Language
ਭਾਸ਼ਾLanguage
Punjabi in both its scripts — Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi — with transliteration, sound, and meaning, and the long history living inside ordinary words.
What this section covers
Two scripts, one living tongue
Punjabi is written in two scripts: Gurmukhi (ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ), used mainly in Indian Punjab, and Shahmukhi (شاہ مُکھی), a Perso-Arabic script used mainly in Pakistani Punjab. The same language, held in two hands. Wherever a word appears here, we give it in both scripts where appropriate, with a transliteration and a plain-English meaning.
Our word studies go a step further — tracing where a word came from, how its sense has shifted, and the cultural weight it carries. The aim is simple: to make the language legible to a complete beginner while still respecting the reader who already knows it well.
In this section
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More word studies and a guide to reading both scripts are in preparation and will be linked here as they are published.
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