Malakand University Research Journal of Pashto (Palatana) ISSN:2304-1463

Expression of the Cultural Symbols in the Wanitsi Accent of Pashto Langauge

Muhammad Fazal Farhad — 2026-01-12

As collective creative act, Culture is known as a complex whole that shapes the worldviews, value systems, socio-economic relations and belief of the people. The pre-modern cultural manifestations unfold diverse meanings, symbols, values, colors, tastes, histories, beliefs, and rituals. The folklore is one of the key sources that preserves and promotes the cultural and social traditions, rituals, histories and memories of the traditional societies. In the course of history, Pashtun culture has evolved diverse tangible and intangible cultural repositories which are stemmed in the oral tradition. Folklore is one of the most candid and pervasive sources of accumulating the collective memories of people. This paper trace back the manifestation of the “symbols” in the folkloric genres of Wanitsi-Tarino as distinct Pashto dialect spoken in the district Harnai and parts of the district Ziarat. The researchers have strived to analyze the presentation, meaning, common people in the folkloric expressions.

Pashtun Culture and Folklore in Bacha Khan’s book “ZAMA JWAND AW JADO JEHD”

Paghunda Mukhtiar — 2026-01-24

The Culture and Folklore of Pashtuns has its own charm and characteristics Pashtun culture is very rich and diverse heritage shaped by centuries of history, tradition and Islamic beliefs.Pashto folklore represents the distinct Pashtun Culture and characteristics of Pashtun men and women Pashto folklore is a rich oral tradition that includes song, tales, mataluna, riddle, tappa, and poetry. Bacha khan shown in his book “Zma Jwand Aw Jado Jehd” that how highlighting to unite Pashtuns for freedom, their customs traditions, education. He is a true nationalist that why mentioned all the cultural and folkloric stories of Pashtun life in his book.. He was deeply aware of the power of his people's oral tradition.

Tracing a Millennia-Old Voice: Periodizing the Evolution of Pashto Literature

Muhammad Ali Dinakhel — 2026-01-24

Pashto, a language with an ancient and rich literary heritage, traces its roots deep into folklore and oral traditions. Despite its long-standing history, the absence of adequate documentary evidence has compressed what is believed to be a millennia-old literary trajectory into only a few centuries. Scholarly efforts to categorize the evolution of Pashto literature have generally divided it into five distinct periods. The first spans from 756 to 1494 AD, followed by a second phase from 1550 to 1650 AD, marking significant early literary consolidation. The third period, extending from 1650 to 1900 AD, encompasses major linguistic and poetic developments, while the fourth era, from 1901 to 2000 AD, reflects modern literary transformations. The fifth and ongoing period, beginning in 2001, represents contemporary trends shaped by globalization, conflict, and digital communication. This briefly paper explores these periods to offer a structured understanding of Pashto’s literary evolution and to highlight the gaps created by limited historical documentation.

Place of Dawarwala, Orakzai and Bangash Dialects in the Classification of Pashto’s Dialects Groups

Muhammad Tahir Khan (Tahir Dawar) — 2026-05-14

Linguists have divided the Pashto language into five groups of dialects. These include classifications into two groups, three groups, four groups, and five groups. The division into two groups is based on phonetic features, particularly the sounds /ž/ (ʒ), /ẓ̌/ (ɀ), /ṣ̌/ (ȿ), and /š/ (ʃ). On this basis, the dialects are categorized as Kandahari or Khattak and Yusufzai or Peshawari. The three-group classification is made geographically within Afghanistan, consisting of the Western (Kandahari), Central (Kabuli), and Eastern (Nangarhari) dialects. The four-group classification is also based on geography, dividing the dialects into Southwestern, Southeastern, Northwestern, and Northeastern regions. The five-group classification includes is called the Central or Middle dialect, which, in addition to Afghanistan, is spoken in the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, including North Waziristan, South Waziristan (Wana), Bannu, and Karak.

The Dawar, Orakzai, and Bangash dialects can also be classified on both phonetic and regional bases. The Dawari dialect shares phonetic features of the Kandahari or Khattak dialect, such as the sounds /ž/ (ʒ) and /š/ (ʃ). Meanwhile, the Orakzai and Bangash dialects share phonetic characteristics with both the Kandahari or Khattak and Yusufzai or Peshawari dialects, including /ž/ (ʒ), /š/ (ʃ), /ẓ̌/ (ɀ), and /ṣ̌/ (ȿ). For this reason, Orakzai and Bangash dialects can specifically be referred to as a “transitional group,” as they are relatively Karlani in tribal classification, and linguistically they represent a semi-Kandahari or Khattak and semi-Yusufzai or Peshawari dialect. Therefore, they cannot be fully placed either in the Kandahari or Khattak dialect group or in the Yusufzai or Peshawari dialect group.

A Brief Review of the Phonetic and Phonological Sounds of Pashto Language

Dr. Ayat Ullah Khan Wazir — 2026-06-02

Pashto has a rich and systematic sound structure. The sounds of Pashto are divided into four main categories: Vowels, Consonants, Semi vowels And Dipthongs: Vowels are produced without obstruction of airflows, while consonants are produced with partial or complete obstruction. Pashto vowels include short, longs and a central vowel, which play an important role in meaning distinction. Pashto consonants include voiced and vocals sounds, as well as aspirated and unaspirated forms. These sounds help form words and distinguish meaning in Pashto, making the sound system an essential part of the language.