Page Type: languagePashai, Southeast | Ethnologue

PSI ISO 639-3

Pashai, Southeast

A language of Afghanistan

ISO 639
psi
Alternate Names
Pashai, Southeast Pashayi
Population
180,000 (2011 Pashai Language Development Project), increasing. 75,000 Laghman, 95,000 Nangarhar, 10,000 Kunar. 100,000 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 400,000.
Location:
Nangarhar province: north of Shewa; Laghman province; Alingar valley area; Upper and Lower Darrai Nur valley, Damench, Shale (Shari).
Language Status
5 (Developing). Statutory language of provincial identity in Nangahar, Laghman provinces (2004, Constitution, Article 16(2)).
Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Northwestern, Dardic, Pashai
Dialects
None known. Somewhat intelligible of Southwest Pashai [psh]; hardly intelligible of Northeast Pashai [aee] and Northwest Pashai [glh]. Lexical similarity: about 30% with Southwest Pashai [psh], Northeast Pashai [aee], and Northwest Pashai [psh].
Typology
SOV.
Language Use
Vigorous. Home, market, all informal settings. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Northern Pashto [pbu]. Also use Southern Pashto [pbt].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: Less than 20%. Many books for early readers have been produced by the Pashai people as part of their literacy program. The Afghanistan Ministry of Education plans to produce Pashai Language textbooks for first through twelfth grades. The first grade textbook is in progress. Radio. Dictionary. Texts.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Pashai, Southeast
Writing
Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], used in print. Arabic script, Nastaliq variant [Aran], used in handwriting and for book titles.
Other Comments
Muslim.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Nangarhar province: north of Shewa; Laghman province; Alingar valley area; Upper and Lower Darrai Nur valley, Damench, Shale (Shari).