Ladakhi

Ladakhi is a Tibetic language spoken by the Ladakhi people in the Ladakh region of northern India. It belongs to the Tibetic branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family and is closely related to Tibetan. The standard urban variety spoken in Leh is commonly referred to as Leh-Ladakhi.

Geographic distribution and dialects: Ladakhi is spoken mainly in the Leh and Kargil districts of the union territory of Ladakh, with dialectal variation among communities and influences from neighboring languages such as Balti and Urdu. The language exists in both traditional oral forms and written form used in literature and media.

Script and linguistic features: Ladakhi is written in the Tibetan script (Uchen). Its grammar follows typical Tibetic patterns, with a subject–object–verb word order and an agglutinative character. The lexicon includes religious and daily-life terms, reflecting the region’s cultural and religious diversity.

Culture and literature: Ladakhi has a long oral tradition and a growing body of written literature, including poetry, folk tales, translations of religious texts, and modern prose and journalism. It is used in religious ceremonies, education, media, and everyday communication, and it plays a central role in cultural identity for many speakers.

Language status: Ladakhi is not listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution as an official language. It remains a regional language used in education, media, and cultural activities within Ladakh, and is maintained by speakers in the diaspora as well as local communities.