What is Hindko?
Q: What is Hindko?
A: Hindko is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by approximately 5 million people in Pakistan.
Q: Where is Hindko spoken the most?
A: Most of the speakers of Hindko are found in Hazara, a region in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan.
Q: Are there speakers of Hindko in other parts of Pakistan besides Hazara?
A: Yes, there are speakers of Hindko in other parts of the province such as Kohat and Peshawar, as well as in Azad Kashmir and north-western Punjab.
Q: What is the standard variety of Hindko?
A: Hazara Hindko is the standard variety of Hindko.
Q: Is there a proper, formal generic name for the people who speak Hindko?
A: No, there is no proper, formal generic name for the people who speak Hindko because they belong to diverse ethnicities and tend to identify themselves by larger families, castes, and tribes.
Q: Are there any collective names for the Hindko-speaking people?
A: The people of the largest group in the districts of Haripur, Abbottabad, and Mansehra are sometimes recognised collectively as Hazarawal, named after the Hazara Division that comprises these districts. In Peshawar city, they are referred to as "Kharay" meaning City-dwellers or Hindkowans.
Q: How do you pronounce Hindko in the local language?
A: Hindko is pronounced [/Hindkoŭ/].
