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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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More information Labial, Dental/ alveolar ...

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.

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]

More information Examples ...

Examples

An edited[note 1] list from the book Pashto Phonology by M.K. Khan:[8]

More information IPA, Meaning ...
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Vowels

Most dialects in Pashto have seven vowels and seven diphthongs.[9]

More information Front, Central ...
  • Tegey & Robson (1996) also include near-close vowels /ɪ/ and /ʊ/.[10]

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

More information Front, Central ...

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

More information Initial, Medial ...
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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:

More information Verb - Imperfective (mostly Final Stress), Meaning ...

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]

More information Example, IPA ...

Masculine Words ending in "ə"

These have final stress generally.[15]

More information Example, IPA ...

Feminine Words ending in "o"

These end in a stressed /o/.[16][17]

More information Example, IPA ...

Wordings ending in Aleph

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

More information Example, IPA ...

Exceptions

Word meanings also change upon stress.

More information Word, IPA: following general stress pattern [penultimate syllable] ...
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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]

More information Dialect, ښ ...

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]

More information Northern Dialects, Meaning ...

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

More information Meaning, Swat ...

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

More information Front, Central ...
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]

More information Meaning, Standard Pashto ...

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]

More information Meaning, Standard Pashto ...

In Waziri dialect the stressed [u] in standard Pashto becomes []. [27]

More information Meaning, Standard Pashto ...

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

More information Meaning, Standard Pashto ...

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]

More information Standard Pronunciation, Apridi ...

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 / ̃ /.

More information Standard Pronunciation, Marwat ...
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Notes

  1. 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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