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Is Urdu linguistically classified as a member of the Dravidian language family?
Answer: False
This assertion is factually incorrect. Urdu is classified as an Indo-Aryan language, belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family, not the Dravidian family.
Is the geographical origin of Urdu traced back to the region of Western Uttar Pradesh in India, near Delhi?
Answer: True
Yes, the development of Urdu is geographically traced to the region of Western Uttar Pradesh in India, specifically in the vicinity of Delhi.
Is the grammatical foundation of Urdu based on the ancient Sanskrit language?
Answer: False
The grammatical foundation of Urdu is primarily based on the Khariboli dialect of the Delhi region, which is an early form of Hindi, not directly on ancient Sanskrit, although Sanskrit is a source for related Indo-Aryan languages.
Is the name 'Urdu' derived from a Sanskrit word meaning 'civilized'?
Answer: False
No, the name 'Urdu' originates from the Turkic word 'ordu,' meaning 'army.' It reflects the language's historical association with the military camps of the Mughal Empire.
Before being called Urdu, was the language known by names such as Hindvi, Rekhta, and Dehlavi?
Answer: True
Yes, prior to its widespread adoption of the name 'Urdu,' the language was referred to by various terms, including Hindvi, Rekhta, Hindustani, and Dehlavi, among others.
Is Urdu genetically related to Turkic languages because its name originates from a Turkic word?
Answer: False
No, although the word 'Urdu' itself derives from a Turkic term for 'army,' the language is not genetically related to Turkic languages. Its linguistic classification is Indo-Aryan.
Which linguistic family does Urdu primarily belong to?
Answer: Indo-Aryan
Urdu primarily belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family, which is a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, themselves part of the larger Indo-European language family.
In which region did Urdu geographically originate?
Answer: Western Uttar Pradesh, India, near Delhi
Urdu's geographical origins are situated in the region of Western Uttar Pradesh, India, particularly in the area surrounding Delhi, which was a significant cultural and political center.
What was the primary linguistic basis for Urdu's grammatical foundation?
Answer: Khariboli dialect of the Delhi region
The grammatical structure of Urdu is primarily based on Khariboli, the dialect spoken in the Delhi region, which forms the core of the Hindustani language.
The name 'Urdu' originates from a Turkic word meaning:
Answer: Army
The term 'Urdu' is derived from the Turkic word 'ordu,' which signifies 'army,' reflecting the language's historical association with the military camps of the Mughal Empire.
Which of the following was NOT an earlier name used for the language now known as Urdu?
Answer: Sanskritized
While Rekhta, Dakhini, and Hindustani were indeed earlier names or related terms for the language, 'Sanskritized' is not an historical designation for Urdu.
What does the term 'rekhta' signify in the context of Urdu?
Answer: An earlier name for Urdu, particularly its poetic form, meaning 'mixture'.
'Rekhta' is an earlier designation for Urdu, particularly referring to its poetic register. The term itself is Persian, meaning 'mixture,' reflecting the language's composite nature.
What is the significance of the term 'Lashkari Zaban' in relation to Urdu?
Answer: It translates to 'military language', linking to Urdu's origin from the army camp.
'Lashkari Zaban' translates to 'military language,' directly referencing the origin of the word 'Urdu' itself from the Turkic term 'ordu' (army), highlighting its historical association with the imperial camp.
Did Urdu replace Persian as an official language of the British East India Company in 1837?
Answer: True
Yes, in 1837, Urdu was officially recognized and adopted by the British East India Company, replacing Persian as the official language for administrative and judicial purposes in many regions.
Did Persian significantly influence Urdu by providing its script and a large portion of its vocabulary?
Answer: True
Yes, Persian exerted a profound influence on Urdu, contributing significantly to its script (the Nastaliq style of the Perso-Arabic script) and providing a substantial portion of its vocabulary, particularly in formal and literary contexts.
Did Syed Ahmed Dehlavi estimate that nearly all verbs in Urdu originate from Sanskrit and Prakrit?
Answer: True
Yes, Syed Ahmed Dehlavi, a 19th-century lexicographer, estimated that a very high percentage, nearly all verbs in Urdu, have roots in Sanskrit and Prakrit.
Is approximately 75% to 80% of Urdu's vocabulary derived from Persian and Arabic?
Answer: False
This is incorrect. While Persian and Arabic have significantly influenced Urdu, the estimated percentage of vocabulary derived from these sources is typically cited as being between 25% and 30%, with the majority originating from Sanskrit and Prakrit.
Did the Mughal Empire's patronage help refine Urdu, particularly in Lucknow, as a vehicle for prose literature?
Answer: True
Yes, the patronage during the Mughal era and subsequent periods, particularly under the Nawabs of Awadh in Lucknow, was instrumental in refining Urdu and establishing it as a sophisticated medium for prose literature.
When did Urdu achieve official status within the British East India Company, replacing Persian?
Answer: 1837
Urdu was officially adopted by the British East India Company in 1837, marking a significant shift from the previous use of Persian as the administrative language.
What significant role did Persian play in Urdu's development?
Answer: It was the main source of vocabulary and influenced the script.
Persian significantly influenced Urdu by providing a substantial portion of its vocabulary, particularly for formal and literary registers, and by shaping its script through the adoption and adaptation of the Perso-Arabic writing system, specifically the Nastaliq style.
What is the estimated percentage of Urdu's vocabulary derived from Sanskrit and Prakrit roots?
Answer: Approximately 75%
Linguistic analyses suggest that approximately 75% of Urdu's vocabulary originates from Sanskrit and Prakrit, forming the core lexical base of the language.
How did the Mughal Empire influence the development of Urdu?
Answer: By establishing Persian as the court language, which heavily influenced Hindustani/Urdu in vocabulary and script.
The Mughal Empire's adoption of Persian as its court language led to extensive borrowing of Persian vocabulary and the adaptation of its script into the developing Hindustani language, significantly shaping what would become Urdu.
What is the approximate percentage of Urdu's vocabulary derived from Persian and Arabic?
Answer: Around 25% to 30%
It is estimated that approximately 25% to 30% of Urdu's vocabulary originates from Persian and, to a lesser extent, Arabic, often integrated through Persian mediation.
What is the significance of the 'Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb' in relation to Urdu?
Answer: It represents the composite culture that fostered the development of Hindustani, the precursor to Urdu.
The 'Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb' signifies the syncretic culture arising from the interaction of Hindu and Muslim traditions in North India. This composite cultural milieu was crucial in fostering Hindustani, the linguistic precursor to both Hindi and Urdu.
What role did the colonial administration's language policy play regarding Persian?
Answer: It replaced Persian with vernacular languages like Urdu as official languages in 1837.
In 1837, the British colonial administration officially replaced Persian with vernacular languages, notably Urdu, as the official languages for administration and justice in many parts of India, marking a significant policy shift.
Are Urdu and Hindi completely unintelligible to each other, even in casual conversation?
Answer: False
This statement is false. While formal registers diverge significantly due to differing vocabulary sources, colloquial Urdu and Hindi remain highly mutually intelligible, sharing a common grammatical and lexical base.
Does formal Urdu primarily draw its specialized vocabulary from Sanskrit, analogous to formal Hindi?
Answer: False
This is incorrect. Formal Urdu primarily draws its specialized vocabulary from Persian and Arabic, whereas formal Hindi draws primarily from Sanskrit.
Was the Hindi-Urdu controversy solely driven by differences in grammatical structure?
Answer: False
No, the Hindi-Urdu controversy was significantly influenced by religious, social, and political factors during the colonial period, rather than being solely based on grammatical structure.
Did the Hindi-Urdu controversy primarily concern the choice of script between Devanagari and Roman?
Answer: False
The Hindi-Urdu controversy primarily concerned the choice of script (Perso-Arabic for Urdu vs. Devanagari for Hindi) and vocabulary sources, intertwined with broader religious, social, and political identities, not the Roman script.
Do Urdu and Hindi differ significantly in their core vocabulary, syntax, and morphology?
Answer: False
No, Urdu and Hindi share nearly identical core vocabulary, syntax, and morphology, primarily derived from Sanskrit and Prakrit. Differences emerge mainly in their formal, literary, and technical vocabulary, which Urdu largely borrows from Persian and Arabic.
What is the degree of mutual intelligibility between colloquial Urdu and Hindi?
Answer: Highly mutually intelligible
Colloquial Urdu and Hindi exhibit a high degree of mutual intelligibility due to their shared grammatical structure and core vocabulary, often referred to as the Hindustani continuum.
Which factor causes the decrease in mutual intelligibility between formal Urdu and Hindi?
Answer: Formal Urdu draws vocabulary from Persian, while formal Hindi draws from Sanskrit.
The divergence in mutual intelligibility between formal registers of Urdu and Hindi primarily stems from their distinct sources for specialized vocabulary: Urdu draws heavily from Persian and Arabic, while Hindi relies predominantly on Sanskrit.
The Hindi-Urdu controversy was significantly influenced by which set of factors?
Answer: Religious, social, and political divisions during the colonial period
The Hindi-Urdu controversy was deeply intertwined with the religious, social, and political dynamics prevalent during the British colonial era in India, serving as a marker of distinct cultural identities.
How did the Hindi-Urdu controversy contribute to political developments?
Answer: It highlighted linguistic and cultural divides, influencing the formation of the All-India Muslim League and contributing to Pakistan's creation.
The Hindi-Urdu controversy amplified the linguistic and cultural distinctions perceived between Hindu and Muslim communities. Urdu became a potent symbol of Muslim identity, significantly influencing the political landscape, including the formation of the All-India Muslim League and contributing to the eventual partition of India.
Which statement best describes the relationship between Urdu and Hindi's core linguistic features?
Answer: Their core vocabulary, syntax, and morphology are nearly identical.
The core vocabulary, syntax, and morphology of Urdu and Hindi are substantially identical, reflecting their common origin in the Hindustani language. Divergences primarily occur in their formal registers and script choices.
What is the primary difference in vocabulary sourcing between formal Urdu and formal Hindi?
Answer: Formal Urdu uses Persian/Arabic vocabulary; formal Hindi uses Sanskrit.
The principal distinction lies in their sources for formal vocabulary: Urdu draws extensively from Persian and Arabic, while Hindi relies predominantly on Sanskrit for its technical, literary, and scholarly lexicon.
Does Standard Hindi use the Perso-Arabic script, while Standard Urdu uses the Devanagari script?
Answer: False
This statement is incorrect. Standard Hindi is conventionally written in the Devanagari script, whereas Standard Urdu is written in the Nastaliq style of the Perso-Arabic script.
Is the Nastaliq script used for Urdu considered easy to typeset due to its simple letterforms?
Answer: False
No, the Nastaliq script is notoriously complex to typeset due to its cursive nature and the thousands of ligatures (letter combinations) required, historically posing significant challenges for mechanical typesetting.
Does 'Roman Urdu' refer to the use of the Latin script for writing the Urdu language?
Answer: True
Yes, 'Roman Urdu' denotes the practice of writing the Urdu language using the Latin alphabet, commonly observed in digital communication and informal contexts.
Was the Kaithi script exclusively used for Urdu in Bihar during the late 19th century?
Answer: False
The Kaithi script was used for both Urdu and Hindi in Bihar. While it saw official use in courts during the late 19th century, it was not exclusively for Urdu, and its prominence diminished due to the Hindi-Urdu script debate.
What is the conventional script for Standard Urdu, and where does it originate?
Answer: Nastaliq style of the Perso-Arabic script, derived from Persian.
Standard Urdu is conventionally written using the Nastaliq style, an elegant variant of the Perso-Arabic script, which has its historical roots in Persian calligraphy.
Why has the Nastaliq script historically posed challenges for typesetting?
Answer: Its cursive nature requires thousands of ligatures (letter combinations).
The Nastaliq script's inherent complexity arises from its cursive nature, necessitating a vast array of ligatures (combinations of letters) to form words correctly. This complexity historically made mechanical typesetting exceptionally difficult.
What does 'Roman Urdu' refer to?
Answer: The use of the Latin script to write Urdu.
'Roman Urdu' refers to the practice of transcribing the Urdu language using the Latin alphabet, a convention frequently employed in digital communication platforms.
Does Urdu serve as the national language and a common lingua franca throughout Pakistan?
Answer: True
Yes, Urdu is designated as the national language of Pakistan and functions as a primary lingua franca, facilitating communication across diverse linguistic groups within the country.
Is Urdu constitutionally unrecognized and lacking official status in any state within India?
Answer: False
This statement is incorrect. Urdu is recognized under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and holds official status in several Indian states and union territories.
Was the total number of Urdu speakers (L1 and L2) estimated to be around 253 million in 2020?
Answer: True
Yes, estimates for 2020 indicate that Urdu had approximately 253 million total speakers, encompassing both native (L1) and second-language (L2) speakers.
Following the separation of East Pakistan, was Urdu officially recognized as one of several national languages in Pakistan?
Answer: False
No, following the separation of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Urdu was constitutionally recognized as the sole national language of Pakistan in 1973, although English and regional languages also hold official status.
Has English completely replaced Urdu in Pakistan's higher government institutions and economy?
Answer: False
No, English has not completely replaced Urdu. While Urdu is the national language, English maintains significant prestige and dominance in Pakistan's higher government institutions, legal system, and economy.
Did the 2011 census report over 50 million Urdu speakers in India?
Answer: True
Yes, the 2011 census data indicated that there were approximately 50.8 million Urdu speakers in India.
What is the official status of Urdu in Pakistan?
Answer: It holds the status of the national language and is a widely used lingua franca.
Urdu is constitutionally recognized as the national language of Pakistan and serves as a crucial lingua franca, facilitating communication across the country's diverse population.
How is Urdu constitutionally recognized in India?
Answer: It is recognized as an Eighth Schedule language with official status in several states.
In India, Urdu is recognized as one of the 22 scheduled languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, acknowledging its significance and granting it official status in various states and territories.
What was the estimated total number of Urdu speakers worldwide in 2020?
Answer: Approximately 253 million
Estimates for 2020 place the total number of Urdu speakers, including both native and second-language speakers, at approximately 253 million globally.
What was the impact of the Bengali language movement on Urdu's status in Pakistan?
Answer: It resulted in Urdu being recognized as the sole national language in 1973.
The Bengali language movement and the subsequent separation of East Pakistan contributed to the constitutional recognition of Urdu as the sole national language of Pakistan in 1973, although other languages also hold official status.
Despite Urdu being the national language, what role does English play in Pakistan's institutions?
Answer: English maintains prestige and dominance in higher government, legal, and economic sectors.
Although Urdu is the national language, English continues to hold significant prestige and functional importance in Pakistan's higher government echelons, the legal system, the military, and the economy.
How many Urdu speakers were recorded in India according to the 2011 census?
Answer: Approximately 50.8 million
The 2011 census of India reported approximately 50.8 million Urdu speakers, constituting about 4.34% of the total population.
What is the status of Urdu in South Africa?
Answer: It is recognized as a protected minority language in the constitution.
In South Africa, Urdu holds constitutional recognition as a protected minority language, acknowledging its presence and cultural significance within the nation.
What percentage of Pakistan's population reported Urdu as their mother tongue in the 2023 census?
Answer: Approximately 9.25%
According to the 2023 Pakistani census, approximately 9.25% of the population identified Urdu as their mother tongue, highlighting its role as a lingua franca rather than a majority native language.
Is Amir Khusrau recognized as the 'father of Urdu literature' for his work in the 18th century?
Answer: False
Amir Khusrau is indeed recognized as a foundational figure for Urdu literature, often called its 'father,' but his significant contributions date to the late 13th and early 14th centuries, not the 18th century.
Is Dakhini a modern dialect of Urdu spoken primarily in Northern India?
Answer: False
No, Dakhini is considered an older form or dialect of Urdu that flourished primarily in the Deccan region of Southern India, not a modern dialect of Northern India.
Is Maulvi Abdul Haq known for advocating Urdu as the national language of Pakistan and nicknamed 'Baba-e-Urdu'?
Answer: True
Yes, Maulvi Abdul Haq, revered as 'Baba-e-Urdu' (Father of Urdu), was a prominent scholar and linguist who strongly advocated for Urdu's role as the national language of Pakistan.
Is Dhakaiya Urdu a dialect spoken in Bangladesh, originating from the Mughal era?
Answer: True
Yes, Dhakaiya Urdu is a dialect native to Old Dhaka, Bangladesh, with origins tracing back to the Mughal period.
Who is widely regarded as the 'father of Urdu literature' for his early contributions?
Answer: Amir Khusrau
Amir Khusrau, a prominent poet of the late 13th and early 14th centuries, is widely acknowledged as the 'father of Urdu literature' for his foundational work in the vernacular.
What is Dakhini, and where did it primarily develop?
Answer: An early form of Urdu that flourished in the Deccan region.
Dakhini represents an early form of Hindustani or Urdu that developed and flourished in the Deccan region of southern India, distinct for its incorporation of local vocabulary.
What is the significance of Maulvi Abdul Haq ('Baba-e-Urdu')?
Answer: He advocated for Urdu as Pakistan's national language and a unifying force.
Maulvi Abdul Haq, revered as 'Baba-e-Urdu,' was a pivotal figure who championed Urdu as the national language of Pakistan, viewing it as essential for national unity and identity.
What distinguishes Dakhni Urdu from standard Urdu?
Answer: It incorporates vocabulary from Marathi and Konkani.
Dakhni Urdu is distinguished by its incorporation of vocabulary from regional languages such as Marathi and Konkani, alongside its distinct historical development in the Deccan region.