Central Pashto

Central Pashto
Central Pashto
Native to	Pakistan, Afghanistan
Ethnicity	Pashtuns
Native speakers	6.4 million (2017 census)
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Iranian Eastern Pashto Central Pashto; ; ; ; ;
Writing system	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, Mahsudi and Waziri.^[2]^[3] These dialects are affected by what Ibrahim Khan terms as "the Great Karlāṇ Vowel Shift".^[4]

Central Dialects - "موږ"

Waziri

/miʒ/

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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
Mahsudi^[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	The preposition يې is used instead of the د /də/ [د+تا=ستا] The first person plural يو changes to يي The "ā" can change into "o" as in تا and پراتۀ
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 [a] in Pashto can become [ɑ] and also [e] in Apridi:

Northeastern General IPA	Apridi IPA	Meaning
/las/	/lɑs/	ten
/ɣag/	/ɣɑg/	sound
/ʃpag/	/ʃpeg/	six
/wraz/	/wrez/	day

The [ɑ] in Pashto can become [ɒː] in Apridi:

Northeastern General IPA	Apridi IPA	Meaning
/ˈban.d̪e/	/ˈbɒːn.d̪e/	upon

The [o] in Pashto can becomes [ɵ] in Apridi:

Northeastern General IPA	Apridi IPA	Meaning
/mor/	/mɵr/	mother

The [u] in Pashto can becomes [i] 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

Sample Text Audio

Speaker: Sahil Apridi [poet]

[ˈpɵr.t̪a ʃo bjel ke.nɒs.ˈt̪o ]

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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	pɵ́rta šo byel kenɒstó	pórta šo byal kenāstó	he went ahead, sat separately.

Kurama

Kurama: Example

Speaker from Central Kurram Agency

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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

Comparison of Vowels

North Waziristan: ɔ

N. Waziri [Zakar Khel]: ḍer ḍeṛ taklíp ğwɔṛí

Meaning: to you

Yusapzai Pashto: ډېر ډېر تکليف غواړي [ḍer ḍeṛ taklíp ğwāṛí]

South Waziristan: ɒ

S. Waziri [Maseedwola]: byɒ če kíma du

Meaning: then that which they

Yusapzai Pasht: بيا چې کومه دوی [byā če kóma duy]

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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

A change is noticed:^[16]

Standard Pronunciation	Waziri
aɪ	aɪ
ˈaɪ
ˈəɪ	ˈaɪ
oɪ	oːi œːi
uɪ	oˈjə
aw
ɑi
ɑw

Khattak

Vowel Lengthening

The 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/	Of this talk

Vocabulary

The following words which are rare in Kandhari and Yusapzai Pashto, were noted by Yousaf Khan Jazab in the Khattak dialect:^[18]

Khattak			Meaning	Variety of Khattak Dialect
	Transliteration	Grammar	Meaning	Variety of Khattak Dialect
اول	awā́l	noun	Saturday	General
باګه	bā́ga	noun	knee band	Teri
بلابس	balābás	adjective	resourceful	General
بنجوڼې	banjóṇe	noun	small pieces of the stems of the gram plants
زبوله	zabóle	noun	small pieces of the stems of the gram plants
بانګړه	bā́ngṛa	noun	dance of men in a circle; attan
برېزار	barezā́r	noun	brunch time
چوشې	čóše	noun	thick threads for fastening sacs
دوړنه	doṛə́na	noun	mushrooms
دوړنګه	doṛə́nga	noun	mushrooms
درنګ	drang	noun	mine, deposit of minerals
اېتبور	etbór	noun	Sunday
ګېني	gení	noun	a game played by girls
ګيلې	gíle	noun	a game played by girls
ګوبين	gobín	noun	honey
ګډګډی	guḍguḍáy	noun	a game played with one leg
سخی	sxay	noun	a game played with one leg
ګوډيسمسه	guḍisamsá	noun	a type of a bird
ګوګره	gugə́ṛa	noun	cuckoo bird
ګوتمۍ	gutmə́i	noun	shopping-bag
خولۍ رېځ	xulə́i rez	noun	Saturday
څلورم	salorám	noun	Monday	Teri
پينځم	pinzám	noun	Tuesday	General
وودينه	wodiná	noun	Thursday	General
مېلې رېځ	melé rez	noun	Wednesday	Teri
غولېل	ğulél	noun	slingshot	Teri
غومبکه	ğumbə́ka	noun	a dish made from grains, cooked during a rainy day(s) with grains given by different households	General
غورکی	ğurkáy	noun	hole
غورمۀ سترګه	ğurmə́ stə́rga	noun	sun
سترګه	stə́rga	noun	sun
ايکونه	ikóna	noun	a large pot for storing grains
کېړۍ	keṛə́i	noun	sandals
کوړيکت	koṛikə́t	noun	kabaddi game
کوړکۍ	koṛakə́i	noun	springle
کتريکی	kutrikáy	noun	springle
کړاغه	kṛāğá	noun	female crow
کاغه	kā́ğa	noun	female crow
کاړغۀ	kāṛğə́	noun	male crow	Teri
کونۍ	kunə́i	noun	a game in which four players take part	General
کرکمنه	kurkamə́na	noun	slingshot
لېبۍ	lebə́i	noun	a collective dance of women in a circle
لګاډه	lgā́ḍa	noun	channel
لوګ	lug	adjective	worthless
لوستل	lwastə́l	verb	to scatter
منګور	mangór	noun	snack
مسلۍ	masalə́i	noun	story
موی مرغۀ	móy mə́rğa	noun	peacocok
نخۍ	nəxə́i	noun	decorated cloth for the saddle of a cammel
نيالي	nyālí	noun	a mattress type of blanket
نولي	nolí	noun	a mattress type of blanket
پڼسی	paṇsáy	noun	thread
سبينه	sabiná	noun	morning	Teri
سبېيي	sabeyí	noun	morning	General
سلارغوشيې	salārğóšye	noun	pitchfork
ستر	stər	adjective	huge
شندل	šandə́l	verb	to spend
شنل	šanə́l	verb	to shake
شڼول	šaṇawə́l	verb	to shake
ششته	šuštá	adjective	clear and well organised
شين ټاغې	šin ṭā́ğe	noun	a blue bird
شينشوتتک	šinšotaták
شينتوتی	šintotáy
شورول	šorawə́l	verb	to keep
ويړول	wiṛawə́l	verb	to spread
وويا	wóyā	noun	egg
وراته	wrā́ta	noun	wife
خوسول	xusawə́l	verb	to move
خوړ	xwəṛ	noun	channel
يږه	yə́ža	noun	female bear
زېړي کوچ	zeṛi kúc	noun	a type of bird

Baniswola [Banusi]

Banusi Nasalisation compared to Standard Pronunciation

[[:File:Ps-Banusi-nasalisation.wav|/t̪lə̃/ /t̪ləm/]]

I was going

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Nasalisation

In the Bannu dialect the nasalisation of vowels has been noted , as mentioned by Yousuf Khan Jazab:^[19]

Baniswola	Kandahar	English
Nasalised First Person Verbal Suffix: ں [~]
تلں tlə̃ or tləń	تلم tləm	I was going
Compare with Third Person Masc. Sing. Verbal Suffix ۀ [ə]
تلۀ tlə	تلۀ tlə	He was going

Stress

As with other dialects stress on a particular syllable can also change the meaning of a word or aspect of the verb.^[20]

	Baniswola
Lexical Change	Final Stress		Meaning	Initial Stress		Meaning
	غووړي	ğwoṛí	oil	غووړي	ğwóṛi	he/she/they wants
	مستې	masté	yogurt	مستې	máste	luscious
	مزديره	məzdirá	maid	مزديره	mə́zdira	daily-wage
	Final Stress [Imperfective]		Meaning	Non-Final Stress [Perfective]		Meaning
Verbal Aspect Change	کښېنں	kšenə̃́	I am sitting	کښېنں	kšénə̃	I sit [now]
Verbal Aspect Change	پرېوتلں	prewatələ̃́	I was falling	پرېوتلں	préwatələ̃	I fell

References

^ Central Pashto at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024)
^ "Glottolog 4.3 - Central Pashto". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
^ David, Anne Boyle (2014). Descriptive Grammar of Pashto and Its Dialects. De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 37–40. ISBN 978-1-61451-303-2.
^ Khan, Ibrahim (2021-09-07). "Tarīno and Karlāṇi dialects". Pashto. 50 (661). ISSN 0555-8158. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ Septfonds (1994).
^ Rensch, Calvin Ross (1992). Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan: Pashto, Waneci, Ormuri. National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University. pp. 79–146.
^ Septfonds (1994), p. 269.
^ Miller, Corey (2014-05-12). "The Waziri Chain Shift". Journal of Persianate Studies. 7 (1): 124–136. doi:10.1163/18747167-12341267. ISSN 1874-7167.
^ Kaye (1997), p. 740.
^ Kaye (1997), pp. 750–751.
^ خان نسيم, نسيم (2019). د پښتو د دوو غټو لهجو پېښورۍ او قندهارۍ لساني جائزه. p. 174.
^ ^a ^b Kaye (1997), p. 751.
^ Kaye (1997), pp. 752–753.
^ ^a ^b Kaye (1997), p. 748.
^ Kaye (1997), p. 749.
^ Kaye (1997), pp. 751–753.
^ Jazab, p. 62.
^ Jazab, p. 339.
^ Jazab, p. 63.
^ Jazab, pp. 65–66.

Bibliography

Jazab, Yousaf Khan. An Ethno-Linguistic Study of the Karlanri Varieties of Pashto. Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar. p. 62.
Kaye, Alan S. (1997-06-30). Phonologies of Asia and Africa: (including the Caucasus). Eisenbrauns. ISBN 978-1-57506-019-4.
Septfonds, Daniel (1994). Le dzadrâni: un parler pashto du Paktyâ (Afghanistan) (in French). I. Peeters. ISBN 978-2-908322-16-3.

[e27-1] Central Pashto at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024)

[2] "Glottolog 4.3 - Central Pashto". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2020-10-16.

[3] David, Anne Boyle (2014). Descriptive Grammar of Pashto and Its Dialects. De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 37–40. ISBN 978-1-61451-303-2.

[4] Khan, Ibrahim (2021-09-07). "Tarīno and Karlāṇi dialects". Pashto. 50 (661). ISSN 0555-8158. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

[FOOTNOTESeptfonds1994-5] Septfonds (1994).

[6] Rensch, Calvin Ross (1992). Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan: Pashto, Waneci, Ormuri. National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University. pp. 79–146.

[FOOTNOTESeptfonds1994269-7] Septfonds (1994), p. 269.

[8] Miller, Corey (2014-05-12). "The Waziri Chain Shift". Journal of Persianate Studies. 7 (1): 124–136. doi:10.1163/18747167-12341267. ISSN 1874-7167.

[FOOTNOTEKaye1997740-9] Kaye (1997), p. 740.

[FOOTNOTEKaye1997750–751-10] Kaye (1997), pp. 750–751.

[11] خان نسيم, نسيم (2019). د پښتو د دوو غټو لهجو پېښورۍ او قندهارۍ لساني جائزه. p. 174.

[FOOTNOTEKaye1997751-12] Kaye (1997), p. 751.

[FOOTNOTEKaye1997752–753-13] Kaye (1997), pp. 752–753.

[FOOTNOTEKaye1997748-14] Kaye (1997), p. 748.

[FOOTNOTEKaye1997749-15] Kaye (1997), p. 749.

[FOOTNOTEKaye1997751–753-16] Kaye (1997), pp. 751–753.

[FOOTNOTEJazab62-17] Jazab, p. 62.

[FOOTNOTEJazab339-18] Jazab, p. 339.

[FOOTNOTEJazab63-19] Jazab, p. 63.

[FOOTNOTEJazab65–66-20] Jazab, pp. 65–66.

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