PESHAWAR: Research scholars and linguists at a conference on Monday stressed the need for evolving a standard script from all Pashto dialects.

The scholars put forward several proposals for working on different aspects of Pashto script on scientific lines so that the speakers of different dialects could use a standard script effectively for various academic and non-academic purposes.

The three-day conference titled ‘Variations in Pashto dialects’ at Baragali summer camp was arranged by Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar in collaboration with higher education department from July 13 to 15.

Eleven research scholars and linguists presented their papers at the conference on Kakar, Bitani, Marwat, Orakzai, Bangash, Afridi, Turi, Shinwari, Waziri, Khattak, Yousafzai, Mehsud, Banusi, Pekhawari, Dawar, Mulagori and Shalmani dialects of Pashto.

On the concluding three-day of the conference on Monday, the speakers said that variations in dialects showed richness and diversity of Pashto language.

Scholars say variations in dialects show richness of language

They said that work on its various aspects including culture, folklore and dialectology would further enrich it.

Dr Nasrullah Jan Wazir, the director of Pashto Academy, said that the main objective of the conference was to share important findings of the research scholars with the participants so that a standard Pashto script could be evolved.

He said that all the research papers regarding variations in Pashto dialects would be published in a book, which would be variable on the Pashto Academy website.

Prof Yousaf Khan Jazaab in his paper said that scholars were required to conduct research on phonology, morphology and vocabulary of Pashto as it would help them to evolve a standard dialect and an agreed Pashto script. He said that work on different Pashto dialects would bring unity and integration.

Mr Jazaab said that noted orientalist J J Lorimar was the first to write a celebrated book titled ‘A dictionary of Waziri language and grammar’ in 1902 followed by a number of other researchers.

He said that Anne Boyle David’s book ‘Descriptive grammar of Pashto and its dialects’ published in 2013 was the recent quality work.

Dr Umar Usman, another scholar, said that 70 per cent work on Pashto speech corpus had been completed and it would be uploaded to internet for further research on dialects of Pashto. He said that a dictionary of Pashto dialects would also be made possible with the help of the data collected through the field work of the scholars. A mushaira and question /answer session were also part of the conference.

Dr Yar Mohammad Maghmoom, Prof Anwar Ali Khan Orakzai, Prof Bushra Khatoon, Prof Farkhanda Liaqat and Prof Ismail Gohar also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2019