Vanji language
| Vanji | |
|---|---|
| Old Wanji | |
| w/vanǰi, vanǰiwor(í), vanǰivor | |
| Native to | Bukharan Emirate |
| Region | Vanj river valley |
| Extinct | late 19th century |
| Unwritten | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
| Glottolog | oldw1238 |
The Vanji language, also spelt Vanchi and Vanži (Vanji: vanǰivor) is an extinct Iranian language, one of the areal group of Iranian languages. It was spoken in the Vanj River valley in what is now the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan. There are only 64 known words.
In the 19th century the region was forcibly annexed to the Bukharan Emirate and a campaign of violent assimilation undertaken, and by the end of the 19th century, the Vanji language had completely disappeared, displaced by Tajik Persian as a result of assimilation. The local dialect of Tajik Persian spoken in Vanj has some Vanji influence.