What is Urdu?
Q: What is Urdu?
A: Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and a recognized regional language in India. It is an Indo-Aryan language, meaning it descends from Proto-Indo-Aryan, a language spoken northeast of the Caspian Sea in the third millennia BC.
Q: Where is Urdu spoken?
A: Urdu is spoken as a lingua franca by most people in Pakistan and also spoken in some parts of India like the states of Delhi, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Q: How does Urdu compare to Hindi?
A: Words are similar when spoken but completely different when written. This means that speakers of Hindi and Urdu can have a conversation with one another, but may not be able to read or write one of these two scripts.
Q: What other names does Urdu go by?
A: In addition to being known as "Urdu", it is also referred to as Lashkari or the Lashkari language (لشکری زبان).
Q: When did Proto-Indo-Aryan originate?
A: Proto-Indo-Aryan originated northeast of the Caspian Sea in the third millennia BC.
Q: Is there any overlap between Hindi and Urdu writing systems?
A: No, there isn't any overlap between Hindi and Urdu writing systems; they are completely different from each other.
