Central Pashto

Central Pashto (Pashto: منځنۍ پښتو, romanized: Manźanəi Pax̌to) 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.^[2][3] These dialects are affected by what Ibrahim Khan terms as "the Great Karlāṇ Vowel Shift".^[4]

Here is a comparison of Middle Dialects with South Eastern:

Daniel Septfonds provides the following example:^[7]

In Źadrāṇi, a vowel shift like Waziri has been noted:^[8]

• Apridi

Afridi/Apridi is also categorised as a Northern Phonology.^[9]

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:^[10]

• The [a] in Pashto can become [ɑ] and also [e] in Apridi:

• The [ɑ] in Pashto can become [ɒː] in Apridi:

• The [o] in Pashto can becomes [ɵ] in Apridi:

• The [u] in Pashto can becomes [i] in Apridi:

Naseem Khan Naseem provides the following list:^[11]

The following difference can be noticed in pronunciation:

The following is an example from Central Kurram agency; where a change in /ɑ/ to /ɔ/ can be seen:

In Waziri Pashto there is also a vowel shift

In Waziri dialect the [ɑ] in most other dialects of Pashto becomes [ɔː] in Northern Waziri and [ɒː] in Southern Waziri.^[14]

In Waziri dialect the stressed [o] in most other dialects of Pashto becomes [œː] and [ɛː]. The [o] in general Pashto may also become [jɛ] or [wɛː]. ^[14]

In Waziri dialect the stressed [u] in general Pashto becomes [iː]. ^[15]

When [u] in begins a word in general Pashto can become [wiː], [jiː] or [w[ɛ]]

A change is noticed:^[16]

The Khattak dialect, as deduced by Yusuf Khan Jazab in contrast to non-Karāṇi dialects differentiates lexemes in term of vowel lengthening.^[17]

Example: between /e/ and /eː/ - transcribed as "e" and "ē" respectively to indicated the distinction.

The following words which are rare in Kandhari and Yusapzai Pashto, were noted by Yousaf Khan Jazab in the Khattak dialect:^[18]

In the Bannu dialect the nasalisation of vowels has been noted , as mentioned by Yousuf Khan Jazab:^[19]

As with other dialects stress on a particular syllable can also change the meaning of a word or aspect of the verb.^[20]

• Jazab, Yousaf Khan. An Ethno-Linguistic Study of the Karlanri Varieties of Pashto. Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar. p. 62.
• Kaye, Alan S. (1997-06-30). Phonologies of Asia and Africa: (including the Caucasus). Eisenbrauns. ISBN 978-1-57506-019-4.
• Septfonds, Daniel (1994). Le dzadrâni: un parler pashto du Paktyâ (Afghanistan) (in French). I. Peeters. ISBN 978-2-908322-16-3.