Kutchi language
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The Kachhi language (also spelled Kachchhi) is an Indo-Aryan Language spoken in the Kachh region of the Indian state of Gujarat, with about 866,000 speakers. It is related to Sindhi. It is often considered to be a mixture of Sindhi, Gujarati, Punjabi & Rajasthani. Kachhi phonology is very much like that of Sindhi, but the vocabulary is closer to that of Gujarati. Kachhi is written Devnagti and Gujarati scripts. Kachhi is written using the modified Gujarati alphabet; in which many books are published annually. Also a few magazines are published the language, namely Vadhod (meaning - Inquiry). Many lingusts have worked on this language. Best work availabe on the language is by Dr. Satish Rohra, whose PhD thesis on Kachhi language was prepared in 1965 and submitted to Poona University. Dr. Shantibai Acharya, Probodh Pandit, Urmi Desai, Lachhman Khubchandani have contributed studies on this language. It is spoken mainly by the communities called Megvals, Visa Oshwal and Dasa Osval (Oshwal) Jains, Lwanas, and many small Muslim tribes who live in the Kachh region of Gujarat, and by Khwajahs due to their holy scriptures written in this language.
Most Kachhis living in India also know Gujarati and Hindi. A large population of Kachhis lives in Mumbai (Bombay) India. A large population of Kachhis in India are mainly Hindus,Jains and Ismailis. They are mainly into businessess of building and construction and can be referred to as either Bhimji, Khimji or Lalji. Kachhis main dietry requirement is a food called kitchri and can be made to the consumers preference, e.g. kitchri in a bun.
Modern day Kachhis have moved out of Kachh to the commercial havens such as Ahmedabad, Baroda, Mumbai, Rajasthan, and Punjab.
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