pâšâî

Pashai

Indo-Aryan (Dardic)

FamilyIndo-Aryan (Dardic) Speakers~600K ScriptPerso-Arabic CountriesAfghanistan (Kapisa, Laghman, Kunar) Official inNo (recognized minority) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3psi

Pashayi is a Dardic Indo-Aryan language of east-central Afghanistan (Kapisa, Laghman, Nuristan, Kunar provinces), one of the most divergent Indo-Aryan languages, with ~110K speakers across four dialect groups (NE/SE/NW/SW). Speakers are predominantly Sunni Muslim. Phonologically distinctive for retroflex affricates and a system of breathy-voiced consonants. Limited written tradition; modern documentation projects produce occasional Latin and Arabic-script materials. Classified by some as Nuristani-influenced; deeply endangered as Pashto and Dari encroach.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Pashai

Water

واری

/waːri/

Fire

انگاری

/aŋɡaːri/

Sun

سور

/sur/

Moon

مس

/mas/

Star

تارا

/taːraː/

Mother

نا

/naː/

Father

تاتا

/taːtaː/

I

آ

/aː/

You

تو

/tu/

Name

نام

/naːm/

Eye

اچی

/atʃiː/

Hand

دست

/dast/

Heart

دل

/dil/

Love

پیار

/pjaːr/

Tree

درغ

/darʁ/

House

جوغ

/dʒoʁ/

Dog

کوتا

/kotaː/

Cat

بلور

/baloːr/

Eat

کخن-

/kxn/

Drink

پی-

/piː/

One

ایک

/eːk/

Two

دو

/duː/

Hello

سلام

/salaːm/

Thank you

شکریه

/ʃukrija/

Good

شو

/ʃoː/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Indo-Aryan (Dardic) languages

Meaning PashaiMagahiHindiKumaoniUrduDogriAngika
Water واری /waːri/ पानी /paːni/ पानी /paːniː/ पाणि /paːɳi/ پانی /paːniː/ पाणी /paːɳiː/ पानी /paːniː/
Fire انگاری /aŋɡaːri/ आग /aːɡ/ आग /aːɡ/ आग /aːɡ/ آگ /aːɡ/ अग्ग /aɡː/ आग /aːɡ/
Sun سور /sur/ सूरज /suːraj/ सूरज /suːɾədʒ/ स्यू /sjuː/ سورج /suːɾədʒ/ सूरज /suːraj/ सूरज /suːrədʒ/
Moon مس /mas/ चान /tʃaːn/ चाँद /tʃãːd/ ज्यू /dʒjuː/ چاند /tʃãːd/ चन्न /tʃanː/ चान /tʃaːn/
Star تارا /taːraː/ तारा /taːraː/ तारा /taːɾaː/ तारा /taːɾaː/ ستارہ /sɪt̪aːɾaː/ तारा /taːraː/ तारा /taːraː/
Mother نا /naː/ माय /maːj/ माँ /mãː/ ईजा /iːdʒaː/ ماں /mãː/ मां /mãː/ माय /maːj/
Father تاتا /taːtaː/ बाबू /baːbuː/ पिता /pitaː/ बाबू /baːbuː/ والد /vaːlid/ बापू /baːpuː/ बाबू /baːbuː/
I آ /aː/ हम /ɦəm/ मैं /mɛ̃ː/ मैं /mɛ̃ː/ میں /mɛ̃ː/ औं /ɔ̃ː/ हम /ɦəm/
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