Pashto phonology

{{Listen|type=speech|filename2=Ps-was visibile-kandahar.wav|description6=ګټه

[ˈɡa.ʈa]

a Rock; Profit, Benefit

(Noun, Feminine, Singular, Direct Case)|filename6=Ps-ګټه.oga|title6=ʈ - ټ|description5=ګاډی

[ˈɡɑ.ɖaɪ]

Car, Vehicle

(Noun, Masculine, Singular, Direct Case)|filename=Ps-ear-kandahar.wav|title=ʐ - ږ [South Western Dialect]|description=غوږ

[ɣwaʐ]

Ear

(Noun, Masculine, Singular, Direct Case)|title2=ʂ - ښ [South Western Dialect]|title3=ɳ - ڼ|description2=ښکارېدۀ

[ʂkɑ.rɵ.ˈdə]

was Visible

(Verb, 3rd Person, Singular, Masculine, Past Imperfective)|header=Retroflex Sounds in Pashto|filename3=اتڼ.ogg|description3=اتڼ

[a.ˈtaɳ]

a Type of Dance

(Noun, Masculine, Singular, Direct Case)|filename4=Ps-لړه.wav|title4=ɽ - ړ|description4=لړه

[ˈla.ɽa]

Fog

(Noun, Feminine, Singular, Direct Case)|filename5=ګاډی.ogg|title5=ɖ - ډ}}{{Listen|type=speech|filename2=Ps-څه.wav|filename=Ps-alveolar affricate.wav|title=څ and ځ|description=t͡s and d͡z|title2=څه [what]|description2={{IPA|/t͡sə/ [sə] (Northern)}}|header=Dental-Alveolar Affricates in Pashto|description3={{IPA|/mand͡z/ [manz]}} (Northern)|title3=منځ [middle]|filename3=Ps-منځ.wav}}

The phonemes {{IPAslink|q}}, {{IPAslink|f}} are only found in loanwords, and tend to be replaced by {{IPAslink|k}}, {{IPAslink|p}} respectively. Some educated speakers may also have /ʔ, ʕ, ħ/ in Arabic loanwords.

• Voiceless stops and affricates {{IPA|/p, t, ʈ, t͡s, t͡ʃ, k/}} are all unaspirated; they have slightly aspirated allophones prevocalically in a stressed syllable, almost like English.
• /{{IPA link|ʂ}}, {{IPA link|ʐ}}/ are heard as palatal fricatives [{{IPAlink|ç}}, {{IPA link|ʝ}}] {{sfnp|David|2014|p=9}} in the Northwestern dialect.{{sfnp|David|2014|p=35}}
• {{IPAslink|ɽ}} is a voiced retroflex flap most of the time, but tends to be a lateral flap [{{IPA link|𝼈}}] at the beginning of a syllable or other prosodic unit, and a regular flap or approximant [{{IPA link|ɻ}}] elsewhere.D.N. MacKenzie, 1990, "Pashto", in Bernard Comrie, ed, The major languages of South Asia, the Middle East and Africa, p. 103Herbert Penzl, 1965, A reader of Pashto, p 7

{{See also|Pashto dialects}}{{Listen|filename=Ps-ښ-sounds.wav|title=ښ in dialects|description=/{{IPAlink|x}}/ followed by /{{IPAlink|ç}}/ followed by /{{IPAlink|ʂ}}/ followed by /{{IPAlink|ʃ}}/|format=Wav|filename2=Ps-ښار-sounds.wav|title2=Example: ښار [city]|format2=Wav|description2={{IPA|/xɑr/}} followed by {{IPA|/çɑr/}} followed by {{IPA|/ʂɑr/}} followed by {{IPA|/ʃɑr/}}}}{{Listen|filename=Ps-ږ-sounds.wav|title=ږ in dialects|description=/{{IPAlink|g}}/ followed by /{{IPAlink|ʝ}}/ followed by /{{IPAlink|ʐ}}/ followed by /{{IPAlink|ʒ}}/|format=Wav|title2=Example: کېږي [to do - {{gcl|3}}:{{gcl|SG}}:{{gcl|PRS}}:{{gcl|CONT}}]|format2=Wav|filename2=Ps-کېږي-sounds.wav|description2={{IPA|/kegi/}} followed by {{IPA|/keʝi/}} followed by {{IPA|/keʐi/}} followed by {{IPA|/keʒi/}}}}

Dialectal allophones represented by {{lang|ps|ښ}} and {{lang|ps|ږ}}. The retroflex variants {{IPA|[ʂ, ʐ]}} are used in the Southwest dialects whereas the post-alveolar variants {{IPA|[ʃ, ʒ]}} are used in Southeast Dialects. The palatal variants {{IPA|[ç, ʝ]}} are used in the Wardak and Central Ghilji dialects. In the North Eastern dialects {{lang|ps|ښ}} and {{lang|ps|ږ}} merge with the velar {{IPA|[x, g]}}.{{Listen|type=speech|header=The dropping of /h/ in dialects|filename=هلک.ogg|title=General|description=/ha.ˈlək/|filename2=Alak-Boy.ogg|title2=Yusupazi|description2=/a.ˈlək/}}

Pashto syllable structure can be summarized as follows; parentheses enclose optional components:

• (C₁ C₂ (C₃)) (S₁) V (S₂) (C₄ (C₅))

Pashto syllable structure consists of an optional syllable onset, consisting of one or two consonants; an obligatory syllable nucleus, consisting of a vowel optionally preceded by and/or followed by a semivowel; and an optional syllable coda, consisting of one or two consonants. The following restrictions apply:

• Onset
• First consonant (C₁): Can be any consonant, including a liquid ({{IPA|/l, r/}}).
• Second consonant (C₂): Can be any consonant.
• Third consonant (C₃ ): Can be any consonant. (see #Consonant Clusters below)
• Nucleus
• Semivowel (S₁)
• Vowel (V)
• Semivowel (S₂)
• Coda
• First consonant (C₄): Can be any consonant
• Second consonant (C₅): Can be any consonant

Pashto has a lot of word-initial consonant clusters in all dialects; some hundred such clusters occurs. However, there is no consonant gemination.{{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|p=737}}{{Listen|type=speech|header=Consonant Clusters Examples|filename=ښکنځل.ogg|title=/ʂk/|description=ښکنځل

[to abuse]

{{IPA|/ʂkan.ˈd͡zəl/}}|filename2=Zhbaarhal.wav|title2=/ʒb/|description2=ژباړل

[to translate]

{{IPA|/ʒbɑ.ˈɽəl/}}|filename3=Ps-زده.oga|title3=/zd/|description3=زده

[learned]

{{IPA|/zda/}}|filename4=Ps-ننګ.oga|title4=/ŋɡ/|description4=ننګ

[honor]

{{IPA|/naŋɡ/}}|filename5=لمونځ.ogg|title5=/lm/|description5=لمونځ

[prayer]

{{IPA|/lmund͡z/}}}}

An editedWith some corrected IPA for words mentioned therein . Sources of correction: Kaye (1997), Zeeya Pashtoon (2009) and Qamosona.com list from the book Pashto Phonology by M.K. Khan:{{Cite book|last=Khan|first=Muhammad Kamal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GEfhDwAAQBAJ&q=pashto&pg=PA18|title=Pashto Phonology: An Evaluation of the Relationship between Syllable Structure and Word Order|date=2020-04-08|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing|isbn=978-1-5275-4925-8|pages=56–57|language=en}}

Most dialects in Pashto have seven vowels and seven diphthongs.{{sfnp|David|2014|p=11}}

• Tegey & Robson (1996) also include near-close vowels /{{IPA link|ɪ}}/ and /{{IPA link|ʊ}}/.{{Sfnp|Tegey|Robson|1996|p=17}}

There are many complexities on the development from Proto-Iranian into the modern Pashto vowel inventory (romanization will be used here):{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/6502465|title=Selected Pashto Problems II. Historical Phonology 1: On Vocalism and Etyma|first=Johnny|last=Cheung|year=2011|journal=Iran and the Caucasus|volume=15 |issue=1-2|pages=169–205|doi=10.1163/157338411X12870596615557 }}

• *a > ā {{IPA|/ɑ/}} in a stressed closed syllable (lā́s < *jásta- "hand")
• ā > o before w (owə́ < *haftá) or if there is u or w in the next syllable (pox < *paxwá-); sometimes also in adjectives (corb < *čarpá)

Elfenbein notes that the long diphthongs [{{IPA|ɑi}}, {{IPA|ɑw}}] are always stressed, whilst the short diphthongs may or may not be stressed.{{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|p=751}}{{Listen|type=speech|filename2=سيلۍ.ogg|filename7=Ps-duɪ.wav|title7=وی - uɪ|description6=لوی

[loɪ]

big|filename6=Ps-loɪ.wav|title6=وی - oɪ|description5=نياو

[njɑw]

justice|filename=School-Pashto-3.ogg|title=ی - aɪ|description=ښوونځی

[xo.wən.ˈzaɪ]

school|title2=ۍ - əɪ|title3=او - aw|description2=سيلۍ

[si.ˈləɪ]

wind|header=Diphthongs|filename3=Ps-او.oga|description3=او

[aw]

and|filename4=Ps-چای.oga|title4=ای - ɑɪ|description4=چای

[t͡ʃɑɪ]

tea|filename5=Nyaw.ogg|title5=او- ɑw|description7=دوی

[duɪ]

they}}

Pashto has phonemic variable stress,{{Cite book|last=Bečka|first=Jiří|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FeULAAAAIAAJ|title=A Study in Pashto Stress|date=1969|publisher=Academia|language=en}} unique amongst Iranian languages.{{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|p=737}}

For instance, in verbs to distinguish aspect:

{{Listen|filename=Ps-stress-perfective-impperfective.wav|title=کښېناستم - Stress to Distinguish Aspect|description=First pronunciation: imperfective aspect with final stress [ә́m],

Second pronunciation: perfective aspect with initial stress on prefix [ké]|format=Wav}}

Stress is indicated by the IPA stress marker [ˈ].

In general, the last syllable is stressed if the word ends in a consonant and the penultimate syllable is stressed if the last syllable ends in a vowel.{{sfnp|Tegey|Robson|1996|p=25}}

These have final stress generally.{{Cite book|last=David|first=Anne Boyle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_4UFCgAAQBAJ|title=Descriptive Grammar of Bangla|date=2015-06-16|publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG|isbn=978-1-5015-0083-1|pages=56 and 109|language=de}}

These end in a stress /o/.{{sfnp|Tegey|Robson|1996|p=56}}{{sfnp|David|2014|p=68}}

Words ending in IPA /ɑ/ i.e. ا are stressed in the last syllable.

{{Listen|filename=Ps-Stress.wav|title=Pronunciation: jóṛa [well], joṛá [pair]; áspa [mare], aspá [spotted fever]|description=Recording of a native speaker demonstrating the differences in words caused by stress|format=Wav}}Word meanings also change upon stress.

{{Listen|type=speech|header=Pashto Intonation Examples|filename=Interogative_Word_Pashto.wav|title=Question formed by using Interrogative Words|description=Where do you work ? - hat pattern intonation|filename2=Pashto Intonation Question.wav|title2=Question formed by use of Intonation|description2=They reap the wheat ? - rising intonation|filename3=Pashto Contrastive Focus.wav|title3=Contrastive Focus Statement|description3=No, I am younger than him - Low-High-Low}}WH-Questions [who, where, when etc] follow a hat pattern of intonation: a rise in pitch followed by a fall in pitch.{{Cite journal|title=Pashto Intonation Patterns|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319184989|journal=Interspeech 2017}}

: تاسو چېرته کار کوئ

: [ tā́so ↗čérta kār kawə́ɪ↘ ]

Yes/No-Questions end in a high intonation: a rise in pitch.

: غنم يې ورېبل ؟

: [ ğanə́m ye wә́rebəl↗ ]

When a word is contrasted with another word it carries a low then high pitch accent, followed by a sharp fall in pitch accent.

: نه له د نه کشر يم

: [ na↘ lə ↗də nə kə́shər yə́m↘ ]

This diagram is based on Anna Boyle's division of the dialect variations on geographic regions:{{sfnp|David|2014|pp=31–34}}

This diagram however does not factor in the regional variations within the broad geographic areas. Compare the following consonant and vowel differences amongst regions categorised as Northern dialects:{{sfn|Coyle|2014}}{{Listen|header=ښه يمه - in Northern Dialects|description2={{IPA|/xə ˈjə.ma/}}|title2=North Eastern|filename2=Ps-ښه يمه.wav|description={{IPA|/çə ˈjə.ma/}}|title=North Western|filename=Pashto Dialects-(AudioTrimmer.com)-(AudioTrimmer.com).ogg}}

Or the difference in vowels and diphthongs in North Eastern Pashto:

Rozi Khan Burki claims that the Ormuri alveolo-palatal fricative /{{IPA link|ɕ}}/ and /{{IPA link|ʑ}}/ may also be present in Waziri.{{Cite journal|date=December 2001|title=Dying Languages: Special Focus on Ormuri|url=http://www.khyber.org/publications/016-020/ormuri.shtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903184433/http://www.khyber.org/publications/016-020/ormuri.shtml|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 3, 2012|journal=Pakistan Journal of Public Administration|volume=6. No. 2}} But Pashto linguists such as Josef Elfenbein, Anna Boyle or Yousaf Khan Jazab have not noted this in Waziri Phonology.{{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|pages=740–749}}{{sfnp|David|2014|pp=37–40}}{{sfnp|Jazab|2017|pp=69–70}}

{{Listen|type=speech|header=Waziri Vowels|description={{IPA|/ˈpœr.ta/}}|title=œ|filename=Ps-pœrta.wav|filename2=Ps-dəpɔra.wav|description2={{IPA|/də.ˈpɔː.ra/}}|title2=ɔ|title3=ɒ|description3={{IPA|/bjɒː/}}|filename3=Ps-byɒ.wav}}

Corey Miller notes that the shift does not affect all words.{{Cite journal|last=Miller|first=Corey|date=2014-05-12|title=The Waziri Chain Shift|url=https://brill.com/view/journals/jps/7/1/article-p124_6.xml|journal=Journal of Persianate Studies|language=en|volume=7|issue=1|pages=125|doi=10.1163/18747167-12341267|issn=1874-7167|via=}}

In Waziri dialect the {{IPAblink|ɑ}} in Standard Pashto becomes {{IPAblink|ɔː}} in Northern Waziri and {{IPAblink|ɒː}} in Southern Waziri.{{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|p=748}}

In Waziri dialect the stressed {{IPAblink|o}} in Standard Pashto becomes {{IPAblink|œː}} and {{IPAblink|ɛː}}. The {{IPAblink|o}} in Standard Pashto may also become {{IPA|[jɛ]}} or {{IPA|[wɛː]}}. {{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|p=748}}

In Waziri dialect the stressed {{IPAblink|u}} in standard Pashto becomes {{IPAblink|iː}}. {{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|p=749}}

When {{IPAblink|u}} in begins a word in standard Pashto can become {{IPAblink|jiː}} or [w{{IPAblink|ɛ}}]

Elfenbein also notes the presence of the near-open vowel [æ].{{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|page=746}}

{{Listen|type=speech|header=Apridi Vowel|description={{IPA|/ˈpɵr.ta/}}|title=ɵ|filename=Ps-apridi-dialect-پورته.wav}}

Apridi has the additional close-mid central rounded vowel /ɵ/.{{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|pp=740; 750–751}}

The diphthongs varies according to dialect.{{sfnp|Elfenbein|1997|pp=751–753}}

Yousaf Khan Jazab notes that the diphthong /{{IPA|əɪ}}/ becomes /{{IPA|oi}}/ in the Khattak Dialect in the verbal suffix /ئ/,{{sfnp|Jazab|2020|pages=187–188}} but it remains as the diphthong /{{IPA|əɪ}}/ in the nominal/adjectival /ۍ/ example: مړۍ /ma.ˈɽəɪ/ "meal".{{sfnp|Jazab|2017|p=65}}

{{Listen|type=speech|header=Nasalisation in Marwat Dialect|description2={{IPA|/ha.ˈɡəɪ/}}|title2=Egg - Yusapzai [Not nasalised]|filename2=هګۍ.ogg|description={{IPA|/ãŋɡ.ˈəɪ/}}|title=Egg - Marwat [Nasalised]|filename=انګۍ.ogg}}{{See also|Wanetsi#Nasalisation}}

As noted by Yousaf Khan Jazab, the Marwat dialect and the Bansiwola dialect have nasalised vowels also.{{sfnp|Jazab|2017|pp=60–61}} It is also noted in the Waṇetsi/Tarin dialect.

These are indicated by the diactric mark / ̃ /.

{{Reflist|group=note}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite thesis|last=Coyle|first=Dennis|type=MA|date=2014-01-01|title=Placing Wardak Among Pashto Varieties|url=https://commons.und.edu/theses/1635|publisher=University of North Dakota}}
• {{cite book

|last=David

|first=Anne Boyle

|year=2014

|title=Descriptive Grammar of Pashto and Its Dialects

|publisher=Walter de Gruyter

|isbn=978-1-61451-303-2

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zK7zMgEACAAJ

|language=en

}}

• {{cite encyclopedia

|last=Elfenbein

|first=Josef

|editor-last=Kaye

|editor-first=Alan S.

|year=1997

|title=Pashto Phonology

|encyclopedia=Phonologies of Asia and Africa: Including the Caucasus

|publisher=Eisenbrauns

|pages=733–760

|isbn=978-1-57506-019-4

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6jmziooEk0C

}}

• {{Cite book|last=Jazab|first=Yousaf Khan|title=An Ethno-Linguistic Study of the Karlanri Varieties of Pashto|publisher=Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar|year=2017|oclc=1001287442|isbn=9789694181004|pages=69–70}}
• {{Cite journal|last=Jazab|first=Yousaf Khan|date=2020-09-19|title=A Diphthong Related Issue in Pashto Script and Its Solution|url=http://pashto.org.pk/index.php/path/article/view/117|journal=Pashto|language=en|volume=49|issue=659|issn=0555-8158}}
• {{cite book

|last1=Tegey

|first1=Habibullah

|last2=Robson

|first2=Barbara

|year=1996

|title=A Reference Grammar of Pashto

|publisher=Center for Applied Linguistics

|location=Washington, D.C.

|url=http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED399825.pdf

}}

{{refend}}

{{Language phonologies}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pashto Phonology}}

Category:Pashto

Category:Iranian phonologies