Pashtu language

Pashto
پښتو Pax̌tō
The word Pax̌tō written in the Pashto alphabet
Pronunciation	[ˈpəʂt̪oː], [ˈpʊxt̪oː]
Native to	Afghanistan and Pakistan
Ethnicity	Pashtuns
Native speakers	40–60 million (2007–2009)
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Iranian Eastern Iranian Pashto
Standard forms	Central Pashto Northern Pashto Southern Pashto
Dialects	~20 dialects
Writing system	Arabic (Pashto alphabet)
Official status
Official language in	Afghanistan
Recognised minority language in	Pakistan Provincial in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and Northern Balochistan
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: /ˈpʌʃtoʊ/,rarely /ˈpæʃtoʊ/; Pashto: پښتو‎ Pax̌tō [ˈpəʂt̪oː]), known in Persian literature as Afghānistani (افغانستانی ) and in Urdu and Hindi 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.