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Pashto language

Pashto
پښتو
Pax̌tō
Pashto.svg
The word Pax̌tō written in the Pashto alphabet
Pronunciation [ˈpəʂt̪oː], [ˈpʊxt̪oː]
Native to Afghanistan and Pakistan
Ethnicity Pashtun, Pathan, Afghan
Native speakers
40–60 million (2007–2009)
Standard forms
Dialects ~20 dialects
Official status
Official language in
 Afghanistan
Recognised minority
language in
Regulated by Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan
Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar
Language codes
ISO 639-1 ps
ISO 639-2
ISO 639-3 inclusive code
Individual codes:
pst – Central Pashto
pbu – Northern Pashto
pbt – Southern Pashto
wne – Wanetsi
Glottolog pash1269
Linguasphere 58-ABD-a
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Pashto (English pronunciation: /ˈpʌʃt/,rarely /ˈpæʃt/; Pashto: پښتوPax̌tō [ˈpəʂt̪oː]), known in Persian literature as Afghānī (افغانى) and in Urdu literature as Paṭhānī, is the South-Central Asian language of the Pashtuns. Its speakers are called Pashtuns or Pukhtuns and sometimes Afghans or Pathans. It is an Eastern Iranian language, belonging to the Indo-European family. Pashto is one of the two official languages of Afghanistan, and it is the second-largest regional language of Pakistan, mainly spoken in the west and northwest of the country. Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are almost 100% Pashto-speaking, while it is the majority language of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern districts of Balochistan. Pashto is the main language among the Pashtun diaspora around the world. The total number of Pashto-speakers is estimated to be 45–60 million people worldwide.


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