Written style of Urdu is under the influence of English Language

Early traces of linguistic development of Urdu began with the Muslim triumph to Sindh in 711 A.D. Urdu started to evolve from Persian and Arabic during the Turk invasions of the Sub-Continent from the 11th century on wards.  Urdu began to develop rapidly during the Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526) and the Mughal Empire (1526-1858).  Its origin can be traced back to the Indo-Aryan family. It started out to be known as ‘Rekhta’. The word Urdu is derived from the Turkish language which means ‘Lashkar’. In Turkey, the word Urdu still means ‘army’.

Arabic and Persian were the main influences on the Urdu language but Hindi, Punjabi, and Sanskrit had a light impact on the language, so Urdu borrowed a number of words from Arabic and Persian. The written form of words derived from Persian is the same in Urdu but there is a difference in pronunciation, i.e. Persian and Arabic natives do not pronounce the words in the same fashion as they are pronounced by an Urdu speaker. Persian and Turkish language was considered as the major language spoken at that time. In the subcontinent, states were divided on the basis of language.

The layman’s term for writing Urdu in English is “Roman Urdu”. It is the name used for the Urdu language written with the roman script and is characterized by combined vocabulary drawn from standard Urdu with the substantial help of English. Promotion of Roman Urdu in Pakistan is supported by the nonspiritual, liberal and westernized section of the society as alternate to the Perso-Arabic Script that uses Urdu.

It is a blend of Urdu and English letters. When we write, it is actually English characterized by the overwhelming use of English alphabets in written form but when we read it, it becomes Urdu. There is a difference in the connotation pattern. It sounds odd, but it’s a fact and can only be understood by the Urdu speaker. Stylistically it is a broad, freewheeling, neutral and balanced form of speech. A result of the superb adaptive and accommodative nature of Roman Urdu, it is today one of the richest languages in vocabulary and style. It has a major source of communication between people today. Even some dictionaries have been compiled and the number of them are available in the market and on the Internet. It can also be downloaded using android phones.

According to one survey, the nationally representative sample of men and women across the country were asked,” Which language do you use for sending messages on mobile phones? 40% said that they send SMS in Urdu typed in English alphabets. 20% used Urdu typed in the Urdu alphabets. 30% type in English. 10% do not send any messages. The results of the survey revealed that a proportionately, a much higher percentage of people write Urdu in English. It is quite obvious that new generation’s chatting, writing, online texting, instant messages, chat rooms blogs, discussion boards, and social networks are serving as informal labs and nurseries for development and popularization of Roman Urdu so much so that major commercial companies have started using it extensively for popular advertisement.

The approach of writing Urdu in English though is not appreciated by conventional Urdu speakers and natives; it still has its significance and potential for mass communication in the longer run. It could be widely used in the world with dozens of local dialects.

The contribution of Bollywood (Indian film industry) cannot be denied in the popularization of this language all across the world due to its influence over a global audience. Bollywood relies on a version of Roman Urdu for almost all of its scripting, dialogues and movie titles for ease and convenience. It is now the most convenient medium of billions of people who watch and have acquaintance and understanding of the movies. The same pattern is followed in Pakistan by the Pakistani film industry (Lollywood).

The main problem with writing Urdu in English i.e. Roman Urdu today is mutual illegibility in written form. Hindi speakers use different script while Urdu speakers use the different script in its writing which is limiting the scope and horizon of the written work but no doubt, it is today one of the most used languages in the written form in the Indo-Pak sub-continent.