▁earlier ▁ident ities ▁( like ▁Mult ani ▁or ▁R iast i ), ▁and ▁distingu ishing ▁itself ▁from ▁bro ader ▁ones ▁like ▁that ▁of ▁P un j abi . ▁ ▁Name ▁The ▁present ▁extent ▁of ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁ ▁is ▁a ▁recent ▁development , ▁and ▁the ▁term ▁most ▁probably ▁gained ▁its ▁currency ▁during ▁the ▁national ist ▁movement ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁in ▁use ▁for ▁much ▁longer ▁in ▁S ind h ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁speech ▁of ▁the ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁the ▁north , ▁princip ally ▁S ira iki - spe aking ▁Bal och ▁tribes ▁who ▁settled ▁there ▁between ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries . ▁In ▁this ▁context , ▁the ▁term ▁can ▁most ▁pla us ibly ▁be ▁explained ▁as ▁originally ▁having ▁had ▁the ▁meaning ▁" the ▁language ▁of ▁the ▁north ", ▁from ▁the ▁S ind hi ▁word ▁ ▁' up - river , ▁north '. ▁This ▁name ▁can ▁ambigu ously ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁northern ▁dialect s ▁of ▁S ind hi , ▁but ▁these ▁are ▁now ad ays ▁more ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁" S iro li " ▁or ▁" S ire li ". ▁ ▁An ▁alternative ▁hypothesis ▁is ▁that ▁Sar ā k ī ▁origin ated ▁in ▁the ▁word ▁sau v ī r ā , ▁or ▁Sau vi ra , ▁an ▁ancient ▁kingdom ▁which ▁was ▁also ▁mentioned ▁in ▁the ▁S ansk rit ▁ep ic ▁Mah ab har ata . ▁ ▁Currently , ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁rendering ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁is ▁S