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  Languages of Afghanistan

Afghanland.com: In 5000 BC  there were 2 different languages categorized

PROTO EUROPEAN AND INDO EUROPEAN

The Indo European  branched into:

  • TOCHARIAN

  • INDO-PERSIAN

  • ANATOLIAN

  • HELLENIC

  • ALBANIAN

The Indo-Persian were divided to:

  • INDIC

  • PERSIAN

  • DARDIC (Extinct)

  • NURISTANI (Extinct)

The Persian Branched was Classified as:

  • AWESTAN (Extinct)

  • OLD PERSIAN

  • Old Persian divided into 2:

  • MIDDLE PERSIAN

  • SOGDIAN

  • PAHLAWI

Middle Persian Divided into 6 Modern Languages:

  • TAJIKI

  • PASHTO

  • BALUCHI

  • KURDISH

  • FARSI

  • DARI

DARI - Dari is derived from "darbari" meaning the language of the court of kings, spoken in the Central, Northern , and Western Provinces of Afghanistan

PASHTO - Pashto is spoken in the Southern , South eastern Provinces of Afghanistan, Pashtu could possibly be the ancestors all Hebrew Languages, and the language of the lost tribes of Israel. 8% of 150 million in Pakistan speak Pashto and 35% of 27 million in Afghanistan. 12 milllion in Pakistan and 9.45 million in Afghanistan with  total of 21.45 million pashto speakers on each side of the Durrand Line.

UZBAKI - Uzbaki is spoken by 1 Million Turkmens and 300 thousand of those speak Turkmani

Others - Other major languages Includes Baluchi modern Nooristani.

The Major Languages of Afghanistan are Pashto and Dari where an Afghan is familiar with at least one of these languages. Even thought there are over 60% pashtoons in Afghanistan, less than a third speak Dari.

Pashto 35%, Dari 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Source:Afghanland.com and CIA world fact book

   
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