Pashto Language

Pashto Language

Pashto (پښتو, Pax̌to, ; alternatively spelled Pakhto or Pushto), also known as Afghani or Pathani, is the native language of the Pashtun people of South-Central Asia. Pashto is a member of the Eastern Iranian languages group, and is descended from Avestan, the oldest preserved Iranian language. Pashto is spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as among the Pashtun diaspora around the world.

Pashto belongs to the Northeastern Iranic branch of the Indo-Iranian language family, although Ethnologue lists it as Southeastern Iranian. The number of Pashtuns or Pashto-speakers is estimated 50-60 million people worldwide. Pashto is one of the two official languages of Afghanistan (the other being Dari Persian), and a regional language in western and northwestern Pakistan.

Read more about Pashto Language:  Geographic Distribution, History, Grammar, Vocabulary, Writing System, Dialects, Literature

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