The Pashto alphabet () is the right-to-left abjad-based alphabet developed from the Perso-Arabic script, used for the Pashto language in Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It originated in the 16th century through the works of Pir Roshan.
Form
Pashto is written in the Arabic Naskh. Pashto uses all 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet, and shares 3 letters (چ, پ, and ژ) with Persian in the additional letters.
Differences from Persian alphabet
Pashto has several letters which do not appear in the Persian alphabet, which are shown in the table below:
Letter IPA Base Arabic letter ټ ډ ړ ڼ ښ ږ څ ځ +
All the additional characters are derived from existing Arabic letters by adding diacritics; for example, the consonants x̌īn/ṣ̌īn and ǵe/ẓ̌e look like Arabic's sīn and re respectively with a dot above and beneath. Similarly, the letters representing retroflex consonants are written with a small circle (known as a "panḍak", "ğaṛwanday" or "skəṇay") attached underneath the corresponding dental consonants.
The consonant is written as either ګ or گ.
In addition to Persian vowels, Pashto has ئ, ې, ۀ, and ۍ for additional vowels and diphthongs.
Stress
Pashto employs stress: this can change the aspect of the verb and the meaning of the word. The Arabic alphabet does not show stress placement, but in transliteration it is indicated by the use of acute accent diactric: over the vowel. Diactric Pashto TransliteraltionStress in Bold á ḍálaḍá-laóóṛayó-ṛayā́šā́bāsšā́-bāsә́gaṇә́lga-ṇә́línāxwaṣ̌ínā-xwa-ṣ̌íúúẓ̌aú-ẓ̌aébe ṣ̌ébe-ṣ̌é
Letters Pashto has 45 letters and 4 diacritic marks. The Southeastern (SE) and Southwestern (SW), Northeastern (NE) and Northwestern (NW) dialects of Pashto are included. NameIPATransliterationContextual formsIsolatedALA-LCRomaniz.LatinUnicode(Hex)SymbolEnglish ExamplesFinalMedialInitial alep or alif bark ā, , ā Ā ā U+0627,U+0622 be born b b B b U+0628 pe peel p p P p U+067E te t t T t U+062A ṭe [ʈ] ṭ (or tt) ṭ Ṭ ṭ U+067C se biscuit s s̱ S s U+062B jim [d͡ʒ]jug j (or ǰ) j J j U+062C če [t͡ʃ]cheese č ch Č č U+0686 he house h ḥ H h U+062D xe loch (Scottish) x kh X x U+062E tseśe [t͡s] / cats ś, ts, c C C c U+0685 dzimźim [d͡z] / aids ź, dz, j ż Ź ź U+0681 dāl d d D d U+062F ḍāl [ɖ] ḍ (or dd) ḍ Ḍ ḍ U+0689 zāl zoo z ẕ Z z U+0630 re rain r r R r U+0631 ṛe ṛ (or rr) ṛ Ṛ ṛ U+0693 ze zoo z z Z z U+0632 že / vision, delusion, division ž zh Ž ž U+0698 ẓ̌ey (SW)z̄ey (SE)ǵey (NW)gey (NE) [ʐ] (SW) (SE)[ʝ] (NW) (NE)vision or gift ẓ̌ (SW)z̄ (SE)γ̌/ǵ (NW)g (NE) ẓh (SW)zh (SE)g'h (NW)g (NE) Ǵ ǵ (or Ẓ̌ ẓ̌) U+0696 sin biscuit s s S s U+0633 šin / shoot š sh Š š U+0634 ṣ̌in (SW)s̄in (SE)x̌in (NW)xin (NE)[ʂ] (SW) (SE)[ç] (NW) (NE) ṣ̌ (SW)s̄ (SE)x̌ (NW)x (NE) ṣh (SW)sh (SE)k'h (NW)kh (NE) X̌ x̌ (or Ṣ̌ ṣ̌) U+069A swād see s s S s U+0635 zwād zoo z z Z z U+0636 twe talk t t T t U+0637 zwe zebra z z Z z U+0638 ayn bark a nothing U+0639 ğayn loch (Scottish) but voiced gh(or γ) gh Ğ ğ U+063A pe or fe / peel / fire f f F f U+0641 qāp / keep q q Q q U+0642 kāp keep k k K k U+06A9 gāp get g g G g U+06AB lām lamb l l L l U+0644 mim minute m m M m U+0645 nun near n n N n U+0646 ṇun ṇ(or nn) ṇ Ṇ ṇ U+06BCnun póza nose nun[˜]macaron (French)̃ (over the vowel)orń ṉN nU+06BA wāw , , watch, soup w, u, o w, ū, o W w, U u, O o U+0648 ğwə́nḍa heround hē , hey, stuck (Cockney) h, a h, a H h, A a U+0647 kajíra he large-pretty hē bird (Received Pronunciation) ə ạ Ə ə U+06C0 tsərgánda yeobvious yē , yacht, week (General American) y, i y, ī Y y, I i U+064A úǵda yelong yē eight [Note: [e] is not lengthened] e e E e U+06D0 nāriná yemasculine yēorwə́ča yedry yē , try ay, y ay, y Ay ay, Y y U+06CCU+06D2 x̌əźiná yefeminine yēor lakə́y yetail yē stay əy ạy Əy əy U+06CD fālí ye verbal yē , stay or see əy, y ạy, y Əy əy, Y y U+0626
Notes At the beginning of a word, (alif with madda) represents the long vowel in words borrowed from other languages (e.g. . At the beginning of a word, the letter (alif) represents the vowel , e.g., . In the middle or end of a word, represents the long vowel which is following a consonant (e.g., , and ). At the beginning of a word, the letter alif can also be used with a diactric mark [often not written] e.g. (alif with a zer) as in . Ten letters, , appear only in loanwords of Arabic origin borrowed through Persian. Eight of these, , represent no additional phonemes of Pashto, and their pronunciation is replaced with other phonemes. tends to be omitted in pronunciation when at the end of a word, e.g., is always pronounced as . The letter represents The phoneme occurs only in loanwords. It tends to be replaced with . The phoneme occurs only in loanwords. It tends to be replaced with . It is also common to write the letter as . It is also common to write the letter as and . In informal texts, is sometimes replaced by the letter , especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. represents when it is following a consonant (e.g., ), and represents when it is following a vowel (e.g., ). In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is replaced by (e.g. and ). In Arabic loanwords, is pronounced (e.g. , ). The letter represents after a vowel, e.g., . It is also common to write with the hamza over the right side of the letter – . The letter is only represented at the end of a word, e.g., . The vowel , when present between consonants, is not represented by the letter , but instead is omitted, e.g., . Only used in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, not in Afghan spelling system, where is used instead (e.g. ). Some dialects also omit the letter in some words, e.g. consider the following words:
\ \ \ \
Nasalised vowels appear in certain dialects such as Banisi/Banuchi and Waṇetsi. It is represented with , e.g., [in these dialects].
Historical letters The superscribed element of the letter in earlier varieties was not hamza-shaped, but was very similar to little kāf of the letter . Such shape of the upper element of the letter is hard to find in modern fonts.
Since the time of Bayazid Pir Roshan, (dāl with subscript dot) was used for , which was still used in the Diwan of Mirza written in 1690 CE, but this sign was later replaced by .
Another rare glyph for is , a ج with the same dot about harakat.
Diacritic marks
The four diacritic marks are used: Diacritic Unicode Name Transliterated name Translit.6 IPA[goð] Latin U+064E zwār a a U+0659 zwārakay ə ə U+0650 zer i i U+064F peš u u
Notes The diacritic marks are not considered separate letters. Their use is optional and are usually not written; they are only occasionally used to distinguish between two words which would otherwise appear similar, like the words ملا - back (body part) and مُلا - Mullah. In Arabic loanwords, the tanwin fatha () can be used, e.g. – masalan, "for example".
"Ye" letters
Letter Pashto name Unicode name Transliteration IPA Position in a word Example tsərgánda ye ARABIC LETTER YEH y, i , can appear anywhere yəm ('(I) am') di ('(they) are') úǵda ye ARABIC LETTER E e middle or end ye ('you (sing.) are')or nāriná ye ARABIC LETTER FARSI YEHorARABIC LETTER YEH BARREE ay/ehwhen following a consonant end or stóray ('star') ywhen following a vowel end or duy ('they') x̌əźiná ye ARABIC LETTER YEH WITH TAIL əy end waṛә́i ('wool') fālí ye ARABIC LETTER YEH WITH HAMZA ABOVE əy end yəy ('you (plur.) are') y middle judāyí ('separation')
Notes In Afghan orthography, this letter has shape, while in Peshawari orthography, its shape is . If the letter follows a consonant in a word, it indicates the word is masculine singular and in the direct case. At the end of verbs it is used to form verbal participle in the masculine. If ends a word it always indicates that the word it occurs in is feminine. If occurs at the end of a verb, it indicates the verb is in second person plural form. If appears at end of nouns and adjectives it indicates that those are feminine. At the end of verbs it is used as verbal suffix and to form verbal participle in the feminine. It also ends certain circumpositions. If occurs at the end of a verb, it indicates the verb is in third person plural present form. At the end of nouns and adjectives it indicates that the word is masculine in the singular oblique case, plural direct case. It also used in the non-declining adjective class.
Orthographic differences There are broadly two standards for Pashto orthography, the Afghan orthography, which is regulated by the Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan, and the Peshawar orthography of the Pashto Academy in Peshawar. They used to be very similar in the past, until the orthography reforms were introduced in 1970s and 80s in Afghanistan. Both of them use additional letters: . The Afghan standard is currently dominant due to the lack and negative treatment of Pashto education in Pakistan. Most writers use mixed orthography combining elements of both standards. In Pakistan, Pashto speakers who are not literate in their mother tongue often use Urdu letters.
The main differences between the two are as follows:
Word-final -y sound is denoted by letter in Pakistan and dotless letter in Afghanistan. Word-final -i sound is denoted by letter in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pre-reform Afghan orthography used for both cases, and some writers still often confuse them. Word Pre-reformorthography Peshawarorthography Afghanorthography saṛay "man" dzāy "place" loy "big" lari "has" likunkay "writer" likunki "writers" day "is" di "(they) are" Also pronounced dəy in some dialects, and thus written or , chiefly in Afghanistan.
Word-final -a sound is denoted by in Peshawar orthography, while the -ə sound is denoted by . Afghan orthography uses for both sounds. Word Peshawarorthography Afghanorthography zə "I" ṣ̌ə/xə "good (masculine)" ṣ̌a/xa "good (feminine)"
The letters and for g are considered variants of the same character. Both are widely used, but the Afghan official materials prefer the form, while the Pakistani orthography sets a specific glyph for which looks like with a circle below. Most Arabic script fonts, however, only implement a form of that looks like with a circle.
Both standards prescribe the usage of for k. In practice, however, even the official sources often use the form. Historically, the two are calligraphic variants of the same character, is more common in modern Arabic, and is more common in Persian and Urdu. In Unicode they are split into two separate glyphs.
The y- sound before a -letter is written as in the Pakistani orthography and as in the Afghan orthography. Pre-reform Afghan orthography also used . Word Peshawarorthography Afghanorthographyyəy "(you, plural) are" ye/yi "him, his (pronominal clitic)" ibtidayi "initial" Also yāst in Southern Pashto.
Pakistani orthography uses for the postposition kx̌e "in". Afghan standard prefers . In most dialects, this postposition is pronounced ke or ki, but the historical pronunciation, also found as a variant in some Southern Pashto dialects, is kṣ̌e. The verbal prefix (as in kenastəl or kṣ̌enastəl "to sit down") is still pronounced kṣ̌e- in Southern Pashto and ke- in Northern Pashto, but some Afghan authors may also spell it like . On the other hand, words with combination, like nәxṣ̌a "mark, sign", bәxṣ̌әl "forgive, pardon", are written identically according to both standards, but some authors speaking Northern Pashto may write them according to their pronunciation: nәxa, bәxәl.
In some auxiliary words like pronouns and particles, as well as in plural and oblique singular forms of feminine nouns, the Pakistani orthography uses , while the Afghan orthography often uses . It reflects the pronunciation of unstressed word-final -e in some Afghan dialects, particularly the Kandahari accent. Note also that the pronoun "you" is usually written tāso in Pakistan, reflecting the local dialects. In Afghanistan, this pronoun is written tāsi or tāso. In verbal prefixes like pre-, kṣ̌e-/ke-, both standards use .