Pashto Language Short History and Introduction

Pashto (Naskh: پښتو [paʂˈto]; also transliterated Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto, Pashtu, Paxto or Pushtu), also known as Afghani, is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people who are found primarily in the area between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan. It is a member of the Eastern Iranian languages group spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as by the Pashtun diaspora around the world.

Pashto belongs to the Northeastern branch of the Indo-Iranian language family, although Ethnologue lists it as Southeastern. The number of Pashtuns or Pashto-speakers is estimated 50-60 million people world wide. The Constitution of Afghanistan declares Pashto as one of the two official languages of the country, the other being Dari (Persian)