Pashto
Description
Pashto is one of the national languages of Afghanistan (Dari Persian is the other), and the home language of Pushtuns living in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, and many Pushtuns living in Baluchistan (Iran and Pakistan). Major Pashto speaking cities in Afghanistan are Qandahar, Jalal Abad, Kabul; and Peshawar in Pakistan. There are 8 million speakers of Pashto in Afghanistan (45 % of the population) and almost 9 million in Pakistan (13% of the population). Pashto is one of the East Iranian group of languages. There are two major dialects of Pashto: Western Pashto spoken in Afghanistan and in the capital, Kabul, and Eastern Pashto spoken in northeastern Pakistan. Most speakers of Pashto speak these two dialects. Two other dialects are also distinguished: Southern Pashto, spoken in Baluchistan (western Pakistan and eastern Iran) and in Kandahar, Afghanistan; Central Pashto spoken in northern Pakistan (Wazirstan).
(Source: Yamada Language Center, University of Oregon)
Instructor
James Caron