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Urdu

[ oor-doo, ur-; oor-doo, ur- ]

noun

  1. one of the official languages of Pakistan, a language derived from Hindustani, used by Muslims, and written with Persian-Arabic letters.


Urdu

/ ˈɜː-; ˈʊəduː /

noun

  1. an official language of Pakistan, also spoken in India. The script derives primarily from Persia. It belongs to the Indic branch of the Indo-European family of languages, being closely related to Hindi but containing many Arabic and Persian loan words
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of Urdu1

< Urdu, Hindi ܰū, extracted from Persian zabān i ܰū literally, language of the camp (ultimately < Turkic; horde )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of Urdu1

C18: from Hindustani ( Ծ ) ܰū (language of the) camp, from Persian ܰū camp, from Turkish ǰū
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Compare Meanings

How does Urdu compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

National 5s, mainly taken by S4 pupils aged 15 or 16, are offered in more than 50 subjects from accounting to Urdu.

From

However, the retired Pakistan army major insists that Bangladesh should also address the issue of attacks by Bengalis on Urdu speakers during the struggle for independence.

From

We spoke Urdu, we ate our own culture's food, and then I'd go to school.

From

"We reached the station with great difficulty," he told BBC Urdu, "because we were tired and there were children and women with us."

From

When Ali awoke from a coma, she could no longer speak English, only her first language, Urdu.

From

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