# 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. These dialects are affected by what Ibrahim Khan terms as "the Great Karlāṇ Vowel Shift".
Here is a comparison of Middle Dialects with South Eastern:
| Central Dialects | ښ | ږ | څ | ځ | ژ |
| Waziri | ʃ | ʒ | t͡s | d͡z | ʒ |
| Dzadrāṇi | ç | ʝ | t͡s | d͡z | ʒ |
| Mahsudi | ʃ | ʒ | t͡s, s | d͡z, z | ʒ |

## Northern
### Zadrani

Daniel Septfonds provides the following example:
| | Sentence | Notes |
| Dzadrāṇi | دا يې تو په اورشو کې ميږ پروتۀ يي dā ye to pə oršó ke miʝ protə́ yi | The preposition يې is used instead of the د /də/ [د+تا=ستا] The first person plural يو changes to يي The "ā" can change into "o" as in تا and پراتۀ |
| Kandahar | دا ستا په ورشو کې موږ پراتۀ يو dā sta pə waršó ke muẓ̌ prātə́ yu | The preposition يې is used instead of the د /də/ [د+تا=ستا] The first person plural يو changes to يي The "ā" can change into "o" as in تا and پراتۀ |
| Meaning | On this meadow of yours, we are lying/located. | On this meadow of yours, we are lying/located. |

### Vowel Shift

In Źadrāṇi, a vowel shift like Waziri has been noted:
| Kandahar | Meaning | Zadrani | N.Wazirwola |
| هوښيار /huʂ.ˈjɑr/ huṣ̌yā́r | Intelligent | ox̌yór /oç.ˈjor/ | ošyór /ɔʃ.ˈjɔr/ |
| پياله /pjɑ.ˈla/ pyālá | Cup | pyolá, pyelá /pjo.ˈla/, /pjo.ˈla/ | pyolá /pjɔ.ˈla/ |
* Apridi
Afridi/Apridi is also categorised as a Northern Phonology.

#### Vowel Shift

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:
* The [a] in Pashto can become [ɑ] and also [e] in Apridi:
| Northeastern General IPA | Apridi IPA | Meaning |
| /las/ | /lɑs/ | ten |
| /ɣag/ | /ɣɑg/ | sound |
| /ʃpag/ | /ʃpeg/ | six |
| /wraz/ | /wrez/ | day |
* The [ɑ] in Pashto can become [ɒː] in Apridi:
| Northeastern General IPA | Apridi IPA | Meaning |
| /ˈban.d̪e/ | /ˈbɒːn.d̪e/ | upon |
* The [o] in Pashto can becomes [ɵ] in Apridi:
| Northeastern General IPA | Apridi IPA | Meaning |
| /mor/ | /mɵr/ | mother |
* The [u] in Pashto can becomes [i] in Apridi:
| Northeastern General IPA | Apridi IPA | Meaning |
| /u.ˈd̪ə/ | /wi.ˈd̪ə/ | asleep |

#### Lexical Comparison

Naseem Khan Naseem provides the following list:
| Apridi | Apridi | Yusapzai | Meaning |
| کالۀ kālə́ | کالۀ kālə́ | کور kor | house |
| خورxɵr | خورxɵr | خور xor | sister |
| مړييېmaṛíye | مړييېmaṛíye | ډوډۍ ḍoḍə́i | food |
| پلورplɒr | پلورplɒr | پلار plār | father |

#### Sample Text

The following difference can be noticed in pronunciation:
| Literary Pashto | Apridi Pashto | Yusapzai Pashto | Meaning |
| پورته شو بېل کښېناستۀ | pɵ́rta šo byel kenɒstó | pórta šo byal kenāstó | he went ahead, sat separately. |
| pórta šo bel kx̌enāstə́ | pɵ́rta šo byel kenɒstó | pórta šo byal kenāstó | he went ahead, sat separately. |

### Kurama

The following is an example from Central Kurram agency; where a change in /ɑ/ to /ɔ/ can be seen:
| Literary Pashto | Kurram Pashto | Meaning |
| هغه ددې نه ډېر بهتر و. خو چې اوس ړنګ شو خدای نه راغله. بس اوس موږ دې کښې ډېر خوشحاله يو | áğa da de na ḍer bextár u. xo če os ṛang šo xodai na rɔ́ ğla . bas os mug de ke ḍer xošɔ́la yu | That was much better than this. But now that it is destroyed it came from God. Now we are very happy in this; that's all. |
| háğa da de na ḍer behtár wə. xo če os ṛang šo xwdāi na rā́ ğla. bas os mug de kx̌e ḍer xošā́la yu. | áğa da de na ḍer bextár u. xo če os ṛang šo xodai na rɔ́ ğla . bas os mug de ke ḍer xošɔ́la yu | That was much better than this. But now that it is destroyed it came from God. Now we are very happy in this; that's all. |

## Southern
### Waziri
#### Vowel Shift

Meaning: to you
Meaning: then that which they
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.
| | Meaning | Standard Pashto | N.Wazirwola | S. Wazirwola |
| ماسته | yougurt | /mɑs.t̪əˈ/ | /mɔːs.ˈt̪ə/ | /mɒːs.ˈt̪ə/ |
| پاڼه | leaf | /pɑˈ.ɳa/ | /ˈpɔː.ɳjɛː/ | /ˈpɒː.ɳjɛː/ |
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].
| | Meaning | Standard Pashto | Wazirwola |
| لور | sickle | /lor/ | /lœːr/ |
| وړه | flour | /o.ɽəˈ/ | /ɛː.ˈɽə/ |
| اوږه | shoulder | /o.ɡaˈ/ | /jɛ.ˈʒa/ |
| اوس | now | /os/ | /wɛːs/ |
In Waziri dialect the stressed [u] in general Pashto becomes [iː].
| | Meaning | Standard Pashto | Wazirwola |
| موږ | we | /muɡ/ | /miːʒ/ |
| نوم | name | /num/ | /niːm/ |
When [u] in begins a word in general Pashto can become [wiː], [jiː] or [w[ɛ]]
| | Meaning | Standard Pashto | Wazirwola |
| اوم | raw | /um/ | /jiːm/ |
| اوږه | garlic | /ˈu.ɡa/ | /ˈwiː.ʒa/ |
| اوده | asleep | /u.ˈd̪ə/ | /wɜ.ˈd̪ə/ |

#### Diphthongs in Waziri

A change is noticed:
| Standard Pronunciation | Waziri |
| aɪ | aɪ |
| ˈaɪ | |
| ˈəɪ | ˈaɪ |
| oɪ | oːi œːi |
| uɪ | oˈjə |
| aw | |
| ɑi | |
| ɑw | |

### Khattak
#### Vowel Lengthening

The Khattak dialect, as deduced by Yusuf Khan Jazab in contrast to non-Karāṇi dialects differentiates lexemes in term of vowel lengthening.
Example: between /e/ and /eː/ - transcribed as "e" and "ē" respectively to indicated the distinction.
| | Khattak | Standard Pashto | Meaning |
| | de dē xabə́re | də de xabə́re | Of this talk |
| IPA | /d̪e d̪eː xa.ˈbə.re/ | /d̪ə d̪e xa.ˈbə.re/ | Of this talk |

#### Vocabulary

The following words which are rare in Kandhari and Yusapzai Pashto, were noted by Yousaf Khan Jazab in the Khattak dialect:
| Khattak | Khattak | Khattak | Meaning | Variety of Khattak Dialect |
| | Transliteration | Grammar | Meaning | Variety of Khattak Dialect |
| اول | awā́l | noun | Saturday | General |
| باګه | bā́ga | noun | knee band | Teri |
| بلابس | balābás | adjective | resourceful | General |
| بنجوڼې | banjóṇe | noun | small pieces of the stems of the gram plants | General |
| زبوله | zabóle | noun | small pieces of the stems of the gram plants | General |
| بانګړه | bā́ngṛa | noun | dance of men in a circle; attan | General |
| برېزار | barezā́r | noun | brunch time | General |
| چوشې | čóše | noun | thick threads for fastening sacs | General |
| دوړنه | doṛə́na | noun | mushrooms | General |
| دوړنګه | doṛə́nga | noun | mushrooms | General |
| درنګ | drang | noun | mine, deposit of minerals | General |
| اېتبور | etbór | noun | Sunday | General |
| ګېني | gení | noun | a game played by girls | General |
| ګيلې | gíle | noun | a game played by girls | General |
| ګوبين | gobín | noun | honey | General |
| ګډګډی | guḍguḍáy | noun | a game played with one leg | General |
| سخی | sxay | noun | a game played with one leg | General |
| ګوډيسمسه | guḍisamsá | noun | a type of a bird | General |
| ګوګره | gugə́ṛa | noun | cuckoo bird | General |
| ګوتمۍ | gutmə́i | noun | shopping-bag | General |
| خولۍ رېځ | xulə́i rez | noun | Saturday | General |
| څلورم | salorám | noun | Monday | Teri |
| پينځم | pinzám | noun | Tuesday | General |
| وودينه | wodiná | noun | Thursday | General |
| مېلې رېځ | melé rez | noun | Wednesday | Teri |
| غولېل | ğulél | noun | slingshot | Teri |
| غومبکه | ğumbə́ka | noun | a dish made from grains, cooked during a rainy day(s) with grains given by different households | General |
| غورکی | ğurkáy | noun | hole | General |
| غورمۀ سترګه | ğurmə́ stə́rga | noun | sun | General |
| سترګه | stə́rga | noun | sun | General |
| ايکونه | ikóna | noun | a large pot for storing grains | General |
| کېړۍ | keṛə́i | noun | sandals | General |
| کوړيکت | koṛikə́t | noun | kabaddi game | General |
| کوړکۍ | koṛakə́i | noun | springle | General |
| کتريکی | kutrikáy | noun | springle | General |
| کړاغه | kṛāğá | noun | female crow | General |
| کاغه | kā́ğa | noun | female crow | General |
| کاړغۀ | kāṛğə́ | noun | male crow | Teri |
| کونۍ | kunə́i | noun | a game in which four players take part | General |
| کرکمنه | kurkamə́na | noun | slingshot | General |
| لېبۍ | lebə́i | noun | a collective dance of women in a circle | General |
| لګاډه | lgā́ḍa | noun | channel | General |
| لوګ | lug | adjective | worthless | General |
| لوستل | lwastə́l | verb | to scatter | General |
| منګور | mangór | noun | snack | General |
| مسلۍ | masalə́i | noun | story | General |
| موی مرغۀ | móy mə́rğa | noun | peacocok | General |
| نخۍ | nəxə́i | noun | decorated cloth for the saddle of a cammel | General |
| نيالي | nyālí | noun | a mattress type of blanket | General |
| نولي | nolí | noun | a mattress type of blanket | General |
| پڼسی | paṇsáy | noun | thread | General |
| سبينه | sabiná | noun | morning | Teri |
| سبېيي | sabeyí | noun | morning | General |
| سلارغوشيې | salārğóšye | noun | pitchfork | General |
| ستر | stər | adjective | huge | General |
| شندل | šandə́l | verb | to spend | General |
| شنل | šanə́l | verb | to shake | General |
| شڼول | šaṇawə́l | verb | to shake | General |
| ششته | šuštá | adjective | clear and well organised | General |
| شين ټاغې | šin ṭā́ğe | noun | a blue bird | General |
| شينشوتتک | šinšotaták | noun | a blue bird | General |
| شينتوتی | šintotáy | noun | a blue bird | General |
| شورول | šorawə́l | verb | to keep | General |
| ويړول | wiṛawə́l | verb | to spread | General |
| وويا | wóyā | noun | egg | General |
| وراته | wrā́ta | noun | wife | General |
| خوسول | xusawə́l | verb | to move | General |
| خوړ | xwəṛ | noun | channel | General |
| يږه | yə́ža | noun | female bear | General |
| زېړي کوچ | zeṛi kúc | noun | a type of bird | General |

### Baniswola [Banusi]
#### Nasalisation

In the Bannu dialect the nasalisation of vowels has been noted , as mentioned by Yousuf Khan Jazab:
| Baniswola | Kandahar | English |
| Nasalised First Person Verbal Suffix: ں [~] |||
| تلں tlə̃ or tləń | تلم tləm | I was going |
| Compare with Third Person Masc. Sing. Verbal Suffix ۀ [ə] |||
| تلۀ tlə | تلۀ tlə | He was going |

#### Stress

As with other dialects stress on a particular syllable can also change the meaning of a word or aspect of the verb.
| | Baniswola | Baniswola | Baniswola | Baniswola | Baniswola | Baniswola |
| Lexical Change | Final Stress | Final Stress | Meaning | Initial Stress | Initial Stress | Meaning |
| Lexical Change | غووړي | ğwoṛí | oil | غووړي | ğwóṛi | he/she/they wants |
| Lexical Change | مستې | masté | yogurt | مستې | máste | luscious |
| Lexical Change | مزديره | məzdirá | maid | مزديره | mə́zdira | daily-wage |
| | Final Stress [Imperfective] | Final Stress [Imperfective] | Meaning | Non-Final Stress [Perfective] | Non-Final Stress [Perfective] | Meaning |
| Verbal Aspect Change | کښېنں | kšenə̃́ | I am sitting | کښېنں | kšénə̃ | I sit [now] |
| Verbal Aspect Change | پرېوتلں | prewatələ̃́ | I was falling | پرېوتلں | préwatələ̃ | I fell |