CBC.ca: Meet the women trying to make Punjabi medical translations more culturally appropriate
Meet the women trying to make Punjabi medical translations more culturally appropriate
Often in literature, Pakistani Punjabi (written in Shahmukhi) is referred as Western-Punjabi (or West-Punjabi) and Indian Punjabi (written in Gurmukhi) is referred as Eastern-Punjabi (or East-Punjabi), although the underlying language is the same with a very slight shift in vocabulary towards Islamic and Sikh words respectively.
The origins of Punjabi literature trace to the mystical and religious verse of the 13th-century Sufi (mystic) Shaikh Farīd and to the 15th–16th-century founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak; those figures were the first to use Punjabi extensively as a medium of poetic expression.
Punjabi is the tenth most commonly spoken language in the world and one of the most respected languages in South Asia. More than 130 million around the world speak this language.
Punjabi descended from the Shauraseni language of medieval northern India and became a distinct language during the 11th century. There are two main varieties of Punjabi: Eastern Punjabi and Western Punjabi, each of which has a number of dialects.
With many bilingual Punjabi speakers in classrooms and clinics, understanding the features of Punjabi included in this article is essential for providing effective support.
As a member of the Indo-Aryan branch of the larger Indo-European language family, Punjabi has evolved through three main stages: Old Punjabi, Medieval Punjabi, and Modern Punjabi.
Listen to New Punjabi Songs 2026 Latest This Week, a playlist curated by New Punjabi Songs 2026 on desktop and mobile.
Punjabi cuisine is composed of chicken, bread, rice, yogurt, sweets, and spices. Popular Punjabi dishes are tandoori chicken, pakoras, samosas, naan, mutter paneer, barfi, and gulab jamun.