Dardic languages

The Dardic languages form a subfamily of the Indo-Iranian languages. Their relationship to the other subfamilies of this family is not yet settled. Languages that belong to this family include: Dameli language Domaaki language Gawar-Bati language Kalasha language Kashmiri language Khowar language Kohistani language Ningalami language Pashayi language Phalura language

Read more here: » Dardic languages: Encyclopedia - Dardic languages

The Nuristani languages are said to represent the third and by far the smallest branch of the Indo-Iranian languages. The recognition of its independent status came much later than that of the other two branches. As the term "Indo-Iranian" is well established, there is resistance to any change in the nomenclature. They were not described in the literature until the 19th century. The older name for the region was Kafiristan and the languages were termed Kafiiri or Kafiristani, but the terms have been replaced by the present ones as being less perjorative, for kafir means "infidel". ...

See also:

Nuristani, Nuristani - Nuristani languages, Nuristani - List of Nuristani langugaes, Nuristani - Literature

Read more here: » Nuristani: Encyclopedia II - Nuristani - Nuristani languages

The Nuristani languages are said to represent the third and by far the smallest branch of the Indo-Iranian languages. The recognition of its independent status came much later than that of the other two branches. As the term "Indo-Iranian" is well established, there is resistance to any change in the nomenclature. They were not described in the literature until the 19th century. The older name for the region was Kafiristan and the languages were termed Kafiiri or Kafiristani, but the terms have been replaced by the present ones as being less perjorative. ...

See also:

Nuristani, Nuristani - Nuristani languages, Nuristani - List of Nuristani langugaes, Nuristani - Literature

Read more here: » Nuristani: Encyclopedia II - Nuristani - Nuristani languages

Chitral, or Chitrāl, is the name of a town (35° 53' N; 71° 48' E), valley, river, district, and former princely state in the Malakand Division of the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan. 35°52′52″N, 71°47′53″E Chitral town, capital of the district, is situated on the west bank of the Chitral (or Kunar) River. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, 7,708 m o ...

Including:

• Chitral - The Katur Dynasty

Read more here: » Chitral: Encyclopedia - Chitral

The various subgroups of the Indo-European family include (in historical order of their first attestation): Anatolian languages — earliest attested branch, from the 18th century BC; extinct, most notable was the language of the Hittites. Indo-Iranian languages, descending from a common ancestor, Proto-Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan languages, including Sanskrit, attested from the 2nd millennium BC Iranian languages, attested from roughly 1000 BC, including Avestan and Persian Dardic languages ...

See also:

Indo-European languages, Indo-European languages - Classification, Indo-European languages - Satem and Centum languages, Indo-European languages - Suggested superfamilies, Indo-European languages - History, Indo-European languages - Kurgan hypothesis, Indo-European languages - Competing hypotheses, Indo-European languages - Sound changes

Read more here: » Indo-European languages: Encyclopedia II - Indo-European languages - Classification

Languages of Pakistan - Prevalence. According to the census, Pakistanis identified the following languages as their mother tongues [figures rounded to nearest percent]: Punjabi 44%, Pashto 15%, Sindhi 14%, Siraiki 11%, Urdu 8%, Balochi 4%, others 4% The majority of Pakistanis can speak or understand two or more languages. Languages of Pakistan - Major languages. The official language of Pakistan is English. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca, although it is ...

See also:

Languages of Pakistan, Languages of Pakistan - History, Languages of Pakistan - Languages, Languages of Pakistan - Prevalence, Languages of Pakistan - Major languages, Languages of Pakistan - Other Languages, Languages of Pakistan - Classification, Languages of Pakistan - See Also

Read more here: » Languages of Pakistan: Encyclopedia II - Languages of Pakistan - Languages

Pashtun culture is ancient and much of it is yet to be recorded in contemporary times. There are many conflicting theories, some contemporary and some ancient, about the origins of the Pashtun people, both among historians and the Pashtun themselves. Pashtun people - Ancient references. Herodotus and several other Greek and Roman historians had mentioned a people called 'Pactyan' living on the eastern frontier of Iran as early as the first millennium CE. It has been conjectured that these may be the ancest ...

See also:

Pashtun people, Pashtun people - History and Origins, Pashtun people - Ancient references, Pashtun people - Anthropological and linguistic evidence, Pashtun people - Indigenous oral tradition of Pashtun origins, Pashtun people - Genetic insights into the origins of the Pashtuns, Pashtun people - Pashtuns in the modern era, Pashtun people - Who is a Pashtun?, Pashtun people - Ethnic definition, Pashtun people - Cultural definition, Pashtun people - Ancestral definition, Pashtun people - Culture, Pashtun people - Institutions, Pashtun people - Established Pashtun tribes, Pashtun people - Social conditions, Pashtun people - Pashtun women

Read more here: » Pashtun people: Encyclopedia II - Pashtun people - History and Origins

The easiest route during summer (it was closed by snow in the winter), and the only one which also allowed the use of pack animals, went over the Broghol Pass (3,798 m or 12,460 ft) to Mastuj and, from there, either east towards Gilgit, or southwest down the Chitral/Kunar Valley towards Jalalabad; a route which is open all year. This route was not only the easiest, but the most direct one to Kabul and all points south and west. There is also a more difficult route over the dangerous Lowari Pass (3,200 m or 10,499 ft), 365 km (227 mi) ...

See also:

Chitral, Chitral - Geography, Chitral - Population, Chitral - History, Chitral - Chitral State, Chitral - The Katur Dynasty

Read more here: » Chitral: Encyclopedia II - Chitral - Geography

The Pashtuns today are a diverse population with widely varying lifestyles and perspectives. The effects of globalization have led to the proliferation of so-called 'Western' ideas as well as the infilitration of Saudi-style Wahhabist Islam. Though many Pashtuns remain tribal and illiterate, others have become urbanized and highly educated. The ravages of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the Afghan wars leading up to the rise and fall of the Taliban have caused substantial misery amongst the Pashtuns. Currently, Afghanistan is in a r ...

See also:

Pashtun people, Pashtun people - History and Origins, Pashtun people - Ancient references, Pashtun people - Anthropological and linguistic evidence, Pashtun people - Indigenous oral tradition of Pashtun origins, Pashtun people - Genetic insights into the origins of the Pashtuns, Pashtun people - Pashtuns in the modern era, Pashtun people - Who is a Pashtun?, Pashtun people - Ethnic definition, Pashtun people - Cultural definition, Pashtun people - Ancestral definition, Pashtun people - Culture, Pashtun people - Institutions, Pashtun people - Established Pashtun tribes, Pashtun people - Social conditions, Pashtun people - Pashtun women

Read more here: » Pashtun people: Encyclopedia II - Pashtun people - Social conditions

Amongst historians, anthropologists, and the Pashtuns themselves, there is some debate as to who exactly is a Pashtun. The most prominent views are (1) that Pashtuns are predominantly an Eastern Iranian people who are speakers of the Pashto language and live in a contiguous geographic location (this is the generally accepted academic view) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, (2) Pashtuns, in addition to being Pashto-speakers and meeting other criteria, are also Muslim and follow Pashtunwali and thus Jews, Christians, or atheists would be excluded, ...

See also:

Pashtun people, Pashtun people - History and Origins, Pashtun people - Ancient references, Pashtun people - Anthropological and linguistic evidence, Pashtun people - Indigenous oral tradition of Pashtun origins, Pashtun people - Genetic insights into the origins of the Pashtuns, Pashtun people - Pashtuns in the modern era, Pashtun people - Who is a Pashtun?, Pashtun people - Ethnic definition, Pashtun people - Cultural definition, Pashtun people - Ancestral definition, Pashtun people - Culture, Pashtun people - Institutions, Pashtun people - Established Pashtun tribes, Pashtun people - Social conditions, Pashtun people - Pashtun women

Read more here: » Pashtun people: Encyclopedia II - Pashtun people - Who is a Pashtun?

See also: Proto-Indo-European, Historical linguistics, Glottochronology. The possibility of common origin for some of these languages was first proposed by Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn in 1647, proposing their derivation from "Scythian". However, the suggestions of van Boxhorn did not become widely known and were not pursued. The hypothesis was again proposed by Sir William Jones, who noticed similarities between four of the oldest languages known in his time, Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, and Persian. Systematic comparison of these an ...

See also:

Indo-European languages, Indo-European languages - Classification, Indo-European languages - Satem and Centum languages, Indo-European languages - Suggested superfamilies, Indo-European languages - History, Indo-European languages - Kurgan hypothesis, Indo-European languages - Competing hypotheses, Indo-European languages - Sound changes

Read more here: » Indo-European languages: Encyclopedia II - Indo-European languages - History

Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and has historical significance as a language developed during the Islamic conquests in the Subcontinent during the period of the Mughal Empire and was chosen as a neutral language to unite the various groups of modern Pakistan. However it is English which is the language of governhment and commerce. Most Secondry educational institutes and almost all universities use English as the medium of instruction. Many other languages are spoken in Pakistan, including the following regional tongues fro ...

See also:

Languages of Pakistan, Languages of Pakistan - History, Languages of Pakistan - Languages, Languages of Pakistan - Prevalence, Languages of Pakistan - Major languages, Languages of Pakistan - Other Languages, Languages of Pakistan - Classification, Languages of Pakistan - See Also

Read more here: » Languages of Pakistan: Encyclopedia II - Languages of Pakistan - History

Throughout Pashtun history poets, prophets, kings and warriors have been the most revered members of society. The term 'Pakhto' or 'Pashto' from which they derive their name is not merely the name of their language, but synonymous with an honour code and religion known as Pashtunwali. The main tenets of 'Pakhto' or formally known as Pashtunwali are: Hospitality and asylum to all guests seeking help. Justice: Ancient Israelite Moses' Law, Tooth for a Tooth. Defense of 'Zan, Zar and Zameen' (Women/Family, Treasury and Property). Personal Independence. Pashtuns are fiercely independent and ther ...

See also:

Pashtun people, Pashtun people - History and Origins, Pashtun people - Ancient references, Pashtun people - Anthropological and linguistic evidence, Pashtun people - Indigenous oral tradition of Pashtun origins, Pashtun people - Genetic insights into the origins of the Pashtuns, Pashtun people - Pashtuns in the modern era, Pashtun people - Who is a Pashtun?, Pashtun people - Ethnic definition, Pashtun people - Cultural definition, Pashtun people - Ancestral definition, Pashtun people - Culture, Pashtun people - Institutions, Pashtun people - Established Pashtun tribes, Pashtun people - Social conditions, Pashtun people - Pashtun women

Read more here: » Pashtun people: Encyclopedia II - Pashtun people - Culture

The Pashtuns are predominantly a tribal people, however, increasing numbers now dwell in cities and urban settlements. Many still identify themselves with various clans. More precisely, there are several levels of organization: the tabar (tribe) is subdivided into kinship groups each of which is a khel. The khel in turn is divided into smaller groups (pllarina or plarganey), each of which consists of several extended families or kahols. [Wardak, 2003, p. 7] "A large tribe often has dozens of s ...

See also:

Pashtun people, Pashtun people - History and Origins, Pashtun people - Ancient references, Pashtun people - Anthropological and linguistic evidence, Pashtun people - Indigenous oral tradition of Pashtun origins, Pashtun people - Genetic insights into the origins of the Pashtuns, Pashtun people - Pashtuns in the modern era, Pashtun people - Who is a Pashtun?, Pashtun people - Ethnic definition, Pashtun people - Cultural definition, Pashtun people - Ancestral definition, Pashtun people - Culture, Pashtun people - Institutions, Pashtun people - Established Pashtun tribes, Pashtun people - Social conditions, Pashtun people - Pashtun women

Read more here: » Pashtun people: Encyclopedia II - Pashtun people - Institutions