Contents

Wanetsi

Pakistan

Balochistan

150,000 (2020)^[1]

Pashto alphabet

wne

wane1241

Waṇetsi (Waneci: وڼېڅي), commonly called Tarīno (Waneci: ترينو), and sometimes Tsalgari (Waneci: څلګري), is a distinct variety of Pashto and is considered by some to be a different language. In some cases, Wanetsi shares similarities with the Pamir language of Munji, being a sort of bridge between the former and Pashto.^[3] It is perhaps a representation of a more archaic, or very early, form of Pashto.^[4]

It is spoken by the Tareen, Mashwani and other Pashtun tribes in Balochistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, primarily in Harnai (هرنای) (Harnai District) and Chawter (چوتېر) area in Sanjawi, Northern Balochistan, Pakistan.^[3] The language is at risk due to lack of attention and not liking it as a language by foreigners.^[5]

History[edit]

Professor Prods Oktor Skjærvø states:^[6]

"The Pashto area split into two dialect groups at a pre-literary period, represented today on the one hand by all the dialects of modern Pashto and on the other by Waṇeci and by archaic remains in other Southeast dialects"

— page 386

According to Encyclopædia Iranica Waṇetsi branched off from the other Pashto dialects in the Middle Iranian stage:^[7]

Some of Waṇetsi's particularities (e.g. šwī “twenty,” mōš “we,” [a]γa “of;” the pres. endings; retention of rž; loss of -t-) prove that it must have split off from Paṣ̌to at an early Middle Iranic stage, considerably before the constitution of a standard Paṣ̌to. They can scarcely have developed after the arrival of the Waṇetsi speakers in their present home, which is in no way topographically cut off from the rest of Paṣ̌to territory. These speakers must rather represent the forerunners of the main Paṣ̌tūn movement towards the east, but when and where they split off is at present impossible to say.

— Section F.

Research[edit]

The first known linguistic research was conducted in 1929 by Georg Morgenstierne on Waṇetsi.^[8] Since then linguists like Josef Elfenbein have worked and researched on this archaic Pashto dialect.^[9][10][11] In his book, Syed Khair Muhammad Arif, 『Tarin aw Tarīno』has also included a small dictionary of Waṇetsi.^[12] ٙBut much work remains to be done on understanding Waṇetsi.^[13]

Poetry[edit]

Tareeno Poem

Recited by Nizamuddin Nizami

The Waṇetsi Poet Nizamuddin Nizami Tarin, a Spin Tarin from Chawter, has also compiled poetry in the language. An excerpt from his poem in Waṇetsi:

Music[edit]

Khayam Tareen - Waṇetsi

A one minute interlude of a song in the Tareeno language; sung by Khayām Tareen [Harānai, Balochistān]

The singer Khayam Tareen (خيام ترين) has also sung songs in Waṇetsi.^[5]

Phonology[edit]

Consonants[edit]

Alveolar

Retroflex

Post-
alveolar

Palatal

Velar

Uvular/
Glottal

m

n

ɳ

ŋ

voiceless

p

t̪

ʈ

k

b

d̪

ɖ

ɡ

voiceless

t͡s

t͡ʃ

d͡z

d͡ʒ

ɽ

voiceless

s

ʃ

x

h

z

ʒ

ɣ

l

j

w

r

• Waṇetsi has [ʃ] and [ʒ] for Pashto ښ and ږ, respectively.^[14]
• څ does not merge with [s] but can be pronounced as [t͡s] and ځ does not merge with [z] but can be pronounced as [d͡z].^[15]
• [h] is dropable in Waṇetsi e.g. هغه becomes اغه^[14]

Vowels[edit]

Back

i

u

e

ə

o

a

ɑ

• Josef Elfenbein states: "ī and ū are not phonemically distinct from i and u respectively, and are pronounced [i] and [u] respectively when unstressed (and not [ɪ] and [ʊ] as in Kākaṛī), and [iː] and [uː] when stressed."^[16]
• There is a marked spontaneous tendency to palatalize『ī』as『yī』and『ē』as "yē"; and to labialize『ū』as『wū』and『ō』as "wo". Initial delabialization is common in『wū』as『ū』and『wō』as "ō".^[15]
• The stressed short『á』is often lengthened, and an unstressed long『ā』shortened.^[15]
• The standard weakening of final vowels in Waṇetsi makes the masculine-feminine gender distinction much less audible: [ə] and [a] are not phonemically distinct when unstressed in any position. But stressed final ә́ is kept apart from stressed á as in general Pashto.^[15]

Nasalisation[edit]

Nasalisation

میاں‎

Waṇetsi also has vowel nasalisation which is transcribed as / ̃/ or ں in the Pashto alphabet.

Stress[edit]

Verbs[edit]

Like Pashto, verbs have final stress in the imperfective aspect and initial stress in the perfective aspect.

Perfective

(Initial Stress)

Meaning

I was sitting

چينستي

čī́nastī

I sat down

Examples:

Verb Stress

Tareeno - Imperfective Aspect

Waṇetsi

Southeastern Pashto

Translation

زې چينستي خو اغه راغيا

زه کښېناستم خو هغه راغله

I was sitting [or about to sit] that she came

zə kšenāstə́m xo hağá rā́ğla

زې چينستي

زه کښېناستم

I sat

zə kšénāstəm

Words[edit]

Stress can also change the meaning of words, as in Pashto.

Example:

Word Stress: Example

jṓṛa [well; agreement]

IPA: following exception stress pattern

Meaning 2

/ˈd͡ʒoː.ɽa/

well/healthy [feminine];

agreement/peace

/d͡ʒoː.ˈɽa/

a pair

jṓṛa

jōṛá

Subdialects[edit]

Tarīno is subdivided into the Harnāi variety and the Chawter variety.

Grammatical comparison with general Pashto[edit]

Adpositions[edit]

Possessive[edit]

The possessive postposition غه is used instead of د^[17]

د

dә
(preposition)

of

Example:

Meaning

^[3] اندي وګړي چي موش پيار غه څټ لېژدي وي

په دې کلي کې زموږ د پلار ډېر غويان وو

In this village our father had many bulls.

pə de kə́li ke zmuž də plār ḍer ğwayā́n wu

Idiomatic Expression[edit]

Tareeno also varies from Pashto in idiomatic expression.

Example:

Idiomatic Expression - Example

Nahī́r

نهير¹ /nahī́r/ “thought” - used with the verb to hit

Meaning

ته دا نهير وله

ته داسې سوچ وکړه

Think like this

you like-this thought do [imperative]

Verbal Suffixes[edit]

First Person Suffix[edit]

The first person verbal suffixes also change:

Change noted

زه کوم

zә kawә́m

I do

م ← ي

i ←әm

زه وايم

zә wāyә́m

I say

Second Person Suffix[edit]

Feminine Second Person

د يوګړي دپاره وياړه او د ډېرګړي دپار وياړې Translation: For the singular:『wyā́ra』and for the plural "wyā́re"

Some verbal suffixes like the feminine third person suffix [ه and ې] are the same:

لاړه

lā́ṛa

She went

لاړې

lā́re

They [females] went

Third Person Suffix[edit]

Past Suffix[edit]

Like standard Pashto the third person suffix for verbs with the root وتل the third person past suffix is different for the singular and plural.

that man entered it

دغه سړی ور ته ننووت

dága saṛáy war tə nə́nawot

those men entered it

دغه سړی ور ته ننواته

dága saṛí war tə nə́nātə

Comparison with general Pashto[edit]

Poetry[edit]

The following is provided by Zamir Gulbahar (ظمير ګلبهار), a Tareeno poet from Harnai:

Lexical Comparison[edit]

The following list has been provided by the Waṇetsi poet Nizamuddin Nizami

taražmī́

ترژومۍ

the time of the evening where the darkness has not been fully come;

the night where the moon is hidden

ğūblə́

قبله

Kiblah

láha

شېله

a watercourse in which rain water flows

and ultimately joins a river

laháṛ

مانده

weak; tired

žə́la

ږغل

sludge, gravel

kūlí

کوډل

shack

partsála

برنډه

veranda

gōg

روشندان

roshandan; combined skylight and ventilating window.

arğōlá

لنګر

kitchen

ğṓla

صحن

patio

orbṓy

هوېلي

haveli

dárga

دروازه/وړ

door

lešt

لښته

stick

kā́wi

لوښي

dishes

ğāb

ټولګي

plate

mangōṭá

کټو

cooking pot

čimčarə́

کشهغه

spoon

kṛetsí

د لرګي چمچي

a wooden spon

špe tə̃ná

د شپې ځای

the place for the night

rebún

قميص

shirt

buxtsə́

بوتوه

purse

lās winzū́na

واشبېسن, سلمچي

washbasin

guḍī́

غړک

the handle for the press used to make buttermilk

badnī́

لوټه

a small jug/bucket

dang

بوتل

bottle

mežwá

مېژوی

peg; tethering post; tied on a horse

xōlbáza

سرپوښ

lid, dish cover

letskí

پرړه

rope

tabxá

ټګونه

a flat pan

mangá

منګی

earthenware waterpot

ranglū́n

د رنګ لوټه

a container for colour

waṛáke

وړۍ

wool

pōrdág

پرتوګ

pant

pā́xle

پایڅې

the openings of a pant near the ankle; cuffs/hems

paṭká

پټکی

turban

yayə́r

راشن

ration

ğwaṛə́na

کتنپلاوی

overseer/oversight

tū́ṇa

بازار

market

Sentence Comparison[edit]

Sample 1[edit]

Sentence Comparison: Sample 1

Sentence 1: Wanetsi

The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami

Waṇetsi

General

[Southeastern Pashto accent]

Translation

خور کور مې اغه توني ته نزدې ده

د خور کور مې هغې ځای ته نژدې دی

My sister's house is near to that place

də xor kor me háğe dzāy tə niždé day

زې اوبه غوزي

زه اوبه څښم

I am drinking water

zə obə́ čšə́m

موش څه غندم وکورو بیار بې وته درمو

موږ چې غنم وکرو نو بيا به ورځو

Once we plant the wheat, then we will go [to them]

muž če ğanə́m wə́ karu no byā ba war dzú

ته غره یې کوز سه بیار به دې وسره خبرې وکي

ته د غرۀ نه راکوشه نو بيا به در سره خبررې وکړم

You come down from the mountain, then i will talk to you

tə də ğrə na rā́kuša no byā bə dar sará xabə́re wə́ kṛam

آ چوره دې لونډه خوره

هغه نجلۍ ډوډۍ خوري

That girl over there is eating food

háğa njalə́i ḍoḍə́i xwri

ما لوشي واخسته

ما جامې واغستې

I wore clothes

mā jāmé wāğaste

ته بي ښار ته ویاړې

ته بل ښار ته لاړې

You went to anothercity

tə bəl šār tə lā́ṛe

زمي چي دلته واوره ورېده

ژمي کې دلته واوره ورېده

In winter it was snowing here

žə́mi ke də́lta wā́wra waredá

مور یې مچنې ډلي

مور يې مېچنې ګرځولې

His/her/there mother was working the hand-mills

mor ye mečə́ne gardzawlé

ما واده چي لبه که

زه ګډېدم په وادۀ کې

I was dancing in the wedding

zə gaḍedə́m pə wādə́ ke

ته بډا سوې

ته بوډه شوې

You have become old

tə budá šwe

اغه ښځې اندي توني يه اورته ویاړه

هغه ښځه دې ځاي نه هلته لاړه

That woman went from this place to therere

háğa šə́dza de dzáyi na hálta lā́ṛa

Sample 2[edit]

Sentence Comparison: Sample 2

Sentence 1: Wanetsi

The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami

Waṇetsi

General

[Southeastern Pashto accent]

Translation

کاډي وچلوه

ګاډی وچلوه

Drive the car

gā́day wə́ čalawa

ته اورته مه درمه

ته هاغې خوا ته مه ځه

Don't go to that side [over there]

tə háğe x̌wā tə mə́ dza

اور بلو ده که مړ

اور بل دی که مړ

Is the fire alight/burning or extinguished

or bal day kə maṛ

اغه خلک دې ارغولي اوره مندې کاوي چینه وین

هغوی خلک د نغري په اور لوښي اېږدي

Those people keep dishware on hearth's fire

hağúi xalák də nağarí pə or lóši iždí

درګه بند نه وي نو دغه سړا وته چوت

ور بند نه و نو دغه سړی پې ور ننوت

The door was not closed so the man entered [through it]

war band nə wə no dáğa saṛáy pe war nənawát

اس پرېووت

اس پرېووت

The horse feel

as préwot

څوړي لا وړې دي او نهړې دي داګایه دې نه سین الوتا

مرغۍ لا وړې او کمزورې دي ځکه نه شي اوتلې

The birds are yet small and weak they cannot fly

marğə́i lā waṛé aw kamzóre di dzə́ka nə ši alwatə́le

ونه دې پرې که ده

ونه دې پرې کړې ده

Have you cut the tree

/ You have cut the tree

wə́na de pré kaṛe da

اغه مځکې یه غندم ورېبه

هغې ځمکې نه غنم ورېبه

Reap wheat from that land

háğe dzmə́ke na ğanə́m wə́ reba

څه ووړه تېر سه نو بې اسپې تا مندې خرڅې کي

اوړي تېر شي نو اسپې به در باندې خرڅوم

Let the summer pass then I will sell the horse on you

óri ter ši no áspe bə dar bā́nde xartsawə́m

تا کور کم وګړي چي ده

ستا کور کوم کلي کې دی

In which village is your house

stā kor kom kə́li ke day

دا چوره څو کالو غه ده

دا نجلۍ د څو کالو ده

How old is this girl

dā njlə́i də tso kā́lo da

Sample 3[edit]

Sentence Comparison: Sample 3

Sentence 1: Wanetsi

The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami

General

[Southeastern Pashto accent]

Translation

ته چرې یې

ته چېرته يې

Where are you

tə čérta ye

دغه خوا یه راغا

دغې خوا نه راغی

He came from that direction

dáğe xwā na rā́ğay

که تاس ویو او موش ویو نو بې هېڅ نه سین

که تاسو يئ او موږ يو نو هيڅ به نه کېږي

If you are there and we are there nothing will happen

kə tā́so yəi aw muž yu no hits bə nə kéži

میر ما مخ ته ده

لمر زما مخې ته دی

The sun is to my front

lmar zmā mə́xe tə day

اغه چوره څه لویه سین نو اله بې وته واک سپاري

هغه هلک چې لوی شي نو هله به ورته دا واک سپارم

When that boy grows up then I will entrust with this authority

háğa halə́k če loy ši no hála bə war tə dā wāk spārə́m

دا دریاب چي پارند بېړي ډبه سوه

په دې سيند کې پرون بېړۍ ډوبه شوه

In this river, yesterday a ship sank

pə de sind ke parún beṛə́i ḍúba šwa

سېبه درختو چي پیخه سو

مڼې په ونو کې پخې شوې

The apples ripened in the trees

maṇé pə wə́no ke paxé šwe

سېبه دې درختو چي پیخه سین

مڼې په ونې کې پخېږي

The apples are ripening in the trees

maṇé pə wə́ne ke paxéži

زې لا اورته نه یي ید څه ویاړسي تا ته بې اوایي

زه لا هلته نه يم تللی چې لاړشم تا ته به وويم

I have not gone there yet when I go I will tell you

za lā hálta nə yam tlə́lay če lā́ṛšam tā tə bə wə́ wayəm

سترګې ېې شنې دي

سترګې ېې شنې دي

His/her eyes are green

stə́rge ye šne di

تر یه دوه درې څلورو پورې دې خالي ویا سي

تر يو دوه درې څلور پورې تش ویلی شم

I cam only say till one two three

tər yaw dwa dre tsalór póre taš wayə́lay šam

دا کپړه سره او کربي ده

دا کپړه سره او ښکلې ده

This cloth is red and beautiful

dā kapṛá sra aw škʊ́le da

Sample 4[edit]

Sentence Comparison: Sample 4

Sentence 1: Wanetsi

The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami

General

[Southeastern Pashto accent]

Translation

میر دې دو ګوتو پورې نس پټ

لمر په دوو ګوتو نه پټېږي

The sun does not hide by two fingers [a matal]

lmar dwo gwə́to nə́ paṭéži

سونډې مندې مېچ مه انه (مانه)

په پوزې مچ مه پرېږده

Don't let a fly on your nose

[a matal]

pə póza məč mə́ prežda

غوا یې ولوېسیا بیار یې پرې وښه اوخواړ

غوا يې ولوشله او بيا يې پرې واښه وخوړل

He/she milked the cow and then he/she made it eat hay/herbage

ğwā ye wə́ lwəšəla aw byā ye pre wāšə́ wə́ xwaṛəl

آ اورې چرګانو هویې واچې

هاغو لرې خوا ته چرګانو هګۍ واچولې

The sun is to my front

hā́ğo lə́re xwā tə čərgā́no hagə́i wā́čawəle

ته ځنې څو جګ یې

ته ترې څونه دنګ يې

From him/her how tall are you

tə tre tsóna dəng ye

دومبې سوچه مه وله

دومره سوچونه مه کوه

Don't think so much

dū́mra sočū́na mə́ kawa

ګامېښې دې ورسو چي غړېږین

مېښې دې ورشو کښې څرېدې

[Your] buffalos [feminine] were grazing in the pasture

méše de waršó kše tsaredé

څپلي / چپړکې شپوکې که نا

څپلۍ/چپړې اغوندې که نه

also

څپلۍ / چپړې په پښو کوې که نه

Are you wearing the slipper or no

tsaplə́i / čapáṛa ağundé kə nə

also

tsaplə́i / čapáṛa pə pšo kawé kə nə

اغې رېبون ونغاړي

هغې کميس ونغښتۀ

She folded the shirt

hağé kamís wə́ nğaštə

رېبنان ونغاړه

کميسونه ونغاړه

Fold the shirts

kamísū́na wə́ nğāṛa

ترژه ده او کهل مي ده

تږی دی او ستړی هم دی

He is thirsty and also tired

tə́žay day aw stə́ṛay ham day

تا حق خالي خپل کار لا کړنګ ته ده کله مي کار مېوې ته نه

ستا حق تش خپل کار يا کړنې ته دی کله هم د کار مېوې ته نه

Your right is only to your own work or action never-ever to the fruit of action

stā hak taš xpəl kār yā kṛə́ne tə day kə́la ham də kār mewé tə nə

Grammar[edit]

Nouns - Morphology[edit]

Class 1[edit]

• Masculine Animate: mə́ser - elder (In general Pashto: mə́sər

Singular

Plural

mə́ser

məserā́n

məserə́

mə́serā́no

• Masculine Animate: lewә́- wolf

Singular

Plural

lewә́

lewā́n

lewā́no

• Masculine Animate: xar- donkey

xar

xrā́n

xrə́

xro

• Masculine Animate: pšə́ - tom-cat (in general Pashto: piš)

Singular

Plural

pša

pšyā́n

pšə́

pšyā́nū

• Masculine Inanimate: dārū́ - medicine

Singular

Plural

dārū́

dārūwā́n

dārūwē

dārūwo

• Masculine Inanimate: kor - house

Singular

Plural

kor

korū́na

korə́

korū́no

• Feminine Animate: pšī - cat (in general Pashto: piśó)

Singular

Plural

pšī

pšyā́ne

pše

pšyā́no

• Feminine Inanimate: lyār - way (in general Pashto: lār)

Singular

Plural

lyār

lyā́re

lyā́re

lyā́ro

• Feminine Inanimate: xwā́šī - mother-in-law

Singular

Plural

xwā́šī

xwā́šī

xwāšó

• Feminine Inanimate: čaṛə́ - mother-in-law

Singular

Plural

čaṛə́

čaṛī́

čaṛī́

čaṛó

• Feminine Inanimate: lergā́ - stick

lergā́

lergī́

lergī́

lergó

Class 2[edit]

• Masculine Animate: yirźá - bear (in general Pashto: يږ [yәẓ̌, yәg, yәź])

Singular

Plural

yirźá

yirźiān

yirźí

yirźío

• Masculine Animate: spa -dog (in general Pashto: spáy)

Singular

Plural

spá

spiā́n

spī́

spiā́no

• Masculine Inanimate: wagaṛá -village (in general Pashto: kə́lay)

Singular

Plural

wagṛá

wagaṛyā́n

wagaṛí

wagaṛyó

• Feminine Animate: spī - female-dog (in general Pashto spə́i)

Singular

Plural

spī

spī

spīu

Class 3[edit]

• Masculine Inanimate: špaźmi -moon (in general Pashto spoẓ̌mə́i, a feminine noun)

Singular

Plural

شپږمي

špaźmī́

špaźmí

špaźmyó

• Feminine Inanimate: méle -celebration (in general Pashto melá)

Singular

Plural

méle

méle

melyú

Class 4[edit]

• Masculine Animate: spor- horseman

Singular

Plural

spor

spārə́

spārə́

spāró

• Masculine Inanimate: rebún - shirt

Singular

Plural

rebún

rebnā́n

rebnānə́

rebnā́no

Class 5[edit]

• Masculine Animate: ğal

Singular

Plural

ğal

ğlúnə

ğlə

ğlunó

Agglutinative Formation[edit]

The (e)ya case is agglutinative.^[15]

də/lə šā nə

from the back

lə tsā́h nə

from the well

lə cā nə

from whom

lə xalkó nə

from the people

Demonstratives[edit]

In Waṇetsi اغه [aɣa] functions for both Pashto دغه (this) and هغه (that).^[15]

Fem.

áğa

áğa

áğә

áğa

áğe

áğә

áğe

áğo

áğu

Verb Infinitive[edit]

Where as General Pashto employs the ل [ә́l] to the past stem to make it infinitive, Waṇetsi employs نګ [ang] to the past stem to make it infinitive.^[15]

xwaṛә́l

to eat

lambedә́l

to bathe

waźә́l

to kill

wayә́l

to say

kawә́l

to do

kṣ̌enāstә́l

to sit

Bibliography[edit]

• J. H. Elfenbein, (1984). "The Wanetsi Connexion: Part I". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (1): 54–76.
• J. H. Elfenbein, (1984). "The Wanetsi Connexion: Part II". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (2): 229–241.
• J. H Elfenbein, (1967). "Lanḍa Zor Wəla Waṇecī". Archiv Orientální. XXXV: 563–606.

See also[edit]

• Pashto Dialects
• Pashto Grammar
• Wazirwola
• Ormuri language
• Pamiri languages

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Word list of terms in Waṇetsi and other languages