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Pashto phonology
Phonology of the Pashto language From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Amongst the Iranian languages, the phonology of Pashto is of middle complexity,[quantify] but its morphology is very complex.[1]
Consonants
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The phonemes /q/, /f/ are only found in loanwords, and tend to be replaced by /k/, /p/ respectively. Some educated speakers may also have /ʔ, ʕ, ħ/ in Arabic loanwords.
- Voiceless stops and affricates /p, t, ʈ, t͡s, t͡ʃ, k/ are all unaspirated; they have slightly aspirated allophones prevocalically in a stressed syllable, almost like English.
- /ʂ, ʐ/ are heard as palatal fricatives [ç, ʝ] [3] in the Northwestern dialect.[4]
- /ɽ/ is a voiced retroflex flap most of the time, but tends to be a lateral flap [𝼈] at the beginning of a syllable or other prosodic unit, and a regular flap or approximant [ɻ] elsewhere.[5][6]
Dialects
Dialectal allophones represented by ښ and ږ. The retroflex variants [ʂ, ʐ] are used in the Southwest dialects whereas the post-alveolar variants [ʃ, ʒ] are used in Southeast Dialects. The palatal variants [ç, ʝ] are used in the Wardak and Central Ghilji dialects. In the North Eastern dialects ښ and ږ merge with the velar [x, g].
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Phonotactics
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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 (/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
Consonant clusters
Pashto has a lot of word-initial consonant clusters in all dialects; some hundred such clusters occurs. However, there is no consonant gemination.[7]
Examples
An edited[note 1] list from the book Pashto Phonology by M.K. Khan:[8]
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Vowels
Most dialects in Pashto have seven vowels and seven diphthongs.[9]
Prehistory
There are many complexities on the development from Proto-Iranian into the modern Pashto vowel inventory (romanization will be used here):[11]
- *a > ā /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)
Diphthongs
Elfenbein notes that the long diphthongs [ɑi, ɑw] are always stressed, whilst the short diphthongs may or may not be stressed.[12]
Orthography of diphthongs
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Stress
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Pashto has phonemic variable stress,[13] unique amongst Iranian languages.[7]
For instance, in verbs to distinguish aspect:
Basic word stress
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.[14]
Masculine Words ending in "ə"
These have final stress generally.[15]
Feminine Words ending in "o"
These end in a stressed /o/.[16][17]
Wordings ending in Aleph
Words ending in IPA /ɑ/ i.e. ا are stressed in the last syllable.
Exceptions
Word meanings also change upon stress.
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Intonation
Questions
WH-Questions [who, where, when etc] follow a hat pattern of intonation: a rise in pitch followed by a fall in pitch.[18]
- 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↗ ]
Contrastive focus
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↘ ]
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Dialectal phonology
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Consonants
This diagram is based on Anna Boyle's division of the dialect variations on geographic regions:[19]
Regional Variation
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:[20]
Or the difference in vowels and diphthongs in North Eastern Pashto:
Alveolo-palatal fricative
Rozi Khan Burki claims that the Ormuri alveolo-palatal fricative /ɕ/ and /ʑ/ may also be present in Waziri.[21] But Pashto linguists such as Josef Elfenbein, Anna Boyle or Yousaf Khan Jazab have not noted this in Waziri Phonology.[22][23][24]
Vowels
Waziri vowels
The Vowel Shift
Corey Miller notes that the shift does not affect all words.[25]
In Waziri dialect the [ɑ] in Standard Pashto becomes [ɔː] in Northern Waziri and [ɒː] in Southern Waziri.[26]
In Waziri dialect the stressed [o] in Standard Pashto becomes [œː] and [ɛː]. The [o] in Standard Pashto may also become [jɛ] or [wɛː]. [26]
In Waziri dialect the stressed [u] in standard Pashto becomes [iː]. [27]
When [u] in begins a word in standard Pashto can become [jiː] or [w[ɛ]]
Elfenbein also notes the presence of the near-open vowel [æ].[28]
Apridi vowels
Apridi has the additional close-mid central rounded vowel /ɵ/.[29]
Diphthongs in dialects
The diphthongs varies according to dialect.[30]
Yousaf Khan Jazab notes that the diphthong /əɪ/ becomes /oi/ in the Khattak Dialect in the verbal suffix /ئ/,[34] but it remains as the diphthong /əɪ/ in the nominal/adjectival /ۍ/ example: مړۍ /ma.ˈɽəɪ/ "meal".[35]
Nasalisation of vowels
As noted by Yousaf Khan Jazab, the Marwat dialect and the Bansiwola dialect have nasalised vowels also.[36] It is also noted in the Waṇetsi/Tarin dialect.
These are indicated by the diactric mark / ̃ /.
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Notes
- With some corrected IPA for words mentioned therein . Sources of correction: Kaye (1997), Zeeya Pashtoon (2009) and Qamosona.com
References
Bibliography
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