Experts begin standardizing Khowar language spelling

1

CHITRAL: Steps to standardize the spelling system of Khowar language has been started by a group of experts.

The Forum for Language Initiative (FLI) has started standardization work for languages spoken in its target
area (northern Pakistan) with initiation of steps to standardize the spelling system of Khowar.

A three-day workshop jointly organized by Mother Tongue Initiative for Education and Research (MIER) and Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Khowar started in Chitral town on Friday taking up the introduction of spell checking on digital devices for the language.

Availability of spellchecker to the writers of the language will facilitate writing of Khowar language on digital devices providing consistency in the writing system and unified orthography, said the Forum for Language Initiative (FLI).

Khowar writers, researchers and activists such as Prof Mumtaz Hussain,  Javed Iqbal, Afsar Ali Khan and Farid Ahmad Raza were among those attending the activity.

FLI was represented by its executive director Fakhruddin Akhunzada in the event. 

The lesser known languages of the region face issues like chaotic spelling system where the writers find no standardized phrasing to follow while writing their manuscripts which hinders the evolution of writing system by confusing the readers and new writers. To make the writing system orderly, reaching an agreement on a unified writing system is of high importance which will lay foundation of a smooth evolution.

During this first step, around 20,000 words of Khowar have been collected from various printed/published materials which will be standardized to be used in future on digital devices. Later,  the inflicted form of the words will be added and the number of words will be raised to forty thousands.

1 Comment
  1. Mohammad Ilyas Khwaja says

    The panel that is to formalize a language as Khowar should be at least comprised of a local veteran speaker from Yarkhun, Biyar, Torkhow, Mulkhow, Kosht and Chitral Proper. If it’s not so, then it’s not appropriate. Do formalities, take a sip of tea and off.

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.

error: Content is protected!!