Urdu Language

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NC state university (2013)

 

1.       How many people speak this language in the world today?

According to BBC (2007) they stated that more than 100 million people speak this language as their first or second language.

2.       Where are the main areas in the UK where this language is spoken?

As BBC (2007) reported “The main areas of settlement for Urdu speakers are the northern textile towns, the West Midlands and London. “

3.       What is the History of this language in the UK?

“'Urdu' comes from the Persian zaban-e-urdu-e-mu'alla (language of the imperial court), a gloss which gives important clues to its history. Originally it was one of the languages spoken in the Hindi region of India. During the sixteenth century, however, large areas of India fell under the rule of Muslims whose language and culture were predominantly Persian. While the structure of Urdu remained essentially Indian, the vocabulary was greatly influenced by Persian. Urdu spread all over India through administrative structures, army encampments and bazaars.” BBC
(2007)

4.       When was it first spoken?

According to UKessays (2013) “It was founded on July 10, 1800”

5.       Who by?

By the Pakistanis

6.       What is the story behind its arrival in the UK?

According to UKessays (2013) they stated “The relationship between Urdu and Britain is not new; it started around three and a half hundred years ago when the British entered into the sub-continent as a trader and established the East India Company. British studied in depth the culture, linguistic, social and economic background of the sub-continent and they realised that to obtain full political power they needed to learn the language of the land.”

7.       Any other information about this language that you think may be interesting for other members of the class?

“Urdu vocabulary comes from Persian and Arabic” Ager (2013).

8.       Using the internet as a resource find out what the speakers of this language have contributed to the culture of the UK?

According to oocities (2013) they reported "Urdu/Hindi was never the official language during Muslim rule (it was always Dari/Farsi/Persian), and was first promoted and further developed by the British colonialists (Hindustani/Khariboli language was "communalized" at Fort Williams College giving birth to Urdu and Hindi). The British rejected Persian language in the region to de-link any Muslim connections with its western neighbors, and promoted Urdu/Hindi to engineer their newly created "Indian" colonial identity with Ganges region as its center."

 

Bibliography –

Ager, S. (2013) Urdu (اردو)Available at: http://www.omniglot.com/writing/urdu.htm(Accessed: 22 May 2013).

BBC (2007) URDU Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/multilingual/urdu_writing_system.shtml#A (Accessed: 22 May 2013).

NC state university (2013) Urdu [Online] Available at: http://gold.chass.ncsu.edu/learning/urdu.php (Accessed: 22 May 2013).

oocities (2013) Views on the issue of national language in Pakistan Available at: http://www.oocities.org/paklanguage/opinion.html (Accessed: 22 May 2013).

UKessays (2013) Urdu As A Modern Language In The Uk Education Essay  Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/urdu-as-a-modern-language-in-the-uk-education-essay.php (Accessed: 22 May 2013).