An independent reading roomHistory · Language · Living heritage

Language orientation

Meeting Punjabi and its two major scripts

Explore the language and the histories of its writing systems before choosing a script pathway.

3 entries · 6 min reading, calculated from article text

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Your reading goal

Understand the difference between a language, its scripts, transliteration and translation.

  1. 01
    Language · 2 min read

    Punjabi: a language across borders

    Separate the spoken language, its writing systems and the changing geography of its speakers before beginning your own reading journey.

  2. 02
    Language · 2 min read

    Gurmukhi: history, structure and everyday use

    A short guide to Gurmukhi, its historical attribution, its structure and the difference between readable letters and digital encoding.

  3. 03
    Language · 2 min read

    Shahmukhi: reading Punjabi in a Perso-Arabic script

    Understand the script’s direction, its relationship to Punjabi and why converting text between scripts needs careful checking.

A question to carry with you

Choose one claim from your reading. Identify its source and locator. What does that source directly establish, and what would need a second source?

History grows clearer when we can check it.

How we use sources, explain uncertainty and correct mistakes.

Our approach