A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Central Pashto | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Pakistan, Afghanistan |
| Ethnicity | Pashtuns |
Native speakers | 6.4 million (2017 census)[1] |
| Arabic (Pashto alphabet) | |
| Official status | |
| Regulated by | Pashto Academy of Pakistan Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | pst |
| Glottolog | cent1973 |
Central Pashto (Pashto: منځنۍ پښتو, romanized: Manźanəi Pax̌to) is a standard variety of the Pashto language, spoken in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. They are the middle dialects of Mangal, Zadran, Banuchi and Waziri.[2][3] These dialects are affected by what Ibrahim Khan terms as "the Great Karlāṇ Vowel Shift".[4]
Here is a comparison of Middle Dialects with South Eastern:
| Central Dialects | ښ | ږ | څ | ځ | ژ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waziri | ʃ | ʒ | t͡s | d͡z | ʒ |
| Dzadrāṇi[5] | ç | ʝ | t͡s | d͡z | ʒ |
| Banusi[6] | ʃ | ʒ | t͡s, s | d͡z, z | ʒ |
Northern
Zadrani
Daniel Septfonds provides the following example:[7]
| Sentence | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Dzadrāṇi | دا يې تو په اورشو کې ميږ پروتۀ يي
dā ye to pə oršó ke miʝ protə́ yi |
is used instead of the د /də/
|
| Kandahar | دا ستا په ورشو کې موږ پراتۀ يو
dā sta pə waršó ke muẓ̌ prātə́ yu | |
| Meaning | On this meadow of yours, we are lying/located. | |
Vowel Shift
In Źadrāṇi, a vowel shift like Waziri has been noted:[8]
| Kandahar | Meaning | Zadrani | N.Wazirwola |
|---|---|---|---|
| هوښيار
/huʂ.ˈjɑr/ huṣ̌yā́r |
Intelligent | ox̌yór
/oç.ˈjor/ |
ošyór
/ɔʃ.ˈjɔr/ |
| پياله
/pjɑ.ˈla/ pyālá |
Cup | pyolá, pyelá
/pjo.ˈla/, /pjo.ˈla/ |
pyolá
/pjɔ.ˈla/ |
- Apridi
Afridi/Apridi is also categorised as a Northern Phonology.[9]
Vowel Shift
There is presence of the additional vowels close-mid central rounded vowel /ɵ/ and open back rounded vowel /ɒː / in Apridi. The following vowel shift has been noted by Jdosef Elfenbein:[10]
- The in Pashto can become and also in Apridi:
| Northeastern General IPA | Apridi IPA | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| /las/ | /lɑs/ | ten |
| /ɣag/ | /ɣɑg/ | sound |
| /ʃpag/ | /ʃpeg/ | six |
| /wraz/ | /wrez/ | day |
- The in Pashto can become in Apridi:
| Northeastern General IPA | Apridi IPA | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| /ˈban.d̪e/ | /ˈbɒːn.d̪e/ | upon |
- The in Pashto can becomes in Apridi:
| Northeastern General IPA | Apridi IPA | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| /mor/ | /mɵr/ | mother |
- The in Pashto can becomes in Apridi:
| Northeastern General IPA | Apridi IPA | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| /u.ˈd̪ə/ | /wi.ˈd̪ə/ | asleep |
Lexical Comparison
Naseem Khan Naseem provides the following list:[11]
| Apridi | Yusapzai | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| کالۀ
kālə́ |
کور
kor |
house | |
| خور[12]xɵr | خور
xor |
sister | |
| مړييې[13]maṛíye | ډوډۍ
ḍoḍə́i |
food | |
| پلور[12]plɒr | پلار
plār |
father | |
Sample Text
The following difference can be noticed in pronunciation:
| Literary Pashto | Apridi Pashto | Yusapzai Pashto | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| پورته شو بېل کښېناستۀ | pɵ́rta šo byel kenɒstó | pórta šo byal kenāstó | he went ahead, sat separately. |
| pórta šo bel kx̌enāstə́ |
Kurama
The following is an example from Central Kurram agency; where a change in /ɑ/ to /ɔ/ can be seen:
| Literary Pashto | Kurram Pashto | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| هغه ددې نه ډېر بهتر و. خو چې اوس ړنګ شو خدای نه راغله. بس اوس موږ دې کښې ډېر خوشحاله يو | áğa da de na ḍer bextár u. xo če os ṛang šo xodai na rɔ́ ğla . bas os mug de ke ḍer xošɔ́la yu | That was much better than this. But now that it is destroyed it came from God. Now we are very happy in this; that's all. |
| háğa da de na ḍer behtár wə. xo če os ṛang šo xwdāi na rā́ ğla. bas os mug de kx̌e ḍer xošā́la yu. |
Southern
Waziri
Vowel Shift
In Waziri Pashto there is also a vowel shift
In Waziri dialect the [ɑ] in most other dialects of Pashto becomes [ɔː] in Northern Waziri and [ɒː] in Southern Waziri.[14]
| Meaning | Standard Pashto | N.Wazirwola | S. Wazirwola | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ماسته | yougurt | /mɑs.t̪əˈ/ | /mɔːs.ˈt̪ə/ | /mɒːs.ˈt̪ə/ |
| پاڼه | leaf | /pɑˈ.ɳa/ | /ˈpɔː.ɳjɛː/ | /ˈpɒː.ɳjɛː/ |
In Waziri dialect the stressed [o] in most other dialects of Pashto becomes [œː] and [ɛː]. The [o] in general Pashto may also become jɛ or wɛː. [14]
| Meaning | Standard Pashto | Wazirwola | |
|---|---|---|---|
| لور | sickle | /lor/ | /lœːr/ |
| وړه | flour | /o.ɽəˈ/ | /ɛː.ˈɽə/ |
| اوږه | shoulder | /o.ɡaˈ/ | /jɛ.ˈʒa/ |
| اوس | now | /os/ | /wɛːs/ |
In Waziri dialect the stressed [u] in general Pashto becomes [iː]. [15]
| Meaning | Standard Pashto | Wazirwola | |
|---|---|---|---|
| موږ | we | /muɡ/ | /miːʒ/ |
| نوم | name | /num/ | /niːm/ |
When [u] in begins a word in general Pashto can become [wiː], [jiː] or w[ɛ]
| Meaning | Standard Pashto | Wazirwola | |
|---|---|---|---|
| اوم | raw | /um/ | /jiːm/ |
| اوږه | garlic | /ˈu.ɡa/ | /ˈwiː.ʒa/ |
| اوده | asleep | /u.ˈd̪ə/ | /wɜ.ˈd̪ə/ |
Diphthongs in Waziri
editA change is noticed:[16]
| Standard Pronunciation | Waziri |
|---|---|
| aɪ | aɪ |
| ˈaɪ | |
| ˈəɪ | ˈaɪ |
| oɪ | oːi
œːi |
| uɪ | oˈjə |
| aw | |
| ɑi | |
| ɑw |
Khattak
editVowel Lengthening
editThe Khattak dialect, as deduced by Yusuf Khan Jazab in contrast to non-Karāṇi dialects differentiates lexemes in term of vowel lengthening.[17]
Example: between /e/ and /eː/ - transcribed as "e" and "ē" respectively to indicated the distinction.
| Khattak | Standard Pashto | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| de dē xabə́re | də de xabə́re | Of this talk | |
| IPA | /d̪e d̪eː xa.ˈbə.re/ | /d̪ə d̪e xa.ˈbə.re/ |
Vocabulary
editThe following words which are rare in Kandhari and Yusapzai Pashto, were noted by Yousaf Khan Jazab in the Khattak dialect:[18]