Brahvi language
Dravidian language spoken in Pakistan and Afghanistan
Brahvi (براہوی, Brāhvī, [braːhʋiː]), also spelled Brahui (براہوئی, Brāhū'ī, [braːhu.iː]), is a north Dravidian language primarily spoken by the Brahvi people native to the central-southern regions of modern-day Balochistan, Pakistan.
It is geographically isolated from other Dravidian languages, with the nearest being over 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) away in South India. Brahvi constitutes a majority in the districts of Kalat, Khuzdar, Mastung, Quetta, Bolan, Nasirabad, Nushki, and Kharan.
It is also spoken by smaller communities in Iranian Baluchestan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan (around Merv). Expatriate Brahvi communities also exist in Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Brahvi is the only Dravidian language that is primarily written in the Arabic script. It is also written in the Latin script.
Etymology
The origin of the word "Brahvi" or "Brahui" is uncertain. Academic Mikhail Andronov hypothesised a derivation from Dravidian (lit. Northern hillmen).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Brahvi language” is dravidian language spoken in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Brahvi, language and Dravidian, not as a finished interpretation.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q33202. The Library of Congress control number is sh85016310. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Brahvi language” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.