Languages of Afghanistan
Languages of | |
---|---|
Foreign | English (c. 5%)[2] |
Signed | Afghan Sign Language |
Keyboard layout |
According to
Both Persian and Pashto are
Minor languages include:
Overview
The
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.[15] The table below displays estimates of the major languages spoken in Afghanistan per sample statistics:
Language | 2006 (as L1) (out of 6,226)[6] |
2006 (as L2) (out of 6,226)[6] |
2013 (out of 9,260)[5] |
2018 (out of 13,943, L1+L2)[16] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dari |
49% | 26% | 48% | 77% |
Pashto | 40% | 5% | 25% | 48% |
Uzbek | 9% | 2% | 9% | 11% |
Turkmen | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Balochi | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% |
Pashayi | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Nuristani | N/A | N/A | 1% | 1% |
Arabic | 0% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
English | 0% | 8% | 5% | 6% |
Urdu | 0% | 7% | 2% | 3% |
Statistics vary considerably from source to source, the amount of total Dari (L1+L2) speakers tends to be the most consistent (77-80%). Between sources the amount of L1 speakers of Pashto and Dari vary considerably. With Encyclopedia Britannica estimating that roughly 1/2 of the population of Afghanistan speaks Dari natively, and "more than" 2/5 of Afghanistan speaking Pashto natively. While estimating a lower amount of native Pashto speakers then other sources, Britannica estimates that roughly 20% of the population spoke Pashto as a second language (an estimate higher that most other sources). Britannica also notes that many Pashtuns (particularly in urban areas) speak Dari as their first language, so the quantity of first language speakers is not a reliable indication of ethnicity.
A sizeable population in Afghanistan, especially in
Language policy
The official languages of the country are Dari and Pashto, as established by the
Language families
Since Afghanistan is predominantly located on the
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.[24][25] UNESCO recognizes 23 endangered languages in Afghanistan, 12 of which are exclusively spoken in Afghanistan and one having gone extinct after UNESCO's survey.
Language | UNESCO Status | Language Group | Language Family | Native to | Speakers (All Countries) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ashkun | Definitely endangered | Nuristani (Indo-Iranian) | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 40,000 (2011) |
Brahui | Vulnerable | Northern Dravidian
|
Dravidian | Afghanistan, Pakistan | 2,864,400 (2018) |
Central Asian Arabic | Definitely endangered | Semitic | Afro-Asiatic | Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan | 6,000 (2003) |
Gawar-Bati | Definitely endangered | Indo-Aryan (Indo-Iranian) | Indo-European | Afghanistan, Pakistan | 9,500 (1992) |
Kamkata-vari | Definitely endangered | Nuristani | Indo-European | Afghanistan, Pakistan | 40,000 (2017) |
Moghol | Moribund(i) | Moghol(ii) | Mongolic | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 200 (2003)(iii) |
Munji | Severely endangered | Iranian (Indo-Iranian) | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 5,300 (2008) |
Nangalami | Severely endangered | Indo-Aryan | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 5,000 (1994) |
Ormuri | Definitely endangered | Iranian | Indo-European | Afghanistan, Pakistan | 6,000 (2004) |
Parachi | Definitely endangered | Iranian | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 3,500 (2009) |
Parya | Severely endangered | Indo-Aryan | Indo-European | Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan | 2,600 (No Date)(iv) |
Pashayi | Vulnerable | Indo-Aryan | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 400,000 (2011) |
Rushani | Definitely endangered | Iranian | Indo-European | Afghanistan, Tajikistan | 18,000 (1990) |
Savi | Definitely endangered | Indo-Aryan | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 9,000 (2017) |
Sanglechi | Severely endangered | Iranian | Indo-European | Afghanistan, Tajikistan | 2,200 (2009) |
Shughni | Vulnerable | Iranian | Indo-European | Afghanistan, Tajikistan | 75,000 (1990) |
Shumashti | Severely endangered | Indo-Aryan | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 1,000 (1994) |
Tirahi | Moribund(i) | Indo-Aryan | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 100 (undated)[26] |
Tregami
|
Severely endangered | Nuristani | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 3,500 (2011) |
Kalasha-Ala
|
Definitely endangered | Nuristani | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 12,000 (2011) |
Wakhi | Definitely endangered | Iranian | Indo-European | Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan | 58,000 (2012) |
Wasi-Wari
|
Definitely endangered | Nuristani | Indo-European | Afghanistan (exclusively) | 8,000 (2011) |
Wotapuri-Katarqalai | Extinct (no living speakers left) | Indo-Aryan | Indo-European | Afghanistan (formerly) | 0 |
- ^(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
- Afghan Turkmens
- Demographics of Afghanistan
- Ethnic groups in Afghanistan
- Turkic people in Afghanistan
References
- ^ "The 1997 CIA World Factbook Afghanistan" (PDF).
- ^ "Language data for Afghanistan".
- ^ ISBN 3-593-36572-3, S.273–274; Afghanistan
- ^ The Asia Foundation. A Survey of the Afghan People: Afghanistan in 2019.
- ^ a b The Asia Foundation. Afghanistan in 2013: A Survey of the Afghan People.
- ^ a b c The Asia Foundation. Afghanistan in 2006: A Survey of the Afghan People.
- ^ "Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: prs". Sil.org. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ "The World Factbook: Afghanistan". Cia.gov. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition, originally in Vol. XV, Fasc. 3, pp. 276–280, 2009.
- ^ "Uncommon tongue: Pakistan's confusing move to Urdu". BBC News. 11 September 2015.
- ^ The World Factbook
- ISBN 9781438108193.
Afghan Hindus and Sikhs speak Hindi or Punjabi in addition to Pashto and Dari.
- ^ "Languages of Afghanistan". Encyclopædia Britannica. 31 July 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ O'toole, Pam (6 October 2004). "Afghan poll's ethnic battleground". BBC News. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
- ^ The Asia Foundation. Afghanistan in 2018: A Survey of the Afghan People.
- Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- Encyclopedia Iranica. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "AFGHANISTAN v. Languages". Ch. M. Kieffer. Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
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.
- ^ "What Languages are Spoken in Afghanistan?". 2004. Retrieved 13 June 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
- ^ "Afghanistan: Country data and statistics".
- ^ Evans, Lisa (15 April 2011). "Endangered languages: the full list". the Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Atlas of the world's languages in danger". UNESDOC Digital Library. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Tirahi". Ethnologue.
Footnotes
- ^ Many of Afghanistans languages are quite small, with many being on the verge of extinction. See Languages of Afghanistan § Endangered languages
- ^ 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.
- ^ See Languages of Afghanistan § Overview