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Pashto pronunciation clarifications

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  • Pashto pronunciation clarifications

    السلام عليكم

    1) I heard that, in informal speech :

    ف (f) is pronounced as پ (p)
    :: فصل pronounced as pásǝl (crop)

    ق (q) is pronounced as ک (k)
    :: اتفاق ponounced as itipáák (unity)

    ح (H) is not pronounced
    :: حکومت pronounced as ukuumát (government)

    ع (') is not pronounced
    :: عام pronounced as aam (public)

    Mainly because all of these sounds are not native Pashto/Pakhto sounds.

    Is it correct?

    ---

    2) The vowel /a/ is often pronounced as /ǝ/ in unstressed syllabes.

    Is it correct?

    ---

    3) In all dialects, but particularly the western dialect, /e/ and /o/ frequently become /i/ and /u/ respectively if a following vowel is /i/ o /u/. For example, کيږم kégǝm 'I do' as opposed to کيږی kégi/kígi 'he does'.

    Is it correct?

    ---

    4) /i/, /o/, /e/ and /u/ never occur at the beginnings of native Pashto/Pakhto words, but at the beginnings of borrowed words only, for example اېجنسۍ eyjanséy 'agency'.

    Is it correct?

    ---

    5) /ey/ is written as ې (as in English 'play')
    :: ګرېوان is pronounced greywáán (placket)

    /ǝy/ is written as ۍ and ئ
    :: ژۍ is pronounced zhǝy (edge)
    :: ياستئ is pronounced yáástǝy (you all are)

    /ay/, /áy/ or /ááy/ is written as ی or ي or اي or ای
    :: اخستونکی is pronounced akhistuunkay (buyer)
    :: اوړی is pronounced woṛay (summer)
    :: خدای is pronounced khwdááy (God)
    :: برياليتوب is pronounced baryaalaytób (success)

    /uy/ is written وی (as in English 'phooey')
    :: بوی is pronounced buy (small)
    :: دوی is pronounced duy (they)

    /aw/ is written و or او (as in English 'bow')
    :: او is pronounced aw (and)
    :: پوځ is pronounced pawdz (army)

    Of course, the diphtong sounds depend on the short vowels (tashkiil) involved.

    Is it correct?

    ---

    6) Basically, ښ is pronounced retroflex /sh/ in south, and /kh/ in north. And ځ is pronounced /dz/ in south, and /z/ in north.
    ښځه (woman) is pronounced kheza or shedza. And nobody would say khedza? or even sheza?

    Is it correct?

    ---

    7) About dialectal differences :

    ښ - north : /kh/ | south : retroflex /sh/
    ځ - north : /z/ | south : /dz/
    ئ - north : /è/ | south : /ay/
    ږ - north : /g/ | south : wet /j/ (same as ژ)

    Is it correct?

    ----

    بارك الله فيكم

  • #2
    meerabaani, this is perfect!

    Comment


    • #3
      also, i wanted to know if there is a Standard Pashto that everyone knows. Like in Arabic, there is the Modern Standard Arabic which is learned in school and everyone can understand (if they had the education) but they won't use it with friends and family. They will use dialects instead like Shaami, Mi9ri, Maghrebi, etc.

      So if I learn Pashto from books etc is it very different to the real spoken Pashto?

      Comment

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