Kata-vari dialect

Kata-vari
Kati
Native to	Afghanistan
Region	Kunar Province
Native speakers	unknown (19,000 cited 1992–1994)
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Nuristani Kamkata-viri Kata-vari
Language codes
ISO 639-3	bsh
Glottolog	kati1270

Kata-vari is a dialect of the Kamkata-viri language spoken by the Kata in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The language is similar to Khowar. The most used alternative names are Kati, Kativiri or Bashgali.

It is spoken by approximately 40,000 people (mostly in Afghanistan, just over 3,700 in Pakistan), and its speakers are Muslim. Literacy rates are low: below 1% for people who have it as a first language, and between 15% to 25% for people who have it as a second language.

There are two main sub-dialects: Eastern Kata-vari and Western Kata-vari. In Afghanistan, Western Kata-vari is spoken in the Ramgal, Kulam, Ktivi and Paruk valleys. Eastern Kata-vari is spoken in the upper Landai Sin Valley. In Pakistan, Eastern Kata-vari is spoken in Chitral District, in Gobar and the upper Bumboret Valley.