Facts About the Afghanistan Language
Afghanistan Language
There are different types of privileges in the world and the ones enjoying them rarely realize how lucky they are. Living in a society where you can be your true self and not worry for your life every time you step out of your house is one of the privileges that people never think about much. Peace is a blessing but also a privilege that first world countries enjoy but the underdeveloped countries rarely get to live in. The sounds of bombs going off and bullets firing in the middle of the night is something the people of war-torn areas get used to after a while, but if someone from a first world country has to see such a situation for an hour, they wouldn’t know what to do.
Nothing destroys a country worse than war. It affects everything from infrastructure and economy to lifestyle and psychological health of the citizens. Pictures from conflict zones come out every other day showing the horrors the people have to live in, but they rarely make us realize how blessed we are to not be in the middle of all that. Most of the big countries have been at war at some point in their history, however, there are a few unlucky ones that never seem to be able to get out of conflict.
The history of such countries is full of stories of never-ending wars. In such places, younger generations don’t even know what life is without war because they have never seen it. All the progress of such states gets destroyed and they are sent back to the stone ages by constant fighting. Their citizens don’t know how to carry on their lives normally when an occupation force breathes the same air as them. No one knows the importance of freedom better than such states who have been fighting for decades to achieve it.
Afghanistan has been unfortunate many times in its history. Its citizens have suffered the most in a fight between extremists and foreign forces that never seems to end. Countless stories of horror have come out of the country since the war started. But even before the American invasion of Afghanistan, the country had to defend itself against Soviet Union. However, the toll this has taken on the population is unimaginable. Some times funeral prayers get attacked. Wedding ceremonies have been bombed too so people know that they are never safe whether they are mourning a loss or celebrating a union.
The Languages of Afghanistan:
Afghanistan is a multilingual country. The constitution recognizes two Afghanistan languages: Pashto and Dari. But along with those two, there are various languages that are spoken in the country by minority groups. Approximately forty minor tongues are spoken there with more than two hundred dialects. Despite facing harsh conditions throughout its history, the country has managed to accumulate a considerable amount of literature in both of its languages. Even today, the poetry of Pashto and Dari poets is known among the lovers of poems.
What language is mostly spoken in Afghanistan?
Pashto and Dari are the two official languages of Afghanistan. They are both widely spoken in the country. Dari is a variety of the Persian language. It is native to Afghanistan which is why it is often referred to as the Afghan Persian. Dari is also the language which is preferred by the state officials.
Are Dari and Farsi the same?
Farsi, also known as Persian, is a language that originated in Iran. Dari is the variety of Farsi which is native to Afghanistan. They are both the same language. Although there are a few differences between the two varieties, they are mutually intelligible. Both Dari and Farsi enjoy official status in Afghanistan and Iran respectively.
Is English spoken in Afghanistan?
6% of the Afghan population could speak English in 2017. Although English is a popular language everywhere in the world, it has not had a good relationship with Afghans. The presence of English-speaking occupation forces in the country has affected the way the natives view the language. But the younger generation of Afghans are trying to learn English so they can find their place in the world easily.
How do you say hello in Afghanistan language?
In Pashto, you can greet someone by simply saying ‘Salam.’ Dari, however, has a more complicated system. Sometimes, people use multiple sentences just to greet someone. But there is a simple way to say hello in Dari too. You can say ‘Salaam Alaikum’ to a speaker of Dari if you just want to greet them.
What languages are spoken in Afghanistan?
Afghanistan is a multilingual country with two official languages Dari and Pashto. Dari is the lingua franca of the country as it is spoken by 77% of the population. 48% of the population speaks Pashto. Various other languages including Uzbek, Urdu, English, Turkmen, and Arabic are also spoken by small percentage of the population.
What language is mainly spoken in Afghanistan?
Although Afghanistan has two official languages Dari and Pashto, it is the former which is spoken by the majority of the population. Dari is also the language which is given the most importance by the government. Anyone can get by in Afghanistan as long as they know Dari. Dari is a variety of the Persian language.
Is English spoken in Afghanistan?
The people of Afghanistan speak various languages, but English has not gained enough popularity in this country. Only 6% of the population spoken English in 2017, which is quite low compared to some other countries in the region like India and Pakistan. But the younger generation of Afghans are trying to change this stat by learning English.
Is Farsi and Dari the same?
Dari is one of the two official languages of Afghanistan. It is also given preference by the government. It is a variety of the Persian language, which is also known as Farsi. Farsi and Dari are the same in a way. They do have a few differences due to the physical distance between them but they are different varieties of the same language.
Facts About Pashto:
Pashto is spoken in both Afghanistan and Pakistan but enjoys the official status only in the former. It is known to be originated from an ancient tongue. The language is written in Arabic script but it is its oral literature which is more famous among its speakers. It is the type of long-form poems and stories that are passed on to other communities with the help of spoken word. It is spoken by more than 40% Afghans today.
Pashto is also known for its songs and movies. A lot of Pashto singers are also famous among non-native speakers. It is also quite common among Pashtun diaspora who use it as their primary tongue for communication. It also has three different types of dialects. The dialects in Afghanistan are different from the ones spoken in Pakistan. Not enough research has been done so far to establish whether or not they are mutually intelligible.
Facts About Dari:
A lot of people don’t know this about Dari but it is actually a Persian dialect. More than 50% Afghans speak Dari and it is also used by the government and TV channels for communicating with the public. The name of the tongue is often the topic of debate among Afghans who prefer to call it ‘Farsi’. They worry that the term Dari would distance them from their ties to the Farsi speaking countries like Iran.
Dari has nine main dialects which are spoken throughout Afghanistan. It is mutually intelligible with Farsi, the Persian spoken in Iran, but the two do have enough differences to be considered separate dialects. The vowels of Dari are different from that of Farsi. The reason it is so important in Afghanistan is its status as the lingua franca. There are many minority tongues spoken in the country, but Dari is what the citizens use to communicate with when they don’t know each other’s regional tongues. It used to be the language of the court but over the years, it had to go through various evolutionary phases. However, after all this time, Dari has not stopped being important. It enjoys a special status in the Afghan constitution and in the hearts of the Afghan people.
Now you know the official Afghanistan language a bit better than before. The multilingual country should be commended for keeping its literary world alive despite being caught in a war that has been going on for years.
