Pashto Alphabet and Writing System

Introduction

Pashto is an Eastern Iranian language with a rich history and vibrant present. It is one of the two official languages of Afghanistan and is widely spoken in parts of Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northern Balochistan, and parts of western Punjab. With over 40-60 million speakers worldwide, Pashto is not just a language but a gateway to understanding the culture, traditions, and worldview of the Pashtun people. In this article we will focus on the Alphabets and writing system of Pashto, however we briefly describe the historical background and importance of the language.

A Brief History of Pashto

The origins of Pashto can be traced back to the early first millennium CE. It evolved from the Eastern Iranian branch of languages, sharing roots with languages like Avestan and Old Persian. The earliest known written Pashto dates back to the 16th century, with the poet Bayazid Pir Roshan’s “Khair al-Bayan” being one of the oldest surviving texts.

Throughout history, Pashto has been influenced by various languages, including Persian, Arabic, and more recently, English. Despite these influences, it has maintained its unique character and continues to be a symbol of cultural identity for millions of people.

The Importance of Learning Pashto

Learning Pashto opens doors to:

1. Cultural Understanding: Gain insight into the rich Pashtun culture, traditions, and way of life.
2. Literary Treasures: Access a wealth of poetry, prose, and oral traditions that have been passed down through generations.
3. Geopolitical Awareness: Understand the dynamics of a region that has been at the crossroads of history for centuries.
4. Professional Opportunities: In fields like diplomacy, international relations, and humanitarian work, knowledge of Pashto can be invaluable.
5. Personal Growth: Challenge yourself with a language that offers unique linguistic features and a different way of expressing ideas.

The Pashto Alphabet

The Pashto alphabet, known as “پښتو الفبې” (Pashto Alifbe), is based on the Persian variant of the Arabic script, with several additional letters to represent sounds specific to Pashto. It consists of 44 letters, making it one of the most extensive alphabets in the world.

Here’s the complete Pashto alphabet in order:

ا ب پ ت ټ ث ج چ ح خ څ ځ د ډ ذ ر ړ ز ژ ږ س ش ښ ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ک ګ ل م ن ڼ و ه ی ې ۍ ئ

Let’s break this down:

1. Basic Arabic Letters: Many letters are shared with Arabic, such as ا (alif), ب (be), ت (te), ث (se), ج (jīm), ح (he), خ (khe), د (dāl), ذ (zāl), ر (re), ز (ze), س (sīn), ش (shīn), ص (swād), ض (zwād), ط (twe), ظ (zwe), ع (‘ain), غ (ghain), ف (fe), ق (qāf), ک (kāf), ل (lām), م (mīm), ن (nūn), و (wāw), ه (he), and ی (ye).
2. Persian Letters: Some letters are borrowed from Persian, like پ (pe) and چ (che).
3. Unique Pashto Letters: Several letters are unique to Pashto or used differently:
   • ټ (ṭe): A retroflex ‘t’ sound
   • څ (tse): Similar to ‘ts’ in “cats”
   • ځ (dzim): Similar to ‘dz’ in “adze”
   • ډ (ḍāl): A retroflex ‘d’ sound
   • ړ (ṛe): A retroflex ‘r’ sound
   • ږ (ǧ̌e): Similar to French ‘j’ but heavier
   • ښ (ḍ̌īn): A retroflex ‘sh’ sound
   • ګ (gāf): Used for the ‘g’ sound
   • ڼ (ṇūn): A retroflex ‘n’ sound
   • ې (ye): Used for the long ‘e’ sound
   • ۍ (ye): Used at the end of words for the ‘ay’ sound

Writing System

Pashto, like Arabic and Persian, is written from right to left. The letters change form depending on their position in the word (initial, medial, final, or isolated). Let’s look at an example:

Word: ښوونځی (ḍ̌ōwanẓay, meaning “school”)

Breaking it down:

• ښ (initial form of ḍ̌īn)
• و (medial form of wāw)
• و (medial form of wāw)
• ن (medial form of nūn)
• ځ (medial form of dzim)
• ی (final form of ye)

Practice writing this word, paying attention to how the letters connect.

Diacritical Marks

Pashto uses several diacritical marks to indicate vowels and other sounds:

1. Zabar (َ): Represents a short ‘a’ sound
2. Zer (ِ): Represents a short ‘i’ sound
3. Pesh (ُ): Represents a short ‘u’ sound
4. Tashdid (ّ): Indicates a doubled consonant
5. Hamza (ء): Used to indicate a glottal stop

Example: Let’s look at the word “مڼه” (maṇa, meaning “apple”) with diacritical marks:

مَڼَه

Here, the zabars indicate the short ‘a’ sounds.

Numerals in Pashto

Pashto uses Eastern Arabic numerals. Here they are from 0 to 9:

٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩

Example: The year 2024 would be written as ٢٠٢٤

Handwriting Practice

Now, let’s practice writing some basic words. Remember to write from right to left:

1. سلام (salām) – Hello
2. مننه (manana) – Thank you
3. هو (ho) – Yes
4. نه (na) – No

Practice these words multiple times, paying attention to how the letters connect and change form.

Exercises

1. Write the following words in Pashto script: a) kitāb (book) b) qalam (pen) c) ōba (water)
2. Identify the letters in the following word: پښتو (Pashto)
3. Write the numbers 1 to 10 in Eastern Arabic numerals.
4. Practice writing your name in Pashto script.