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REFERENCE

punjabi

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate pun·jabi

n. a person from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, or the language they speak.

n. an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the Punjab region; also refers to a member of the ethnic group originating from that area.


SIMPLE

My neighbor speaks Punjabi and English fluently.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community center offers classes for children to learn Punjabi so they can speak with their grandparents.

COMPLEX

While Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan, it is often used in informal settings while Urdu remains the primary language for government and education.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Classical Persian پنجابی (panjābī), from پنجاب (panjāb) + ـی (-ī, adjectival suffix). Equivalent to Punjab + -i.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the language; countable when referring to an individual person.

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