The Turvali Alphabet

Q: Is Turvali the same as Torwali?

Yes — Turvali and Torwali are the same language , sharing ISO 639-3 code trw and Glottolog torw1241. "Torwali" is the more common academic name; "Turvali" (or "Torvali") is an alternate form reflecting phonological variation in how speakers name their own language. Neither represents a separate dialect or variety.

Q: Where is Turvali (Torwali) spoken?

Turvali/Torwali is spoken in Bahrain town and the upper Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan , surrounded by Pashto speakers and related Dardic languages. Diaspora communities exist in Mingora and Karachi.

Q: What script does Turvali use?

Turvali (Torwali) uses the Urdu Nastaliq script — a 38-letter right-to-left abjad . It includes 28 Arabic, 4 Persian, and 6 South Asian letters: ٹ (/ʈ/), ڈ (/ɖ/), ڑ (/ɽ/) for retroflexes, ں for nasalisation, ھ for aspiration, and ے for a final /eː/ vowel.

Q: Is Turvali endangered?

Yes — Turvali/Torwali is severely endangered with ~70,000–80,000 speakers under pressure from Pashto and Urdu. Education is exclusively in Urdu and Pashto. The NGO IBT (Idara Baraye Taleem-o-Taraqi, founded by Zubair Torwali) has worked on documentation and mother-tongue literacy materials.

Q: Why does Torwali have two names?

The two names reflect phonological variation in how speakers pronounce their community name — /o/ vs /u/ in the first syllable, and /w/ vs /v/ medially. ISO standardises both under code trw ; Glottolog registers the language as Torwali [torw1241] . Both names appear in linguistic documentation, educational materials, and community advocacy.

Turvali Alphabet at a Glance

Turvali is an alternate local name for Torwali — both names refer to exactly the same severely endangered Dardic language with ISO 639-3 code trw, spoken in Bahrain town and Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan ^[2]
Both Turvali and Torwali share the same Glottolog classification torw1241 and the same ISO 639-3 code trw — they are not different languages or dialects, but two names for the same language ^[1]
Turvali/Torwali is spoken by approximately 70,000–80,000 people and is classified as severely endangered by the Endangered Languages Project, under pressure from Pashto and Urdu ^[3]
Turvali/Torwali belongs to the Dardic sub-branch of Indo-Aryan, alongside Khowar, Kalami (Gawri), Shina, and Kashmiri — mountain languages of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram
38 letters written right to left using the Urdu Nastaliq script: the 28 Arabic letters plus 4 Persian additions (پ, چ, ژ, گ) and 6 South Asian letters unique to Nastaliq (ٹ, ڈ, ڑ, ں, ھ, ے) ^[4]
As an abjad, short vowels are not written in standard Turvali/Torwali text but may be indicated by optional harakat diacritics in educational materials ^[5]
The do chashmi he (ھ) aspiration marker is particularly important in Turvali/Torwali: Dardic languages have a strong phonological aspiration contrast distinguishing aspirated from non-aspirated consonants

Turvali is an alternate local name for Torwali — both names refer to the same severely endangered Dardic Indo-Aryan language with ISO 639-3 code trw. The language is spoken by approximately 70,000–80,000 people in Bahrain town and the Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan ^[1].

Turvali and Torwali are not two different languages — they are two names for the same language, sharing the same Glottolog code (torw1241) and ISO 639-3 code (trw). "Torwali" is the more common academic form; "Turvali" is an alternate used by some speakers and in certain documentation ^[2].

Turvali Consonant Letters (Nastaliq)

The Turvali (Torwali) alphabet contains 38 letters based on the Urdu Nastaliq script — an extended Perso-Arabic abjad developed in South Asia. Beyond the 32 letters of standard Persian, Nastaliq adds six South Asian letters: ٹ (tte /ʈ/), ڈ (ddal /ɖ/), and ڑ (rre /ɽ/) for retroflex consonants, plus ں (noon ghunna) for nasalised vowels, ھ (do chashmi he) for aspiration, and ے (bari ye) for the final /eː/ sound.

Turvali/Torwali uses the same letter set as Urdu and other Pakistani Nastaliq-script languages. The data on this page is the same as the Torwali alphabet page, since Turvali and Torwali are the same language.

Torwali Consonant Letters (Nastaliq)

[AH-lef]

[BEH]

[PEH]

[TEH]

[TTEH]

[SEH]

[JEEM]

[CHEH]

[HEH]

[KHEH]

[DAHL]

[DDAHL]

[ZAHL]

[REH]

[RREH]

[ZEH]

[ZHEH]

[SEEN]

[SHEEN]

[SAWD]

[DAWD]

[TAW]

[ZAW]

[AYN]

[GHAYN]

[FEH]

[QAHF]

[KAHF]

[GAHF]

[LAHM]

[MEEM]

[NOON]

[NOON-gun-na]

[WAHW]

[HEH-gol]

[DO-chas-mi-HEH]

[BAH-ri-YEH]

[YEH]

[AH-lef]

Alef — the first letter of the Perso-Arabic alphabet; functions as a vowel carrier and represents the long vowel /aː/ or a glottal stop /ʔ/ in initial position. Non-connecting letter, written with Nastaliq characteristic slant.

[BEH]

Voiced bilabial stop /b/, like "b" in "bed". One of the foundational letters of the Nastaliq script used in Torwali vocabulary.

[PEH]

Voiceless bilabial stop /p/, like "p" in "pen". One of four letters added to Arabic script for Persian, used across all Nastaliq-based writing including Torwali.

[TEH]

Voiceless alveolar stop /t/, like "t" in "top". Standard Nastaliq letter used in Torwali native vocabulary and loanwords.

[TTEH]

Voiceless retroflex stop /ʈ/, a sound produced with the tongue curled back. One of the South Asian letters unique to Nastaliq; particularly significant in Torwali as a Dardic language with distinctive retroflex consonants.

[SEH]

Pronounced as /s/ in Torwali/Urdu, merging with س. Classical Arabic ث represents /θ/ but South Asian Nastaliq converts this to /s/.

[JEEM]

Voiced postalveolar affricate /dʒ/, like "j" in "jam". Common in Torwali vocabulary from both native and Urdu/Arabic sources.

[CHEH]

Voiceless postalveolar affricate /tʃ/, like "ch" in "chair". One of four letters unique to the Persian extension of Arabic script; widely used in Torwali and Pakistani languages generally.

[HEH]

In Torwali and Urdu, pronounced as plain /h/, merging with ہ. The Classical Arabic pharyngeal /ħ/ is not maintained in South Asian speech.

[KHEH]

Voiceless velar fricative /x/, like "ch" in Scottish "loch". Used in Torwali for loanwords from Urdu, Persian, and Arabic.

[DAHL]

Voiced alveolar stop /d/, like "d" in "dog". Non-connecting letter in Nastaliq; common in Torwali native vocabulary.

[DDAHL]

Voiced retroflex stop /ɖ/, like "d" pronounced with the tongue curled back. Unique to South Asian Nastaliq scripts; a significant consonant in Torwali Dardic phonology.

[ZAHL]

Pronounced /z/ in Torwali/Urdu, merging with ز. Non-connecting letter; preserved in orthography for Arabic loanwords.

[REH]

Alveolar trill or tap /r/, like a rolled "r". Non-connecting letter; common throughout Torwali vocabulary.

[RREH]

Voiced retroflex flap /ɽ/, a sound unique to South Asian languages. Found only in South Asian Nastaliq scripts; represents a retroflex rhotic sound characteristic of Dardic phonology.

[ZEH]

Voiced alveolar fricative /z/, like "z" in "zoo". Non-connecting letter; in Torwali the letters ز، ذ، ض، and ظ all converge on /z/ pronunciation.

[ZHEH]

Voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/, like "s" in "measure". One of four letters unique to Persian; used in Torwali for loanwords.

[SEEN]

Voiceless alveolar fricative /s/, like "s" in "sun". In Torwali the sibilants ث، س، and ص all converge on /s/.

[SHEEN]

Voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/, like "sh" in "ship". Fully preserved in Torwali; appears in native vocabulary and loanwords.

[SAWD]

Emphatic /sˁ/ in Classical Arabic; in Torwali/Urdu pronounced as plain /s/, merging with س. Preserved in written form for Arabic loanwords.

[DAWD]

In Torwali/Urdu pronounced as /z/. Classical Arabic ض had a unique emphatic pronunciation; in South Asian Nastaliq tradition merges with /z/.

[TAW]

Emphatic /tˁ/ in Classical Arabic; in Torwali/Urdu pronounced as plain /t/, merging with ت. Used in Arabic loanwords.

[ZAW]

In Torwali/Urdu pronounced as /z/. An emphatic letter of Arabic origin; merges with /z/ in South Asian pronunciation.

[AYN]

Voiced pharyngeal fricative /ʕ/ in Arabic; in Torwali/Urdu often realised as a glottal stop /ʔ/ or simple vowel onset.

[GHAYN]

Voiced uvular fricative /ɣ/ produced at the back of the throat. Present in Torwali vocabulary from Arabic and Persian loanwords.

[FEH]

Voiceless labiodental fricative /f/, like "f" in "fun". Common across all Nastaliq languages; appears in Torwali loanwords from Urdu and Arabic.

[QAHF]

Uvular stop /q/ in formal speech; in colloquial Torwali/Urdu may be realised as /q/ or /k/. Common in Arabic and Persian loanwords.

[KAHF]

Voiceless velar stop /k/, like "k" in "key". One of the most frequent consonants in Torwali; phonemically distinct from ق.

[GAHF]

Voiced velar stop /g/, like "g" in "go". One of four letters unique to Persian/Dari script not in Classical Arabic; fully used in Torwali vocabulary.

[LAHM]

Lateral approximant /l/, like "l" in "land". Common throughout Torwali native vocabulary and loanwords.

[MEEM]

Bilabial nasal /m/, like "m" in "man". One of the most frequent consonants in Torwali; appears in native vocabulary and grammatical morphology.

[NOON]

Alveolar nasal /n/, like "n" in "no". Very common in Torwali native vocabulary and in grammatical affixes.

[NOON-gun-na]

Noon ghunna — a nasal vowel marker unique to the Urdu Nastaliq script. Represents a nasalised vowel at the end of a syllable; unique to South Asian Nastaliq and used in Torwali for nasalisation.

[WAHW]

Non-connecting letter; represents the consonant /v/ or /w/ and the long vowel /uː/ or diphthong /ow/. One of the most versatile letters in the Nastaliq abjad.

[HEH-gol]

Gol he (round he) — the standard Urdu/Nastaliq form of he. Represents the glottal fricative /h/ when used as a consonant; also used as a silent vowel marker in word-final position.

[DO-chas-mi-HEH]

Do chashmi he (two-eyed he) — a Urdu-specific letter that combines with preceding consonants to form aspirated sounds (e.g., بھ /bʰ/, کھ /kʰ/). Particularly important in Torwali as a Dardic language with a strong aspiration contrast, a key phonological feature of Dardic languages.

[BAH-ri-YEH]

Bari ye (big ye) — used in word-final position to represent the sound /eː/ or /ɛː/. Unique to the Urdu/Nastaliq script; appears only at the end of words.

[YEH]

The last letter of the Perso-Arabic alphabet; functions as the palatal approximant /j/ (like "y" in "yes") or as the long vowel /iː/. In Urdu/Nastaliq, ی (choti ye) appears in word-initial and word-medial positions.

Torwali Vowel Diacritics (Harakat)

[FAT-ha]

[KAS-ra]

[PESH]

[TASH-deed]

[JAZM]

[TAN-ween]

[FAT-ha]

Fatha — a short diagonal stroke above a letter indicating the short vowel /a/. Used in educational Torwali texts to mark the short vowel that is otherwise not written.

[KAS-ra]

Kasra — a short diagonal stroke below a letter indicating the short vowel /e/ or /i/. Used in Torwali educational texts.

[PESH]

Pesh (Urdu term for damma) — a small hook above a letter indicating the short vowel /o/ or /u/. Called "pesh" in Urdu/Nastaliq tradition rather than "damma".

[TASH-deed]

Tashdid (Urdu term for shadda) — a diacritical mark above a letter indicating consonant gemination (doubling). Marks a doubled or emphasised consonant.

[JAZM]

Jazm (Urdu term for sukun) — a small circle above a letter indicating the absence of a following vowel (bare consonant). Used in educational materials to show consonant clusters.

[TAN-ween]

Tanwin (nunation) — a double fatha indicating the Arabic nominal suffix /-an/. Appears in Torwali in formal Arabic loanwords.

Digits (0–9)

Zero — Western Arabic numeral used in Pakistani Torwali writing.

One — standard Western Arabic numeral used in Torwali texts.

Two — standard Western Arabic numeral used in Torwali texts.

Three — standard Western Arabic numeral used in Torwali texts.

Four — standard Western Arabic numeral used in Torwali texts.

Five — standard Western Arabic numeral used in Torwali texts.

Six — standard Western Arabic numeral used in Torwali texts.

Seven — standard Western Arabic numeral used in Torwali texts.

Eight — standard Western Arabic numeral used in Torwali texts.

Nine — standard Western Arabic numeral used in Torwali texts.

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Is Turvali the same as Torwali?

Where is Turvali (Torwali) spoken?

What script does Turvali use?

What language family does Turvali belong to?

Is Turvali endangered?

Why does Torwali have two names?

References:

[1] Hammarström, Harald et al. "Torwali [torw1241]". Glottolog 5.3. Retrieved from Glottolog: Torwali
[2] SIL International. "Torwali — ISO 639-3 Language Code: trw". Retrieved from SIL ISO 639-3: trw
[3] Endangered Languages Project. "Torwali". Retrieved from Endangered Languages Project: Torwali
[4] Unicode Consortium. "Arabic Unicode Block (U+0600–U+06FF) — Urdu Nastaliq Extended Characters". Retrieved from Unicode Arabic Block
[5] Unicode Consortium. "Arabic Unicode Block (U+0600-U+06FF)". Retrieved from Unicode Arabic Block