Editing Hazaragi dialect (section)

== Geographic distribution and diaspora ==
{{see also|Hazara diaspora}}
Hazaragi is spoken by the Hazara people, who mainly live in Afghanistan (predominantly in the [[Hazarajat]] (Hazaristan) region, as well as other Hazara-populated areas of Afghanistan), with a significant population in Pakistan (particularly [[Quetta]]) and [[Iran]] (particularly [[Mashhad]]),<ref>Area Handbook for Afghanistan, page 77, Harvey Henry Smith, [[American University]] ([[Washington, D.C.]]) Foreign Area Studies</ref> and by Hazaras in eastern [[Uzbekistan]], northern [[Tajikistan]], the [[Americas]], [[Europe]], and [[Australia]].<ref>Barbara A. West. "Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania". pp 272. Info base Publishing, 2009. {{ISBN|1438119135}}</ref> The number of Hazaragi speakers in [[Iran]] increased significantly due to the influx of refugees from [[Afghanistan]] where there are an estimated 399,000 speakers in the country as of 2021.<ref name="Haz">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/haz/|title=Hazaragi| publisher=Ethnologue|access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref>

In recent years, a substantial population of Hazara refugees has settled in [[Australia]], prompting the [[Department of Immigration and Citizenship]] to move towards official recognition of the Hazaragi language. Currently, NAATI ([[National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters]]) holds interpreting tests for Hazaragi as a distinct language, noting in test materials that Hazaragi varies by dialect, and that any dialect of Hazaragi may be used in interpreter testing as long as it would be understood by the average speaker.  The test materials also note that Hazaragi in some locations has been significantly influenced by surrounding languages and that the use of non-Hazaragi words assimilated from neighboring languages would be penalized in testing.<ref>[http://www.naati.com.au/pdf/Booklets/Accreditation_by_Testing_booklet.pdf Accreditation by Testing: Information booklet].  [[NAATI]], VERSION 1.10- August 2010</ref>