ORIGIN OF MEMONI LANGUAGE (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) - your are invited to improve this article Memoni is a unwritten language which is spoken by ( in its different versions) by at least 2 to 5 million people. Technically the Memoni is a language of Memons who are a minor linguistics group, in Indian subcontinent that are identified as mainstream Sunni Muslims and their ancestry can be traced back to 15th century Sindh, Indus valley region in a province of present day Pakistan. There are many other group such as some Ismaili and Khoja, brach of Shi'a Islam, who also speak the similar language which is identify as kutchi language. There is quite possible familiar version of Memoni may be spoken by some non-Muslim such as Hindus and Jains. We believe that Memoni is originated from Sindhi language. As Memons began to migrated to the neighboring regions Kutch, Khatiwar and Gujrat around 15th Century A.D., their language evolved into a mixture of Sindhi and Khojki, a dialect of Gujarati spoken in Kutch. Memoni in sound (such as stress and intonation) is very much like that of Sindhi, but the vocabulary is closer to that of Gujarati and Urdu. At the same the Sindhi language also went through changes and most likely influenced by the Punjabi and Hindi (Rajasthani) languages. This is why there are significant difference in Memoni and Sindhi. The 17th century A.D. and onward, the Memons become very successful Muslim business community in Indian subcontinent and beyond. They used excessively the Guajarati language in their written and oral communication. Until 1970’s Memons businesses in Pakistan kept their books, records and business documents in Guajarati. Toward the end of 20th century Memoni further under went some changes in Pakistan and elsewhere due to Urdu and English influences. Towards the end of 20th century, the Urdu has been widely accepted and used as a Islamic language by the Muslims in the Indian subcontinent and eventually the English will be replaced by either Gujarati or Urdu. Memoni is falling into disuse and the younger generation is unlikely to learn it as their mother tongue for various reasons:
for further reading Memon Community and Preservation of Identity by: Abdur Razzaq Thaplawala
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