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Languages of Afghanistan
Ethnolinguistic groups of Afghanistan in 1997 (Hazaragi and Tajik are dialects of Persian)
Official	Dari Persian, Pashto
Regional	Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashayi, Hazaragi, Nuristani
Minority	Arabic, Urdu, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Sindhi
Foreign	English (c. 6%)
Signed	Afghan Sign Language
Keyboard layout	Persian keyboard (ISIRI 9147)

Afghanistan is a linguistically diverse nation, with an upwards of 40 distinct languages. However, the languages of Dari and Pashto stand out as the most prominent, both having shared official status in Afghanistan. Dari, being a shared language between multiple ethnic groups in the country, has served as a historical Lingua Franca between different linguistic groups in the region and is the most widely understood language. Pashto is also a very widely spoken language in the region, but the language is not multi-ethnic like Dari and is not as commonly spoken by non-Pashtuns. Dari and Pashto are also, in a linguistic sense, "relatives" with both being Iranian languages.

^(a) Dari is the official name of the variety of Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. It is often referred to as Afghan Persian, although still widely known as Farsi (Persian: فارسی; "Persian") to its native speakers, the name was officially changed to Dari in 1964 by the Afghan government. Dari has been the preferred language of government for centuries, despite the domination of politics by Pashtuns, whose native language is Pashto.

According to CIA World Factbook, Dari Persian is spoken by 78% (L1 + L2) and functions as the lingua franca, while Pashto is spoken by 35%, Uzbek 10%, English 5%, Turkmen 2%, Urdu 2%, Pashayi 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, and Balochi 1% (2021 est). Data represent the most widely spoken languages; shares sum to more than 100% because there is much bilingualism in the country and because respondents were allowed to select more than one language. The Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them.

Both Persian and Pashto are Indo-European languages from the Iranian languages sub-family. Other regional languages, such as Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashayi and Nuristani, are spoken by minority groups across the country.

Minor languages include: Ashkunu, Kamkata-viri, Vasi-vari, Tregami and Kalasha-ala, Pamiri (Shughni, Munji, Ishkashimi and Wakhi), Brahui, Arabic, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai and Kyrgyz, and Punjabi. Linguist Harald Haarmann believes that Afghanistan is home to more than 40 minor languages, with around 200 different dialects.

Overview

The Persian or Dari language functions as the nation's lingua franca and is the native tongue of several of Afghanistan's ethnic groups including the Tajiks, Hazaras and Aimaqs. Pashto is the native tongue of the Pashtuns, the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan. Due to Afghanistan's multi-ethnic character, multilingualism is a common phenomenon.

The exact figures about the size and composition of the various ethnolinguistic groups are unavailable since no systematic census has been held in Afghanistan in decades. The table below displays the major languages spoken in Afghanistan per sample statistics:

A sizeable population in Afghanistan, especially in Kabul, can also speak and understand Hindustani due to the popularity and influence of Bollywood films and songs in the region.

Language policy

The official languages of the country are Dari and Pashto, as established by the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan. Dari is the most widely spoken language of Afghanistan's official languages and acts as a lingua franca for the country. In 1980, other regional languages were granted official status in the regions where they are the language of the majority. This policy was codified in the 2004 Afghan Constitution, which established Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani and Pamiri as a third official language in areas where they are spoken by a majority of the population.

Language families

Since Afghanistan is predominantly located on the Iranian plateau, the majority of spoken languages belong to the family of Iranic languages. Turkic languages are spoken sparsely at the northern intersection of the plateau with Central Asia. Similarly, Nuristani languages and Dravidian languages are spoken sparsely at some regions where the plateau intersects with the Indian subcontinent.

Endangered Languages

Until 2004, Dari and Pashto were the only languages promoted by the government. Though policy has since changed, it has still harmed many minority languages of the country. The table below shows endangered languages spoken in Afghanistan that are recognized by UNESCO. UNESCO recognizes 23 endangered languages in Afghanistan, 12 of which are exclusively spoken in Afghanistan and one having gone extinct after UNESCO's survey.

• ^(i) lit. "verge of death" Language has so few speakers, it is unlikely to survive unless immediate action is taken to preserve it
• ^(ii) Moghol is the only language in its branch
• ^(iii) Possibly Extinct
• ^(iv) Language has died or gone extinct in Afghanistan, but survives elsewhere.

See also

• Demographics of Afghanistan
• Ethnic groups in Afghanistan
• Turkic people in Afghanistan
• Afghan Turkmens

References

1. "The 1997 CIA World Factbook Afghanistan" (PDF).
2. "Language data for Afghanistan".
3. Harald Haarmann: Sprachen-Almanach – Zahlen und Fakten zu allen Sprachen der Welt. Campus-Verl., Frankfurt/Main 2002, ISBN 3-593-36572-3, S.273–274; Afghanistan
4. ^ The Asia Foundation. A Survey of the Afghan People: Afghanistan in 2019.
5. The Asia Foundation. Afghanistan in 2013: A Survey of the Afghan People.
6. The Asia Foundation. Afghanistan in 2006: A Survey of the Afghan People.
7. "Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: prs". Sil.org. 18 January 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
8. "The World Factbook: Afghanistan". Cia.gov. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
9. R. Farhadi and J. R. Perry, Kaboli, Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition, originally in Vol. XV, Fasc. 3, pp. 276–280, 2009.
10. "Uncommon tongue: Pakistan's confusing move to Urdu". BBC News. 11 September 2015.
11. The World Factbook
12. Wahab, Shaista; Youngerman, Barry (2007). A Brief History of Afghanistan. Infobase Publishing. p. 18. ISBN 9781438108193. Afghan Hindus and Sikhs speak Hindi or Punjabi in addition to Pashto and Dari.
13. Harald Haarmann: Sprachen-Almanach – Zahlen und Fakten zu allen Sprachen der Welt. Campus-Verl., Frankfurt/Main 2002, ISBN 3-593-36572-3, S.273–274; Afghanistan
14. "Languages of Afghanistan". Encyclopædia Britannica.
15. "Ethnic groups". BBC News. Retrieved 7 June 2013. Pashtun: Estimated to be in excess of 45% of the population, the Pashtuns have been the most dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan.
16. O'toole, Pam (October 6, 2004). "Afghan poll's ethnic battleground". BBC News. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
17. ^ The Asia Foundation. Afghanistan in 2006: A Survey of the Afghan People.
18. The Asia Foundation. Afghanistan in 2013: A Survey of the Afghan People.
19. The Asia Foundation. Afghanistan in 2018: A Survey of the Afghan People.
20. Hakala, Walter N. (2012). "Languages as a Key to Understanding Afghanistan's Cultures" (PDF). National Geographic. Retrieved 13 March 2018. In the 1980s and '90s, at least three million Afghans--mostly Pashtun--fled to Pakistan, where a substantial number spent several years being exposed to Hindi- and Urdu-language media, especially Bollywood films and songs, and being educated in Urdu-language schools, both of which contributed to the decline of Dari, even among urban Pashtuns.
21. Krishnamurthy, Rajeshwari (28 June 2013). "Kabul Diary: Discovering the Indian connection". Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations. Retrieved 13 March 2018. Most Afghans in Kabul understand and/or speak Hindi, thanks to the popularity of Indian cinema in the country.
22. "AFGHANISTAN v. Languages". Ch. M. Kieffer. Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 2012-04-08. A. Official languages. Paṧtō (1) is the native tongue of 50 to 55 percent of Afghans... Persian (2) is the language most spoken in Afghanistan. The native tongue of twenty five percent of the population, it is split into numerous dialects.
23. "What Languages are Spoken in Afghanistan?". 2004. Retrieved June 13, 2012. Pashto and Dari are the official languages of the state. are – in addition to Pashto and Dari – the third official language in areas where the majority speaks them
24. Evans, Lisa (2011-04-15). "Endangered languages: the full list". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
25. unesdoc.unesco.org https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000187026. Retrieved 2022-09-05. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
26. "Tirahi". Ethnologue.

Footnotes

1. Many of Afghanistans languages are quite small, with many being on the verge of extinction. See Languages of Afghanistan § Endangered languages
2. See Languages of Afghanistan § Overview

Further reading

• Language Policy and Language Conflict in Afghanistan and Its Neighbors: The Changing Politics of Language Choice

External links

• Distribution of languages map from Columbia University
• Linguistic map of Afghanistan

• Languages of Afghanistan