Pashto, Northern

A language of Pakistan

Pakhto, Pashtu, Pushto, Yousafzai Pashto, Yusufzai Pashto

پښتو‎ (Pashto)

24,300,000 in Pakistan (2017 census). Ethnic population: Possibly 49,600,000 Pashto in all countries. Total users in all countries: 30,172,800 (as L1: 28,812,800; as L2: 1,360,000).

Location

Khyber Pakhtunkwa province: Peshawar district and Yusufzai area; Punjab province: Mianwali district; all along Afghanistan border.

Language Maps

5* (Developing).

Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern, Southeastern, Pashto

Dialects

Ningraharian Pashto, Northeastern Pashto, Eastern Afghan Pashto. Much similarity with Northwestern Pashto in Afghanistan. Subdialects of Northeastern Pashto are Kohat (Khatak), Yusufzai (Peshawar), Afridi, Shinwari, Mohmand, Shilmani. Lexical similarity: 80% between Northeastern and Southwestern Pashto. A member of macrolanguage Pushto [pus].

Typology

SOV; noun head final; gender (masculine/feminine); no articles; case-marking (3 cases); verb affixes mark person, number, gender of subject; passives; tense and aspect; causatives.

Language Use

Rich literary tradition. The Powinda are a nomadic Pashto-speaking group. Used as L2 by Dameli [dml], Dari [prs], Gawar-Bati [gwt], Gawri [gwc], Indus Kohistani [mvy], Kalkoti [xka], Kamviri [xvi], Kati [bsh], Khowar [khw], Mankiyali [nlm], Palula [phl], Sarikoli [srh], Southern Hindko [hnd], Torwali [trw], Ushojo [ush].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: Low. Taught as subject in all primary schools. Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 2019.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Pashto, Northern

Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], primary usage. Arabic script, Nastaliq variant [Aran].

Other Comments

Muslim.

Also spoken in:

Expand All

Collapse All

Afghanistan

Language NamePashto, Northern

User Population

5,190,000 in Afghanistan, all users. L1 users: 3,830,000 in Afghanistan (2017), increasing. L2 users: 1,360,000 (2021).

Location

Nangarhar province and surrounding regions; scattered.

Alternate Names

Afghan, Eastern Afghan Pashto, Northwestern Pakhto, Pakhtoon, Pakhtun, Paktu, Pashtoon, Sharqi

Dialects

Ghilzai, Khogyani.

Language Status

3 (Wider communication).

Language Use

Pashto is 1 of 2 national languages taught in schools. Ghilzai are nomadic, 24% of the Pashto population. All domains. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Dari [prs], in some communities, and educated people in all communities. Used as L2 by Ashkun [ask], Kamviri [xvi], Northeast Pashai [aee], Northwest Pashai [glh], Shumashti [sts], Southeast Pashai [psi], Southwest Pashai [psh], Tregami [trm], Waigali [wbk].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 5%–10%. Literacy rate in L2: 15%–25%. Taught in all primary and secondary schools in predominantly Pashto-speaking regions; taught as subject in primary schools in some other regions.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Pashto clans include: Mohmandi, Ghilzai, Durani, Yusufzai, Afridi, Kandahari (Qandahari), Waziri, Chinwari (Shinwari), Mangal, and Wenetsi. Muslim.

View other languages of Afghanistan

Australia

Language NamePashto, Northern

User Population

9,230 in Australia (2016 census). Census does not distinguish between Central Pashto [pst], Northern Pashto [pbu] and Southern Pashto [pbt].

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Australia

Canada

Language NamePashto, Northern

User Population

16,900 in Canada (2016 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Canada

India

Language NamePashto, Northern

User Population

21,700 in India (2011 census).

Location

Punjab state: Pathankot; Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir states: where the 3 states meet in southwest Kashmir valley; Kupwara district, Changnar and Dhakki villages; Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra states; New Delhi; Uttar Pradesh: Rampur district.

Language Status

6b* (Threatened).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of India

New Zealand

Language NamePashto, Northern

User Population

1,270 in New Zealand (2013 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of New Zealand

Saudi Arabia

Language NamePashto, Northern

User Population

197,000 in Saudi Arabia (2020).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Saudi Arabia

Turkmenistan

Language NamePashto, Northern

User Population

9,900 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b), based on ethnicity.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Turkmenistan

United Arab Emirates

Language NamePashto, Northern

User Population

404,000 in United Arab Emirates (2020).

Location

Scattered.

Alternate Names

Pakhtoo, Pashtu, Passtoo, Pushto, Pusto

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Came from Pakistan. Muslim.

View other languages of United Arab Emirates

United States

Language NamePashto, Northern

User Population

22,800 in United States (2015 census). Census does not distinguish between Central Pashto [pst], Northern Pashto [pbu] and Southern Pashto [pbt].

Location

Arizona; California; Colorado; Georgia; Illinois; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Texas; Utah; Virginia; Washington.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Language Use

Many also use English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of United States

Pashto, Northern

Primary tabs

A language of Pakistan

Also spoken in:

Browse by

25th Edition

Products

Related Sites