Indus Kohistani language
Indus Kohistani or simply Kohistani is an Indo-Aryan language of Kohistani group spoken by the Indus Kohistani people in the former Kohistan District of Pakistan. The language was referred to as Maiyã or Shuthun by early researchers, but subsequent observations have not verified that these names are known locally.
Geographic distribution
Indus Kohistani is spoken on the west bank of the Indus River, down from but not including Dasu until Ranolia along the Indus valley. The major Indus Kohistani speaking settlements include Pattan, Ranolia, Jijal, Duber, Kandia, Seo, Komila and Bankad. A closely related dialect or language variety called Bateri is also spoken in Kolai-Palas Kohistan, on the east bank of Indus.Phonology
The phonology of Indus Kohistani varies between its major dialects as shown below.Vowels
In the Kanyawali dialect, the back vowels /u/ and /o/ are described as variants of each other, as are the front vowels /i/ and /e/.Consonants
The consonant inventory of Indus Kohistani is shown in the chart below.The phonemes /x/, /ɣ/, and /q/ are mainly found in loan words. The status of /q/ in the Kanyawali Dialect is unclear. The sounds /f, v/ can also be bilabial .