Chenabi

From Chenab +‎ -i; Coined by Kashmiri journalist Anzer Ayoob in 2017.^[1][2]

• IPA^(key): /tʃəˈnɑːbi/

• Audio (Indian English):

  (file)

Chenabi (plural Chenabis)

1. A native or resident of the Chenab Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
   • 2024 August 21, Abid Pampori, “Chenabi Kashmiris: A Community in the Heart of the Himalayas”, in Brighter Kashmir‎^[3]:

     The Chenabi Kashmiris are an integral part of Kashmiri culture.

   • 2024 August 25, Firdous Tak, “Chenabi People Determined to Show the Way Forward”, in The Kashmir Scroll‎^[4]:

     Chenabi people are determined to show the way forward.

   • 2024 September 4, Mehraj Malik, “Doda's Struggles Resonate Across Chenab Valley”, in Today Newsline JK‎^[5]:

     Malik emphasized that his candidacy is not just about representing Doda East but about being a voice for all Chenabis across the region, including Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and other areas where the Chenabi population resides.

   • 2025 August 19, Ayaan Saroori, “Beyond Disasters, Chenab Valley Cries for Dignity”, in Kashmir Observer‎^[6], archived from the original on 29 August 2025:

     This longing has given rise to the term “Chenabi,” a name meant to weave together the valley’s many tongues and traditions, like Kishtwari, Bhaderwahi, Sarazi, and Pogli, into a single fabric.

Chenabi (comparative more Chenabi, superlative most Chenabi)

1. Of or relating to the Chenab Valley, or its people, culture, or languages.
   • 2024 April 7, Harry Walia, “Reviving Vedic Names for Rivers in J&K”, in Daily Excelsior‎^[7]:

     This involves perpetuating biases in socio-economic development, political empowerment, heritage preservation, even designating certain parts of the Jammu Region as the ‘Chenab Valley’ and certain local dialects as ‘Chenabi’, among other maneuvers, so as to divide the Province further on communal and regional lines.

   • 2025 March 9, Anzer Ayoob, “The Chenabi Languages: A Vanishing Heritage”, in Kashmir Bulletin‎^[8]:

     The Chenabi languages are more than dialects; they are the voice of the Chenab Valley, echoing its history, culture, and spirit.

   • 2025 August 1, Sneha Gupta, “What Does It Mean to Be Chenabi?”, in Kashmir Life‎^[9], archived from the original on 1 August 2025:

     To be Chenabi is to belong to a region shaped by tradition, resilience, and deep-rooted cultural pride.