Editing Brahui language (section)

{{Short description|Dravidian language spoken in West and Central Asia}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Brahui
| nativename       = {{lang|brh|{{nq|براہوئی}}}}
| region           = [[Balochistan]]
| states           = [[Pakistan]]<ref name=e26/>
| map              = Dravidian map.svg
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|to|bɾaːhuiː|}}
| mapcaption       = Brahui (far upper left) is geographically isolated from all other Dravidian languages.{{sfn|Parkin|1989|p=37}}
| ethnicity        = [[Brahui people|Brahui]] and [[Baloch people|Baloch]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|2.795000|2}} million
| date             = 1980–2017 Census
| ref              = e26
| familycolor      = Dravidian
| fam2             = [[Northern Dravidian languages|Northern]]
| script           = [[Persian alphabet|Perso-Arabic Script]] ([[Nastaʿlīq]]),<br />[[Latin script]]
| iso3             = brh
| glotto           = brah1256
| glottorefname    = Brahui
| image            = File:Brahui language.png
| imagecaption     = The word ''Brahui'' written in the [[Nastaliq script]]
| map2             = Lang Status 80-VU.svg
| mapcaption2      = Brahui is classified as Vulnerable by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''
| agency           = Department of Brahui, [[University of Balochistan]]
}}

'''Brahui'''<ref name="University of Balochistan"/> ({{IPAc-en|b|ɻ|ə|ˈ|h|uː|i}} {{respell|brə|HOO|ee}};<ref>{{OED|Brahui}}</ref> {{langx|brh|{{nq|براہوئی}}|links=no}}; also romanised as '''Brahvi''' or '''Brohi''') is a [[Dravidian language]], spoken by the [[Brahui people|Brahui]] primarily in central areas ([[Brahuistan]]) of the [[Pakistan]]i province of [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]]; with smaller communities of speakers scattered in parts of [[Sistan and Baluchestan province|Iranian Baluchestan]], [[Balochistan, Afghanistan|Afghanistan]], and [[Turkmenistan]] (around [[Merv]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/lWCoIZ2K5dPycrhS1gk6nJ/A-slice-of-south-India-in-Balochistan.html|title=A slice of south India in Balochistan|date=2017-02-18}}</ref> It is also spoken by expatriate Brahui communities in [[Iraq]], [[Qatar]], and the [[United Arab Emirates]].<ref name="books.google.nl">[https://books.google.com/books?id=bCkaAQAAIAAJ&q=brahui+language+gulf+states "International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, Volumes 36-37"] department of linguistics, University of Kerala{{full citation needed|date=November 2020}}</ref> It is isolated from the nearest Dravidian-speaking neighbouring population of [[South India]] by a distance of more than {{convert|1500|km}}.{{sfn|Parkin|1989|p=37}} The [[Kalat District|Kalat]], [[Khuzdar District|Khuzdar]], [[Mastung District|Mastung]], [[Quetta District|Quetta]], [[Bolan District|Bolan]], [[Nasirabad District|Nasirabad]], [[Nushki District|Nushki]], and [[Kharan District|Kharan]] districts of Balochistan Province are predominantly Brahui-speaking.

Brahui is the only Dravidian language that is primarily written in the [[Perso-Arabic script]]. It is also written in the [[Latin script]].