Riasti dialect

Encyclopedia

Riasti, Bhawalpuri or Cholistani is a dialect of Saraiki language, spoken in Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts, located on the banks of the river Sutlej and in the Cholistan Desert of Punjab, Pakistan. Its name is derived from the riast (‘state’) of Bahawalpur.

Riasti dialect
Native to Pakistan
Language family
Indo-European

  • Indo-Iranian
    • Indo-Aryan
      • Northwestern
        • Punjabic
          • Lahnda
            • Saraiki
              • Riasti dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3 –
Glottolog baha1254
Dialects of Saraiki and Varieties of Lahnda

Sub-dialects of Riasti

  • Bhawalpuri
  • Choolistani

Dialect speaking areas

These 3 districts speak this dialect cluster:

  • Bahawalpur District
  • Rahim Yar Khan District
  • Lodhran District