Urdu etymology

Etymology

Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language that evolved from the Khariboli dialect of the Hindustani language, which was spoken around Delhi and the surrounding areas. The name "Urdu" is derived from the Turkish word "ordu," meaning "camp," as it was originally the language of the Muslim military camps in the Delhi Sultanate.

Meaning

Urdu means "language of the camp" or "army language."

Origin

Urdu emerged as a distinct language in the 18th century from the Khariboli dialect of Hindustani. The rise of the Mughal Empire and the establishment of Delhi as the imperial capital played a significant role in the development of Urdu.

Influences

Urdu has undergone a complex evolution, influenced by various languages throughout its history.

• Indo-Aryan languages: Khariboli, Sanskrit, Prakrit
• Persian: The Mughal Empire's patronization of Persian led to significant influence on Urdu's vocabulary and grammar.
• Arabic: Urdu incorporated many Arabic words and expressions due to its association with Islam.
• Turkic languages: The Turkish presence in India contributed to the inclusion of some Turkic words and idioms.
• English: After British colonization, English words and phrases entered Urdu.

Grammatical Features

Urdu has a rich and complex grammatical system, with elements borrowed from both Indo-Aryan and Persian languages. It features:

• Perso-Arabic script: Urdu is written using the Perso-Arabic script, adapted for its unique sounds.
• Gender distinction: Nouns have masculine and feminine genders.
• Case system: Urdu employs a case system to indicate grammatical functions of nouns and pronouns.
• Past and future tenses: Urdu has distinct past and future tense forms.
• Conditional mood: The conditional mood is used to express hypothetical or conditional situations.

Status and Use

Urdu is an official language in:

• Pakistan
• India (alongside Hindi)

It is also widely spoken in other parts of South Asia, as well as in the Middle East and beyond. Urdu is used in literature, music, film, and media, and has a rich cultural and historical heritage.

Urdu relate terms

• horde

  Etymology The word horde comes from the Old French word horde which in turn is deri

• doolally

  Etymology doolally adjective Meaning Mad crazy foolish Origin The origin of t

• shawl

  Etymology The word shawl derives from the Persian shāl originally referring to a t

• cheese

  Etymology The word cheese originates from the Latin word caseus which means cheese

• Sanskrit

  Etymology The word Sanskrit is derived from the Sanskrit word saṃskṛta which mea

• fall

  Etymology Middle English fallen Old English feallan Proto Germanic fallaną Meani

• draconian

  Etymology Draconian comes from the Latin word dracō meaning dragon or serpent

• behold

  Etymology Origin Old English behaldan from Proto Germanic bihanthaldiz derived fr

• geometry

  Etymology The word geometry comes from the Ancient Greek word γεωμετρία ge

• restoration

  Etymology The word restoration is derived from the Latin word restaurare which mea