Languages
By: Anahi Ortiz
Pashto
Afghanistan has two official languages. Dari and Pashto. 50% of Afghans speak Dari. Dari is spoken in large urban areas in Afghanistan. It is also spoken a lot for business and government. More than 35% of the time Pashto is spoken. Pashto is spoken by Pashtuns. Some Pashto words come from Arabic or classical Greek. All Pashtuns are expected to be fluent in Pashto. Afghanistan’s national anthem is in Pashto. Pashto and Dari are written in Arabic script. Words are written from right to left. English is also spoken in Afghanistan cities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cbqaI45tEo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cbqaI45tEo
Dari
Dari is pronounced (dae ree.) Dari is divided into 2 dialects. Dari is spoken in the city of Yazd and Kerman. Dari is usually used in large urban areas. In 1500 B.C a group of nomadic warriors settled on the north-centeral plains now known as Balkh. They also spoke Dari and Pashto.Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karazi, is a Pashtun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P1vTGx_VNQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P1vTGx_VNQ
Works Cited
Qazi, Abdullah. "A Look at the Languages Spoken in Afghanistan." Afghanistan Online: Languages Spoken in Afghanistan. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.afghan-web.com/language/>.
Willis, Terri. Afghanistan. New York: Children's, 2008. Print.
Willis, Terri. Afghanistan. New York: Children's, 2008. Print.