Waziri language
Encyclopedia
WaziriWaziri ( is a dialect of Pashto
spoken in Waziristan
, and the neighbouring Afghan provinces of Khost
, Paktia and Paktika.
The Wazir dialect, referred to as "Wazirwola" (Pashto: وزیر واله Wazīr wāla, meaning "of the Wazirs" or "from the Wazirs") by its speakers, is almost identical to the
dialect of Bannu
, and somewhat resembles the Khattak
dialect of Karak.
The dialects of Greater Paktia are also very closely related, except that they are of the hard/northern variety.(See Pashto dialects
)
It differs significantly in pronunciation and grammar from the standard literary Pashto based on the larger Kandahar
and Peshawar
dialects. The vowels [a], [ɑ], [u] and [o] of standard Pashto become [ɑ], [o]/[u], [i] and [e] in the Waziri dialect, so Pashto [paʂto] becomes [pɑɕte]. (Studies show that the a-o transition is a common phenomenon in the dialects of most Karlani tribes.) Another feature of Waziri is that the phonemes [ʃ] and [ʂ], along with their voiced counterparts, [ʒ] and [ʐ], have merged into [ɕ] and [ʑ] respectively.
The standard Pashto words for moon, "سپوږمۍ" and month, "میشت", pronounced [spoʐməi] or [spogməi] and [mjast̪] or [mjaʃt̪], respectively, are used somewhat interchangeably in Waziri as [speʑməi] and [mjɑɕt̪]. This not unique to Waziri, however. The standard Pashto word for "boy", "هلک" [halək], is rarely heard in Waziri, instead, "ووړکی" [weɻkai] meaning "little one" is used.
The word "lashki" [ləɕki] is used instead of the standard "لږ" [ləʐ] or [ləg], "a little bit".
The pronoun "موږ" or "مونږ" [muʐ] or [muŋg], meaning "we" or "us" is pronounced [miʑ] in Waziri.
Waziri, like many other obscure Pashto dialects, is almost never written and most speakers use standard Pashto as a literary language. Since Waziri Pashto is spoken by many different tribes, it may also be called "Maseedwola" by the Mahsuds or "Dawarwola" by the Dawari
. There are slight differences in pronunciation, for example, the phonemes [t͡s] and [d͡z] can become [s] and [z], or even [t͡ʃ] and [d͡ʒ] depending on the tribe or area the speaker is from.
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
spoken in Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
, and the neighbouring Afghan provinces of Khost
Khost
Khost or Khowst is a city in eastern Afghanistan. It is the capital of Khost province, which is a mountainous region near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan...
, Paktia and Paktika.
The Wazir dialect, referred to as "Wazirwola" (Pashto: وزیر واله Wazīr wāla, meaning "of the Wazirs" or "from the Wazirs") by its speakers, is almost identical to the
dialect of Bannu
Bannu
Bannu is the principal city of the Bannu District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is an important road junction and market city. Bannu is a very old city, founded in ancient times; however, the present location of the downtown Bannu was founded by Sir Herbert Edwardes in 1848,...
, and somewhat resembles the Khattak
Khattak
Khattak or Khatak , is the name of an Afghan tribe. speaking a variant of the Kandahari Pashto. They are accorded the status of being one of the original and true Afghans. The tribe is settled along the western bank of the river Indus from as north upwards as Sammah; modern day Lund Khwar & Sher...
dialect of Karak.
The dialects of Greater Paktia are also very closely related, except that they are of the hard/northern variety.(See Pashto dialects
Pashto dialects
Pashto has many accents as a consequence of life in areas of rugged terrain and other historic and linguistic reasons. The two main dialects are soft or southern accent and hard or northern dialect. The dividing line passes through southern Paktika, with the harder "" spoken north of the line, and...
)
It differs significantly in pronunciation and grammar from the standard literary Pashto based on the larger Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
and Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
dialects. The vowels [a], [ɑ], [u] and [o] of standard Pashto become [ɑ], [o]/[u], [i] and [e] in the Waziri dialect, so Pashto [paʂto] becomes [pɑɕte]. (Studies show that the a-o transition is a common phenomenon in the dialects of most Karlani tribes.) Another feature of Waziri is that the phonemes [ʃ] and [ʂ], along with their voiced counterparts, [ʒ] and [ʐ], have merged into [ɕ] and [ʑ] respectively.
The standard Pashto words for moon, "سپوږمۍ" and month, "میشت", pronounced [spoʐməi] or [spogməi] and [mjast̪] or [mjaʃt̪], respectively, are used somewhat interchangeably in Waziri as [speʑməi] and [mjɑɕt̪]. This not unique to Waziri, however. The standard Pashto word for "boy", "هلک" [halək], is rarely heard in Waziri, instead, "ووړکی" [weɻkai] meaning "little one" is used.
The word "lashki" [ləɕki] is used instead of the standard "لږ" [ləʐ] or [ləg], "a little bit".
The pronoun "موږ" or "مونږ" [muʐ] or [muŋg], meaning "we" or "us" is pronounced [miʑ] in Waziri.
Waziri, like many other obscure Pashto dialects, is almost never written and most speakers use standard Pashto as a literary language. Since Waziri Pashto is spoken by many different tribes, it may also be called "Maseedwola" by the Mahsuds or "Dawarwola" by the Dawari
Dawari
The Dawari, or Dauri are a Pashtun tribe in the Waziristan area of Pakistan. The Dawaris inhabit the Tochi Valley, otherwise known as Dawar or Daur, and are a homogeneous tribe of considerable size.-History:...
. There are slight differences in pronunciation, for example, the phonemes [t͡s] and [d͡z] can become [s] and [z], or even [t͡ʃ] and [d͡ʒ] depending on the tribe or area the speaker is from.