Emergency crisis in communities in Northern Pakistan

Pakistan has been hit by the worst flood of its history. According to OCHA - UN, the number of people affected is higher than the combined total of the Tsunami in South East Asia, and the earthquakes in Kashmir and Haiti. Our government says that we have gone 50 years backwards. The infrastructure of the country has been severely damaged.

Forum for Language Initiatives (FLI) is a non-government and non-profit organisation registered with the government of Pakistan, working to enable the language communities of northern Pakistan to preserve and develop their mother tongues. Although this organisation is not involved in relief work, it has set into motion an initiative because the language communities with whom It works have been severely affected by the floods and are in a great deal of suffering. So far, the situation in the area where these language communities live is the worst. Their sources of livelihood: small terraced fields, vegetable and fruit gardens and livestock have been washed away by the flood. Single approach roads to the narrow valleys in the mountains have been completely damaged. One has to travel for days to come out from the valley to get any food. Many people partnering with FLI in community development programmes have lost their homes, property and most of their personal belongings, and at least one multi-lingual education school has been destroyed. FLI wants to help out the most affected people and would like national and international organisations, governments, communities, and individuals to support its efforts in this humanitarian crisis. Read more

Where have all the verbs gone? On verb stretching and semi-words in Indo-Aryan Palula

By Dr. Liljegren, Henrik. 2010. Himalayan Linguistics 9(1): 51-79

Liljegren's article in the web-based journal Himalayan Linguistics discusses and analyzes a type of complex predicates that is commonly occurring in Palula (Chitral Valley) and in other languages in the region. The construction is related to the verb lexicon at large, areal phenomena, argument structure, and analogy formation. Read more

Treasures of Seven Kings

By Maarit Liljegren and Judith Baart

This book contains a collection of stories from 12 indigenous languages spoken in northern Pakistan: Balti, Burushaski, Dameli, Gawri, Gojri, Hindko, Indus Kohistani, Kalasha, Khowar, Palula, Shina and Torwali. Local researchers contributed with well known stories from their communities, some including illustrations by a local artist. Read more

Kalasha dictionary in a new and interactive format
By Dr. Ronald L. Trail & Dr. Gregory R. Cooper

The Kalasha dictionary, written by Dr. Ronald L. Trail and Dr. Gregory R. Cooper is now available on our website with a new format. The Kalasha word-list with meaning in English and vice versa is the newest feature on this page. Check it out

The Dangari Tongue of Choke and Machoke:
Tracing the proto-language of Shina enclaves in the Hindu Kush

Liljegren, Henrik (2009). The Dangari Tongue of Choke and Machoke : Tracing the proto-language of Shina enclaves in the Hindu Kush. Acta Orientalia 70: 7-62.. Click here