How do High Hindi and High Urdu differ in their vocabulary?

High Hindi and High Urdu are distinct stylistic registers of the same underlying Indo-Aryan language base, sharing nearly identical grammar and phonology. Their primary difference lies in their respective lexical sources and literary traditions.12

• High Hindi: This register is characterized by a deliberate effort to minimize Perso-Arabic vocabulary, retaining only the most common terms. It draws heavily from Sanskrit for its formal and learned lexicon and is written in the Devanagari script.3
• High Urdu: This register maintains a significant body of long-standing Perso-Arabic vocabulary. It utilizes Arabic and Persian as the primary sources for its learned and technical terminology and is written in the Nastaliq script.13

While colloquial speech often blends these influences, the "High" versions represent a polarization driven by literary and cultural standardization efforts, with the Central Hindi Directorate actively working to align standard Hindi more closely with Sanskrit roots.34