ|xa]] in Perso-Arabic script.''<br />''Used for loanwords and in eastern dialects:''
|-
| Y / y (''yé'')
|{{IPAblink|j}}
| style="text-align:left" | yád (remembrance), yár (friend), yázdah (eleven), beryáni (roasted meat), yakk (one)
|-
| Z / z (''zé'')
|{{IPAblink|z}}
| style="text-align:left" | zarr (monay), zi (yesterday), mozz (wages), móz (banana), nazzíkk (nearby)
|-
| Zh / zh (''zhé'')
|{{IPAblink|ʒ}}
| style="text-align:left" | zhand (tired), zháng (bells), pazhm (wool), gazzhag (to swell), gozhnag (hungry)
|-
| colspan="3" | '''Latin digraphs'''
|-
| Ay / ay
|[aj]
|style="text-align:left"|ayb (fault), say (three), kay (who)
|-
| Aw / aw
|[aw]
|style="text-align:left"|awali (first), hawr (rain), kawl (promise), gawk (neck)
|}

==== Soviet alphabet ====
In 1933, the [[Soviet Union]] adopted a Latin-based alphabet for Balochi as follows:

{| cellpadding=4 style="font-size:large; text-align: center;" summary="Thirty one letters of the Balochi Latin alphabet, lowercase" align=center
|+ style="font-size:smaller;" | '''The Balochi alphabet in Latin'''
|{{lang|bal-Latn|a}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|ə}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|ʙ}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|c}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|ç}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|d}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|ᶁ}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|e}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|f}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|g}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|h}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|i}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|j}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|k}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|ʟ}}
|-
|{{lang|bal-Latn|m}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|n}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|o}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|p}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|q}}
|{{lang|bal|ʼ}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|r}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|s}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|t}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|ƫ}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|u}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|v}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|w}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|x}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|z}}
|{{lang|bal-Latn|ƶ}}
|}

The alphabet was used for several texts, including children's books, newspapers, and ideological works. In 1938, however, the official use of Balochi was discontinued.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Axenov |first=Sergei |title=Language in Society: Eight Sociolinguistic Essays on Balochi |date=2000 |isbn=91-554-4679-5 |series=Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Studia Iranica Upsaliensia |publisher=Uppsala Universitet |pages=71–78 |location=Uppsala}}</ref>

=== Cyrillic alphabet ===
In 1989, Mammad Sherdil, a teacher from the [[Turkmen SSR]], approached Balochi language researcher Sergei Axenov with the idea of creating a [[Cyrillic]]-based alphabet for Balochi. Before this, the Cyrillic script was already used for writing Balochi and was used in several publications but the alphabet was not standardized. In 1990, the alphabet was finished. It included the following letters:

{| cellpadding=4 style="font-size:large; text-align: center;" summary="Forty two letters of the Balochi Cyrillic alphabet, lowercase" align=center
|+ style="font-size:smaller;" | '''The Balochi alphabet in Cyrillic'''
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|а}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|а̄}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|б}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|в}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|г}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ғ}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|д}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|д̨}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|е}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ё}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ж}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|җ}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|з}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|и}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ӣ}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|й}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|к}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|қ}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|л}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|м}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|н}}
|-
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|о}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|п}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|р}}
|{{lang|bal|ꝑ}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|с}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|т}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|т̵}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|у}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ӯ}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ф}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|х}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ц}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ч}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ш}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|щ}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ъ}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ы}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ь}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|э}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|ю}}
|{{lang|bal-Cyrl|я}}
|}

The project was approved with some minor changes ({{lang|bal-Cyrl|қ}}, {{lang|bal|ꝑ}}, and {{lang|bal-Cyrl|ы}} were removed due to the rarity of those sounds in Balochi, and {{lang|bal-Cyrl|о̄}} was added). From 1992 to 1993, several primary school textbooks were printed in this script. In the early 2000s, the script fell out of use.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kokaislova P. |first=Kokaisl P. |title={{lang|ru|Центральная Азия и Кавказ}} |date=2012 |issn=1403-7068 |language=ru}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Dames |first1=Mansel Longworth |url=https://archive.org/details/textbookofbaloch00damerich |title=A Text Book of the Balochi Language: Consisting of Miscellaneous Stories, Legends, Poems, and a Balochi-English Vocabulary |location=Lahore |publisher=Punjab Government Press |year=1922 |access-date=16 January 2020 |language=en }}
* {{cite book |last1=Farrell |first1=Tim |title=Basic Balochi: an introductory course |year=1990 |publisher=Università degli Studi di Napoli "L'Orientale" |location=Naples |oclc=40953807 |language=en }}
* {{cite book |last1=Jahani |first1=Carina |last2=Korn |first2=Agnes |editor1-last=Windfuhr |editor1-first=Gernot |title=The Iranian languages |year=2009 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=978-0-7007-1131-4 |pages=634–692 |edition=1st |series=Routledge Language Family Series |chapter=Balochi |language=en }}
* {{cite book |last1=Serge |first1=Axenov |title=The Balochi language of Turkmenistan: a corpus based grammatical description |date=2006 |publisher=Uppsala Universitet |location=Stockholm |isbn=978-91-554-6766-1 |oclc=82163314 |language=en }}
* {{cite conference |editor1-last=Jahani |editor1-first=Carina |editor2-last=Korn |editor2-first=Agnes |others=In cooperation with Gunilla Gren-Eklund |title=The Baloch and Their Neighbours: Ethnic and Linguistic Contact in Balochistan in Historical and Modern Times |date=2003 |publisher=Reichert |location=Wiesbaden |isbn=978-3-89500-366-0 |oclc=55149070 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Jahani |editor1-first=Carina |title=Language in society: eight sociolinguistic essays on Balochi |date=2000 |publisher=Uppsala University |isbn=978-91-554-4679-6 |series=Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis |oclc=44509598 |language=en}}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin|2}}
;Dictionaries and lexicographical works
* Gilbertson, George W. 1925. ''English-Balochi colloquial dictionary''. Hertford: Stephen Austin & Sons.
* Ahmad, K. 1985. ''Baluchi Glossary: A Baluchi-English Glossary: Elementary Level''. Dunwoody Press.
* Badal Khan, S. 1990. ''Mán Balócíá Darí Zubánání Judá''. Labzánk Vol. 1(3): pp.&nbsp;11–15.
* Abdulrrahman Pahwal. 2007. ''Balochi Gálband: Balochi/Pashto/Dari/English Dictionary''. Peshawar: Al-Azhar Book Co. p.&nbsp;374.
* Mír Ahmad Dihání. 2000. ''Mír Ganj: Balócí/Balócí/Urdú''. Karachi: Balóc Ittihád Adabí Akedimí. p.&nbsp;427.
* Bruce, R. I. 1874. ''Manual and Vocabulary of the Beluchi Dialect''. Lahore: Government Civil Secretariat Press. vi 154 p.
* Ishák Xámúś. 2014. ''Balochi Dictionary: Balochi/Urdu/English''. Karachi: Aataar Publications. p.&nbsp;444.
* Nágumán. 2011. ''Balócí Gál: Ambáre Nókáz (Balochi/English/Urdu)''. Básk. p.&nbsp;245.
* Nágumán. 2014. ''Jutgál. Makkurán: Nigwar Labzánkí Majlis''. p.&nbsp;64.
* Ghulám Razá Azarlí. 2016. ''Farhange Kúcak: Pársí/Balúcí''. Pársí Anjuman.
* Hashmi, S. Z. S. 2000. ''Sayad Ganj: Balochi-Balochi Dictionary''. Karachi: Sayad Hashmi Academy. P. 887.
* Ulfat Nasím. 2005. ''Tibbí Lughat''. Balócí Akademí. p.&nbsp;260.
* Gulzár Xán Marí. 2005. ''Gwaśtin''. Balócí Akedimí. p.&nbsp;466.
* Raśíd Xán. 2010. ''Batal, Guśtin, Puźdánk, Ghanŧ''. Tump: Wafá Labzání Majlis. p.&nbsp;400.
* Śe Ragám. 2012. ''Batal, Gwaśtin u Gálband''. Balócí Akademí. p.&nbsp;268.
* Abdul Azíz Daolatí Baxśán. 1388. ''Nám u Ném Nám: Farhang Námhá Balúcí''. Tihrán: Pázína. p.&nbsp;180.
* Nazeer Dawood. 2007. ''Balochi into English Dictionary''. Gwádar: Drad Publications. p.&nbsp;208.
* Abdul Kaiúm Balóc. 2005. ''Balócí Búmíá''. Balócí Akademí. p.&nbsp;405.
* Ján Mahmad Daśtí. 2015. ''Balócí Labz Balad [Balochi/Balochi Dictionary]''. Balócí Akademí. p.&nbsp;1255.
* Bogoljubov, Mixail, et al. (eds.). ''Indoiranskoe jazykoznanie i tipologija jazykovyx situacij. Sbornik statej k 75-letiju professora A. L. Gryunberga''. St. Pétersbourg (Nauka). pp.&nbsp;201–212.
* Marri, M. K. and Marri, S. K. 1970. ''Balúcí-Urdú Lughat''. Quetta: Balochi Academy. 332 p.
* Mayer, T. J. L. 1900. ''English-Baluchi Dictionary''. Lahore: Government Press.

;Orthography
* Jahani, Carina. 1990. ''Standardization and orthography in the Balochi language''. Studia Iranica Upsaliensia. Uppsala, Sweden: Almqvist & Wiksell Internat.
* Sayad Háśumí. 1964. ''Balócí Syáhag u Rást Nibíssag''. Dabai: Sayad Háśumí Balóc. p.&nbsp;144.
* Ghaos Bahár. 1998. Balócí Lékwaŕ. Balócí Akademí. p.&nbsp;227.
* Ziá Balóc. 2015. ''Balócí Rást Nibíssí''. Raísí Cáp u Śingjáh. p.&nbsp;264.
* Axtar Nadím. 1997. ''Nibiśta Ráhband''. Balócí Akedimí. p.&nbsp;206.
* Táj Balóc. 2015. ''Sarámad (Roman Orthography)''. Bahren: Balóc Kalab. p.&nbsp;110.

;Courses and study guides
* Barker, Muhammad A. and Aaqil Khan Mengal. 1969. ''A course in Baluchi''. Montreal: McGill University.
* Collett, Nigel A. 1986. ''A Grammar, Phrase-book, and Vocabulary of Baluchi (As Spoken in the Sultanate of Oman)''. Abingdon: Burgess & Son.
* Natawa, T. 1981. ''Baluchi (Asian and African Grammatical Manuals 17b)''. Tokyo. 351 p.
* Munazzih Batúl Baóc. 2008. ''Ásán Balúcí Bólcál''. Balócí Akademí. p.&nbsp;152.
* Abdul Azíz Jázimí. ''Balócí Gappe Káidaián''. p.&nbsp;32.
* Muhammad Zarrín Nigár. ''Dastúr Tatbíkí Zabáne Balúcí bá Fársí''. Íránśahr: Bunyáde Naśre Farhange Balóc. p.&nbsp;136.
* Gilbertson, George W. 1923. ''The Balochi language. A grammar and manual''. Hertford: Stephen Austin & Sons.
* Bugti, A. M. 1978. ''Balócí-Urdú Bólcál''. Quetta: Kalat Publications.
* Ayyúb Ayyúbí. 1381. ''Dastúr Zabán Fársí bih Balúcí''. Íránśahr: Intiśárát Asátír. p.&nbsp;200.
* Hitturam, R. B. 1881. ''Biluchi Nameh: A Text-book of the Biluchi Language''. Lahore.

;Etymological and historical studies
* Elfenbein, J. 1985. Balochi from Khotan. In: Studia Iranica. Vol. XIV (2): 223–238.
* Gladstone, C. E. 1874. Biluchi Handbook. Lahore.
* Hashmi, S. Z. S. 1986. Balúcí Zabán va Adab kí Táríx [The History of Balochi language and Literature: A Survey]. Karachi: Sayad Hashmi Academy.
* Korn, A. 2005. Towards a Historical Grammar of Balochi. Studies in Balochi Historical Phonology and Vocabulary [Beiträge zur Iranistik 26]. Wiesbaden (Reichert).
* Korn, A. 2009. The Ergative System in Balochi from a Typological Perspective // Iranian Journal for Applied Language Studies I. pp.&nbsp;43–79.
* Korn, A. 2003. The Outcome of Proto-Iranian *ṛ in Balochi // Iran : Questions et connaissances. Actes du IVe congrès européen des études iraniennes, organisé par la Societas Iranologica Europaea, Paris, 6–10 septembre 1999. III : Cultures et sociétés contemporaines, éd. Bernard HOURCADE [Studia Iranica Cahier 27]. Leuven (Peeters). pp.&nbsp;65–75.
* Mengal, A. K. 1990. A Persian-Pahlavi-Balochi Vocabulary I (A-C). Quetta: Balochi Academy.
* Morgenstiene, G. 1932. Notes on Balochi Etymology. Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap. p.&nbsp;37–53.
* Moshkalo, V. V. 1988. Reflections of the Old Iranian Preverbs on the Baluchi Verbs. Naples: Newsletter of Baluchistan Studies. No. 5: pp.&nbsp;71–74.
* Moshkalo, V. V. 1991. Beludzskij Jazyk. In: Osnovy Iranskogo Jazykozanija. Novoiranskie Jazyki I. Moscow. p.&nbsp;5–90.

;Dialectology
* Dames, M. L. 1881. A Sketch of the Northern Balochi Language. Calcutta: The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
* Elfenbein, J. 1966. The Baluchi Language. A Dialectology with Text. London.
* Filipone, E. 1990. Organization of Space: Cognitive Models and Baluchi Dialectology. Newsletter of Baluchistan Studies. Naples. Vol. 7: pp.&nbsp;29–39.
* Gafferberg, E. G. 1969. Beludzhi Turkmenskoi. SSR: Ocherki Khoziaistva Material'oni Kultuy I Byta. sn.
* Geiger, W. 1889. Etymologie des Baluci. Abhandlungen der I. Classe der Königlich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Vol. XIX(I): pp.&nbsp;105–53.
* Marston, E. W. 1877. Grammar and Vocabulary of the Mekranee Beloochee Dialect. Bombay.
* Pierce, E. 1874. A Description of the Mekranee-Beloochee Dialect. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Vol. XI: 1–98.
* Pierce, E. 1875. Makrani Balochi. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 11: N. 31.
* Rossi, A. V. 1979. Phonemics in Balochi and Modern Dialectology. Naples: Instituto Universitario Orientale, Dipartimento di Studi Asiatici. Iranica, pp.&nbsp;161–232.
* Rahman, T. 1996. The Balochi/Brahvi Language Movements in Pakistan. ''Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies''. Vol. 19(3): 71–88.
* Rahman, T. 2001. The Learning of Balochi and Brahvi in Pakistan. ''Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies''. Vol. 24(4): 45–59.
* Rahman, T. 2002. Language Teaching and Power in Pakistan. ''Indian Social Science Review''. 5(1): 45–61.

;Language contact
* Elfenbein, J. 1982. Notes on the Balochi-Brahui Linguistic Commensality. In: TPhS, pp.&nbsp;77–98.
* Foxton, W. 1985. Arabic/Baluchi Bilingualism in Oman. Naples: Newsletter of Baluchistan Studies. N. 2 pp.&nbsp;31–39.
* Natawa, T. 1970. The Baluchis in Afghanistan and their Language. pp.&nbsp;II:417-18. In: Endo, B. et al. Proceedings, VIIIth International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, 1968, Tokyo and Kyoto. Tokyo: Science Council of Japan.
* Rzehak, L. 1995. Menschen des Rückens – Menschen des Bauches: Sprache und Wirklichkeit im Verwandtschaftssystem der Belutschen. pp.&nbsp;207–229. In: Reck, C. & Zieme, P. (ed.); Iran und Turfan. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
* Elfenbein, Josef. 1997. "Balochi Phonology". In Kaye, Alan S. Phonologies of Asia and Africa. 1. pp.&nbsp;761–776.
* Farideh Okati. 2012. The Vowel Systems of Five Iranian Balochi Dialects. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis: Studia linguistica Upsaliensia. p.&nbsp;241.

;Grammar and morphology
* Farrell, Tim. 1989. A study of ergativity in Balochi.' M.A. thesis: School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London.
* Farrell, Tim. 1995. Fading ergativity? A study of ergativity in Balochi. In David C. Bennett, Theodora Bynon & B. George Hewitt (eds.), Subject, voice, and ergativity: Selected essays, 218–243. London: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
* Korn, Agnes. 2009. Marking of arguments in Balochi ergative and mixed constructions. In Simin Karimi, VIda Samiian & Donald Stilo (eds.) Aspects of Iranian Linguistics, 249–276. Newcastle upon Tyne (UK): Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
* Abraham, W. 1996. The Aspect-Case Typology Correlation: Perfectivity Triggering Split Ergativity. Folia Linguistica Vol. 30 (1–2): pp.&nbsp;5–34.
* Ahmadzai, N. K. B. M. 1984. The Grammar of Balochi Language. Quetta: Balochi Academy, iii, 193 p.
* Andronov, M. S. 2001. A Grammar of the Balochi Language in Comparative Treatment. Munich.
* Bashir, E. L. 1991. A Contrastive Analysis of Balochi and Urdu. Washington, D.C. Academy for Educational Development, xxiii, 333 p.
* {{cite journal |last=Jahani |first=C. |date=1994 |title=Notes on the Use of Genitive Construction Versus Izafa Construction in Iranian Balochi |journal=Studia Iranica |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=285–98|doi=10.2143/SI.23.2.2014308 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Jahani |first=C. |date=1999 |title=Persian Influence on Some Verbal Constructions in Iranian Balochi |journal=Studia Iranica |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=123–143|doi=10.2143/SI.28.1.2003920 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Korn |first=A. |date=2008 |title=A New Locative Case in Turkmenistan Balochi |journal=[[Iran and the Caucasus]] |volume=12 |pages=83–99|doi=10.1163/157338408X326226 }}
* Jahani, Carina. ''[https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1372275&dswid=8949 A Grammar of Modern Standard Balochi]''. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2019. {{ISBN|978-91-513-0820-3}}. 
* Leech, R. 1838. Grammar of the Balochky Language. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Vol. VII(2): p.&nbsp;608.
* Mockler, E. 1877. Introduction to a Grammar of the Balochee Language. London.
* Nasir, K. A. B. M. 1975. Balócí Kárgónag. Quetta.
* Sabir, A. R. 1995. Morphological Similarities in Brahui and Balochi Languages. International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics. Vol. 24(1): 1–8.

;Semantics
* Elfenbein, J. 1992. Measurement of Time and Space in Balochi. Studia Iranica, Vol. 21(2): pp.&nbsp;247–254.
* Filipone, E. 1996. Spatial Models and Locative Expressions in Baluchi. Naples: Instituto Universitario Orietale, Dipartimento di Studi Asiatici. 427 p.

;Miscellaneous and surveys
* Baloch, B. A. 1986. Balochi: On the Move. In: Mustada, Zubeida, ed. The South Asian Century: 1900–1999. Karachi: Oxford University Press. pp.&nbsp;163–167.
* Bausani, A. 1971. Baluchi Language and Literature. Mahfil: A Quarterly of South Asian Literature, Vol. 7 (1–2): pp.&nbsp;43–54.
* Munazzih Batúl Baóc. 2008. ''Ásán Balúcí Bólcál''. Balócí Akademí. p.&nbsp;633–644.
* Elfenbein, J. 1989. Balochi. In: SCHMITT, pp.&nbsp;350–362.
* Geiger, W. 1901. Die Sprache der Balutschen. Geiger/Kuhn II, P. 231–248, Gelb, I. J. 1970. Makkan and Meluḫḫa in Early Mesopotamian Sources. Revue d'Assyriologie. Vol. LXIV: pp.&nbsp;1–8.
* Gichky, N. 1986. Baluchi Language and its Early Literature. Newsletter of Baluchistan Studies. No. 3, pp.&nbsp;17–24.
* Grierson, G. A. 1921. Balochi. In: Linguistic Survey of India X: Specimens of Languages of Eranian Family. Calcutta. pp.&nbsp;327–451.
* Ibragimov, B. 1973. Beludzhi Pakistana. Sots.-ekon. Polozhenie v Pakist. Beludhistane I nats. dvizhnie beludzhei v 1947–1970. Moskva. 143 p.
* Jaffrey, A. A. 1964. New Trends in the Balochi Language. Bulletin of the Ancient Iranian Cultural Society. Vol. 1(3): 14–26.
* Jahani, C. Balochi. In: Garry, J. and Rubino, C. (eds.). Facts About World's Languages. New York: H. W. Wilson Company. pp.&nbsp;59–64.
* Kamil Al-Qadri, S. M. 1969. Baluchi Language and Literature. Pakistan Quarterly. Vol. 17: pp.&nbsp;60–65.
* Morgenstiene, G. 1969. The Baluchi Language. Pakistan Quarterly. Vol. 17: 56–59.
* Nasir, G. K. 1946. Riyásat Kalát kí Kaumí Zabán. Bolan.
* Rooman, A. 1967. A Brief Survey of Baluchi Literature and Language. Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society. Vol. 15: 253–272.
* Rossi, A. V. 1982–1983. Linguistic Inquiries in Baluchistan Towards Integrated Methodologies. Naples: Newsletter of Baluchistan Studies. N.1: 51–66.
* Zarubin, I. 1930. Beiträge zum Studium von Sprache und Folklore der Belutschen. Zapiski Kollegii Vostokovedov. Vol. 5: 653–679.
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Incubator|bal|lang1=Balochi (macrolanguage)|3=bgn|5=bcc|7=bgp}}
{{Wikivoyage|Balochi phrasebook|Balochi|phrasebook}}

* {{commons category-inline}}
* 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.
* [[Mansel Longworth Dames|Dames, Mansel Longworth]]. [https://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/dames-sketch/ A sketch of the northern Balochi language], containing a grammar, vocabulary and specimens of the language. Calcutta: Asiatic Society, 1881.
* 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] – translate Balochi words to or from English, Persian, Spanish, Finnish and Swedish
* [http://www.ijunoon.com/balochidic/ iJunoon English to Balochi Dictionary]
* [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]

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[[Category:Balochi language| ]]
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