Central Pashto () 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. These dialects are affected by what Ibrahim Khan terms as "the Great Karlāṇ Vowel Shift".
Here is a comparison of Middle Dialects with South Eastern: Central DialectsښږڅځژWaziri Dzadrāṇi Mahsudi , ,
Northern
Zadrani Daniel Septfonds provides the following example: SentenceNotesDzadrāṇi 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 پراتۀKandaharMeaningOn this meadow of yours, we are lying/located.
Vowel Shift In Źadrāṇi, a vowel shift like Waziri has been noted: KandaharMeaningZadraniN.Wazirwolaهوښيار /huʂ.ˈjɑr/
huṣ̌yā́rIntelligentox̌yór /oç.ˈjor/ošyór /ɔʃ.ˈjɔr/پياله /pjɑ.ˈla/
pyāláCuppyolá, pyelá /pjo.ˈla/, /pjo.ˈla/pyolá /pjɔ.ˈla/
Apridi
Afridi/Apridi is also categorised as a Northern Phonology.
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:
The [a] in Pashto can become [ɑ] and also [e] in Apridi:
Northeastern General IPAApridi IPAMeaningtensoundsixday
The [ɑ] in Pashto can become [ɒː] in Apridi:
Northeastern General IPAApridi IPAMeaningupon
The [o] in Pashto can becomes [ɵ] in Apridi:
Northeastern General IPAApridi IPAMeaningmother
The [u] in Pashto can becomes [i] in Apridi:
Northeastern General IPAApridi IPAMeaningasleep
Lexical Comparison Naseem Khan Naseem provides the following list: ApridiYusapzaiMeaningکالۀ kālə́کور korhouseخورxɵrخور xorsisterمړييېmaṛíyeډوډۍ ḍoḍə́ifoodپلورplɒrپلار plārfather
Sample Text
The following difference can be noticed in pronunciation: Literary PashtoApridi PashtoYusapzai PashtoMeaningپورته شو بېل کښېناستۀpɵ́rta šo byel kenɒstópórta šo byal kenāstóhe 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 PashtoKurram PashtoMeaningهغه ددې نه ډېر بهتر و. خو چې اوس ړنګ شو خدای نه راغله. بس اوس موږ دې کښې ډېر خوشحاله يوáğa da de na ḍer bextár u. xo če os ṛang šo xodai na rɔ́ ğla . bas os mug de ke ḍer xošɔ́la yuThat 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 in most other dialects of Pashto becomes in Northern Waziri and in Southern Waziri. MeaningStandard PashtoN.WazirwolaS. Wazirwolaماستهyougurt/mɑs.t̪əˈ//mɔːs.ˈt̪ə//mɒːs.ˈt̪ə/پاڼهleaf/pɑˈ.ɳa//ˈpɔː.ɳjɛː//ˈpɒː.ɳjɛː/ In Waziri dialect the stressed in most other dialects of Pashto becomes and . The in general Pashto may also become or . MeaningStandard PashtoWazirwolaلورsickle/lor//lœːr/وړهflour/o.ɽəˈ//ɛː.ˈɽə/اوږهshoulder/o.ɡaˈ//jɛ.ˈʒa/اوسnow/os//wɛːs/In Waziri dialect the stressed in general Pashto becomes . MeaningStandard PashtoWazirwolaموږwe/muɡ//miːʒ/نومname/num//niːm/ When in begins a word in general Pashto can become , or [w] MeaningStandard PashtoWazirwolaاومraw/um//jiːm/اوږهgarlic/ˈu.ɡa//ˈwiː.ʒa/اودهasleep/u.ˈd̪ə//wɜ.ˈd̪ə/
Diphthongs in Waziri A change is noticed: Standard PronunciationWaziriˈaɪ
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.
Example: between and - transcribed as "e" and "ē" respectively to indicated the distinction. KhattakStandard PashtoMeaningde dē xabə́redə de xabə́reOf this talkIPA
Vocabulary The following words which are rare in Kandhari and Yusapzai Pashto, were noted by Yousaf Khan Jazab in the Khattak dialect: KhattakMeaningVariety of Khattak DialectTransliterationGrammarاولawā́lnounSaturdayGeneralباګهbā́ganounknee bandTeriبلابسbalābásadjectiveresourcefulGeneralبنجوڼېbanjóṇenounsmall pieces of the stems of the gram plantsزبولهzabóleبانګړهbā́ngṛanoundance of men in a circle; attanبرېزارbarezā́rnounbrunch timeچوشېčóšenounthick threads for fastening sacsدوړنهdoṛə́nanounmushroomsدوړنګهdoṛə́ngaدرنګdrangnounmine, deposit of mineralsاېتبورetbórnounSundayګېنيgenínouna game played by girlsګيلېgíleګوبينgobínnounhoneyګډګډیguḍguḍáynouna game played with one legسخیsxayګوډيسمسهguḍisamsánouna type of a birdګوګرهgugə́ṛanouncuckoo birdګوتمۍgutmə́inounshopping-bagخولۍ رېځxulə́i reznounSaturdayڅلورمsalorámnounMondayTeriپينځمpinzámnounTuesdayGeneralوودينهwodinánounThursdayمېلې رېځmelé reznounWednesdayTeriغولېلğulélnounslingshotغومبکهğumbə́kanouna dish made from grains, cooked during a rainy day(s) with grains given by different householdsGeneralغورکیğurkáynounholeغورمۀ سترګهğurmə́ stə́rganounsunسترګهstə́rgaايکونهikónanouna large pot for storing grainsکېړۍkeṛə́inounsandalsکوړيکتkoṛikə́tnounkabaddi gameکوړکۍkoṛakə́inounspringleکتريکیkutrikáyکړاغهkṛāğánounfemale crowکاغهkā́ğaکاړغۀkāṛğə́nounmale crowTeriکونۍkunə́inouna game in which four players take partGeneralکرکمنهkurkamə́nanounslingshotلېبۍlebə́inouna collective dance of women in a circleلګاډهlgā́ḍanounchannelلوګlugadjectiveworthlessلوستلlwastə́lverbto scatterمنګورmangórnounsnackمسلۍmasalə́inounstoryموی مرغۀmóy mə́rğanounpeacocokنخۍnəxə́inoundecorated cloth for the saddle of a cammelنياليnyālínouna mattress type of blanketنوليnolíپڼسیpaṇsáynounthreadسبينهsabinánounmorningTeriسبېييsabeyínounmorningGeneralسلارغوشيېsalārğóšyenounpitchforkسترstəradjectivehugeشندلšandə́lverbto spendشنلšanə́lverbto shakeشڼولšaṇawə́lششتهšuštáadjectiveclear and well organisedشين ټاغېšin ṭā́ğenouna blue birdشينشوتتکšinšotatákشينتوتیšintotáyشورولšorawə́lverbto keepويړولwiṛawə́lverbto spreadووياwóyānouneggوراتهwrā́tanounwifeخوسولxusawə́lverbto moveخوړxwəṛnounchannelيږهyə́žanounfemale bearزېړي کوچzeṛi kúcnouna type of bird
Baniswola [Banusi]
Nasalisation In the Bannu dialect the nasalisation of vowels has been noted, as mentioned by Yousuf Khan Jazab: BaniswolaKandahar EnglishNasalised First Person Verbal Suffix: ں [~]تلں tlə̃
or
tləńتلم tləmI was goingCompare with Third Person Masc. Sing. Verbal Suffix ۀ [ə]تلۀ tləتلۀ tləHe 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. BaniswolaLexical ChangeFinal StressMeaningInitial StressMeaningغووړيğwoṛíoilغووړيğwóṛihe/she/they wants مستېmastéyogurtمستېmásteluscious مزديرهməzdirámaidمزديرهmə́zdiradaily-wageFinal Stress [Imperfective]MeaningNon-Final Stress [Perfective]MeaningVerbal Aspect Changeکښېنںkšenə̃́I am sitting کښېنںkšénə̃I sit [now]پرېوتلںprewatələ̃́I was fallingپرېوتلںpréwatələ̃I fell
References
Bibliography