Balochi language

Balochi
بلوچی baločî Balóćí
Native to	Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, UAE, Oman
Native speakers	7.6 million  (2007)
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Iranian Western Iranian Northwestern Iranian Balochi
Official status
Official language in	(Balochistan Province of Pakistan) (provincial) and (Balochistan Province of Iran)
Regulated by	Balochi Academy (Pakistan)
Language codes
ISO 639-2	bal
ISO 639-3	bal – inclusive code Individual codes: bgp – Eastern Balochi bgn – Western Balochi bcc – Southern Balochi
Linguasphere	58-AAB-a > 58-AAB-aa (East Balochi) + 58-AAB-ab (West Balochi) + 58-AAB-ac (South Balochi) + 58-AAB-ad (Bashkardi)

Balochi (also called Baluchi, Baloci or Baluci) is a Northwestern Iranian language. It is the main language of the Baloch of Balochistan, Pakistan, eastern Iran and southern Afghanistan. It is also spoken as a second language by some Brahui. It is one of nine official languages of Pakistan.

Dialects

Balochi has several dialects. The Ethnologue lists three dialects: Balochi, Eastern, Balochi, Northern, Balochi, Southern and Balochi, Western while the Encyclopædia Iranica (from Elfenbein) lists six dialects: Rakhshani (subdialects: Kalati, Panjguri and Sarhaddi), Saravani, Lashari, Kechi, Coastal Dialects, and Eastern Hill Balochi.

Northern Balochi dialects are settled north of Iranian Balochistan and Golestān Province of Iran, north of Nimruz Province in Afghanistan and north Chagai District of Balochistan and north of Sindh in Pakistan. Northern Balochi dialects are similar to northern Rakhshani and southern Makkorani dialects.