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Pashto is classified as a West Iranian language within the Indo-European family.
Answer: False
Explanation: Pashto is classified as an Eastern Iranian language, not a West Iranian language, within the Indo-European family.
Linguists universally agree that Pashto descended directly from Avestan.
Answer: False
Explanation: Linguistic consensus does not universally support the direct descent of Pashto from Avestan; while some scholars propose this lineage or a close relation, others suggest a link to Bactrian, indicating ongoing scholarly debate.
Pashto shares characteristics with Eastern Middle Iranian languages like Khwarezmian and Sogdian.
Answer: True
Explanation: Pashto exhibits shared characteristics with Eastern Middle Iranian languages such as Khwarezmian and Sogdian, reinforcing its classification within the Eastern Iranian branch.
Within the Indo-European language family, to which branch is Pashto linguistically classified?
Answer: An Eastern Iranian language
Explanation: Pashto is classified as an Eastern Iranian language, a sub-branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, which are themselves part of the broader Indo-European language family.
Which of the following linguistic theories concerning Pashto's origin does not command universal agreement among linguists?
Answer: Both B and C
Explanation: Theories regarding Pashto's descent from Avestan or its link to Bactrian lack universal agreement among linguists, although its classification as an Eastern Iranian language is widely accepted.
Pashto shares characteristics with which group of languages, placing it within the Eastern Iranian branch?
Answer: Eastern Middle Iranian languages like Bactrian and Sogdian
Explanation: Pashto exhibits shared characteristics with Eastern Middle Iranian languages such as Bactrian and Sogdian, reinforcing its classification within the Eastern Iranian branch.
Pashto is primarily spoken in the southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
Answer: True
Explanation: Pashto is predominantly spoken in the southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan and within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, as well as in northern Balochistan.
Pashto holds official language status at the federal level in Pakistan, alongside Urdu and English.
Answer: False
Explanation: Pashto does not hold official language status at the federal level in Pakistan; Urdu and English are the federal official languages. It is recognized as a regional language in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Balochistan.
In Afghanistan, Pashto shares official status with the Dari language.
Answer: True
Explanation: In Afghanistan, Pashto officially shares status as an official language alongside Dari.
Estimates suggest that Pashto is spoken as a native language by over 70 million people worldwide.
Answer: False
Explanation: Estimates indicate that Pashto is spoken as a native language by at least 40 million people, with total speaker estimates reaching up to 60 million.
Pashto was formally granted official language status in Afghanistan in 1937 by the Pashto Academy.
Answer: False
Explanation: Pashto was formally granted official language status in Afghanistan via royal decree by King Zahir Shah in 1936, not 1937 by the Pashto Academy.
Pashto speakers in Pakistan face educational challenges due to Urdu and English being the primary mediums of instruction and a lack of locally relevant Pashto materials.
Answer: True
Explanation: Pashto speakers in Pakistan face educational challenges as Urdu and English serve as the primary mediums of instruction in government schools. This, combined with inadequate Pashto instruction and a scarcity of relevant materials, contributes to educational disparities.
Which two countries are identified as the primary geographic areas where Pashto is natively spoken?
Answer: Afghanistan and Pakistan
Explanation: The primary regions where Pashto is natively spoken are Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and northern Balochistan.
What is the estimated number of native Pashto speakers according to the provided source?
Answer: At least 40 million
Explanation: Estimates indicate that Pashto is spoken as a native language by at least 40 million people, with total speaker estimates reaching up to 60 million.
In Afghanistan, what is the official status of Pashto?
Answer: It holds official status alongside Dari.
Explanation: In Afghanistan, Pashto officially shares status as an official language alongside Dari.
In what year did Pashto formally gain the status of an official language in Afghanistan through a royal decree?
Answer: 1936
Explanation: Pashto was formally accorded official language status in Afghanistan via royal decree by King Zahir Shah in 1936.
What challenges do Pashto speakers face regarding education in Pakistan?
Answer: Urdu and English are primary mediums of instruction, and Pashto teaching is often poor.
Explanation: Pashto speakers in Pakistan face educational challenges as Urdu and English serve as the primary mediums of instruction in government schools. This, combined with inadequate Pashto instruction and a scarcity of relevant materials, contributes to educational disparities.
Historically, Pashto was referred to as 'Dari' in Persian literature.
Answer: False
Explanation: Historically, Pashto was referred to as 'Afghani' in Persian literature, not 'Dari'.
King Amanullah Khan promoted Pashto as a national language primarily after 1937.
Answer: False
Explanation: King Amanullah Khan promoted Pashto as a national language primarily after 1919, as part of his efforts to foster Afghan identity.
Persian historically served as the primary literary language and was widely used in Afghan government institutions, even by the Pashtun elite.
Answer: True
Explanation: Historically, Persian functioned as the primary literary language and was extensively utilized in Afghan government institutions, including by the Pashtun elite.
Rahman Baba (1650–1715) and Khushal Khan Khattak (1613–1689) are considered minor poets from the classical Pashto period.
Answer: False
Explanation: Rahman Baba and Khushal Khan Khattak are widely recognized as preeminent poets from the classical Pashto period, not minor figures.
Pashto poetry was used by figures like Khushal Khan Khattak to advocate for Pashtun unity during times of weakened power.
Answer: True
Explanation: During periods of weakened Pashtun power, Pashto poetry was utilized to advocate for Pashtun unity and mobilize support.
The Pata Khazana manuscript is universally accepted by scholars as an authentic 8th-century anthology of Pashto poets.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Pata Khazana manuscript, claimed to be an 8th-century anthology, is not universally accepted by scholars due to disputed authenticity, despite its cultural significance.
What historical name was used for Pashto in Persian literature?
Answer: Afghani
Explanation: Historically, Pashto was referred to as 'Afghani' in Persian literature, not 'Dari'.
Which institution was established in Afghanistan in 1931 for the promotion of the Pashto language?
Answer: The Pashto Society (Pashto Anjuman)
Explanation: The Pashto Society (Pashto Anjuman) was established in Afghanistan in 1931 to promote the Pashto language.
Historically, what role did Persian play within Afghan government and society?
Answer: It served as the literary language of the royal court and was widely used in government.
Explanation: Historically, Persian functioned as the primary literary language and was extensively utilized in Afghan government institutions, including by the Pashtun elite.
Who are widely regarded as the preeminent Pashto poets of the classical period?
Answer: Khushal Khan Khattak and Rahman Baba
Explanation: Khushal Khan Khattak and Rahman Baba are widely regarded as the greatest Pashto poets from the classical period.
According to the source, what role did Pashto poetry fulfill during periods of weakening Pashtun power?
Answer: It served to advocate for Pashtun unity and rally support.
Explanation: During periods of weakened Pashtun power, Pashto poetry was utilized to advocate for Pashtun unity and mobilize support.
The Pata Khazana manuscript is significant because it is claimed to be an anthology dating back to which historical period?
Answer: 8th century
Explanation: The Pata Khazana manuscript is significant because it is claimed to be an anthology of Pashto poets dating back to the 8th century.
In what year was the Pashto Academy in Peshawar established for the promotion of the Pashto language?
Answer: 1955
Explanation: The Pashto Academy in Peshawar was established in 1955 to promote the Pashto language.
Pashto follows an Object-Subject-Verb (OSV) word order and exhibits consistent ergativity.
Answer: False
Explanation: Pashto primarily follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order and exhibits split ergativity, a phenomenon where verb agreement varies based on tense and transitivity.
In Pashto, nouns and adjectives are inflected for gender, number, and four cases: direct, oblique, ablative, and vocative.
Answer: True
Explanation: Pashto nouns and adjectives are inflected based on gender (masculine/feminine), number (singular/plural), and four cases: direct, oblique, ablative, and vocative.
Pashto utilizes only prepositions and postpositions, similar to most other Indo-Iranian languages.
Answer: False
Explanation: Pashto's use of adpositions is distinctive in that it employs prepositions, postpositions, and circumpositions, unlike most other Indo-Iranian languages which primarily use prepositions and postpositions.
Pashto phonology includes five basic vowel sounds: /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/, and /a/, along with the mid-central vowel (schwa).
Answer: True
Explanation: Pashto phonology incorporates five primary vowel sounds (/i/, /u/, /e/, /o/, /a/) and the mid-central vowel (schwa).
Pashto's consonant system notably lacks retroflex stops and uvular stops.
Answer: False
Explanation: Pashto's consonant inventory is robust, featuring retroflex stops (e.g., /ʈ/, /ɖ/) and uvular stops (e.g., /q/), which are characteristic of many Iranian languages.
What is the typical word order observed in Pashto sentences?
Answer: Subject-Object-Verb (SOV)
Explanation: Pashto typically follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, structuring sentences with the subject preceding the object, which is then followed by the verb.
Pashto exhibits a grammatical feature termed split ergativity. What does this phenomenon imply?
Answer: The verb agrees with the object in past tenses and the subject in non-past tenses.
Explanation: Split ergativity in Pashto implies that verb agreement varies: it aligns with the subject in non-past clauses but with the object in past transitive clauses and the subject in past intransitive clauses.
Which of the following is not among the four cases specified for noun and adjective inflection in Pashto?
Answer: Accusative
Explanation: The four cases mentioned for noun and adjective inflection in Pashto are direct, oblique, ablative, and vocative; Accusative is not among them.
How does Pashto's utilization of adpositions distinguish it from most other Indo-Iranian languages?
Answer: It uses prepositions, postpositions, and circumpositions.
Explanation: Pashto's use of adpositions is distinctive in that it employs prepositions, postpositions, and circumpositions, unlike most other Indo-Iranian languages which primarily use prepositions and postpositions.
According to the source, which of the following represents a notable consonant sound present in Pashto?
Answer: Retroflex stops
Explanation: Retroflex stops are a notable feature of Pashto's consonant system, distinguishing it from languages that lack such sounds.
Early loanwords in Pashto vocabulary primarily came from Arabic and Persian.
Answer: False
Explanation: Early loanwords in Pashto vocabulary primarily originated from Greek and Old Persian, rather than Arabic and Persian.
Pashto dialects are primarily divided into "hard" northern and "soft" southern groupings.
Answer: True
Explanation: Pashto dialects are broadly classified into two primary groups: the southern dialects, characterized as 'soft' (Paṣ̌tō), and the northern dialects, known as 'hard' (Pax̌tō).
Literary Pashto is based on the Southern Ghilji dialect.
Answer: False
Explanation: Literary Pashto is primarily based on the North Western dialect spoken in the central Ghilji region, not the Southern Ghilji dialect.
Scholars like Coyle and MacKenzie agree that a single, universally defined "Standard" Pashto exists and is widely adopted.
Answer: False
Explanation: Scholars such as Coyle and MacKenzie posit that a single, universally defined "Standard" Pashto does not exist or is not widely adopted, acknowledging the language's inherent diversity.
The Pashto word 'khidmat' for 'service' is a native Pashto term with no foreign influence.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Pashto word 'khidmat,' meaning 'service,' is not a native term but rather a loanword derived from Persian and Arabic.
The Pashto word 'malgaray' or 'malgare' for 'friend' is derived from Persian.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Pashto word 'malgaray' or 'malgare,' meaning 'friend,' is indeed a loanword originating from Persian.
The Pashto term for 'morning' is 'maxam'.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Pashto term for 'morning' is 'gahí', not 'maxam', which refers to 'evening'.
Pashtuns typically use the Gregorian calendar for their months, with 'chetər' corresponding to March-April.
Answer: False
Explanation: Pashtuns typically utilize the Vikrami calendar for their months; for instance, 'chetər,' corresponding to March-April, is part of this system, not the Gregorian calendar.
The Pashto phrase 'stayay ma shey' translates directly to 'goodbye'.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Pashto phrase 'stayay ma shey' does not translate to 'goodbye'; rather, it is a greeting that literally means 'May you not be tired'.
What is the origin of the early loanwords present in Pashto vocabulary?
Answer: From Greek and Old Persian
Explanation: Early loanwords found in Pashto vocabulary primarily originate from Greek and Old Persian.
The two principal dialectal groupings of Pashto are commonly designated based on their pronunciation as:
Answer: Southern (soft) and Northern (hard)
Explanation: The two main dialectal groupings of Pashto are referred to as 'Southern (soft)' and 'Northern (hard)' based on their phonetic characteristics.
What serves as the basis for the artificial variety designated as "Literary Pashto"?
Answer: The North Western dialect spoken in the central Ghilji region
Explanation: The artificial variety known as "Literary Pashto" is primarily based on the North Western dialect spoken in the central Ghilji region.
Which scholar, among the following, suggests that a single, universally defined "Standard" Pashto does not exist?
Answer: Coyle and MacKenzie
Explanation: Scholars Coyle and MacKenzie suggest that a single, universally defined "Standard" Pashto is not extant or widely adopted.
What is the Pashto term for 'service,' and what are its loanword origins?
Answer: Khidmat, from Persian and Arabic
Explanation: The Pashto term for 'service' is 'khidmat,' which originates from Persian and Arabic.
Which Pashto word signifies 'friend' and is noted as a loanword from Persian?
Answer: Malgaray
Explanation: The Pashto word 'malgaray' (or 'malgare') signifies 'friend' and is identified as a loanword from Persian.
What is the Pashto term for 'evening'?
Answer: Maxam
Explanation: The Pashto term for 'evening' is 'maxam'.
Which calendar do Pashtuns typically employ for their months?
Answer: Vikrami calendar
Explanation: Pashtuns typically employ the Vikrami calendar for their months.
What is the literal translation of the common Pashto greeting 'stayay ma shey'?
Answer: May you not be tired
Explanation: The common Pashto greeting 'stayay ma shey' literally translates to 'May you not be tired'.
Bayazid Pir Roshan is credited with introducing 13 new letters to the Pashto alphabet in the 16th century.
Answer: True
Explanation: Bayazid Pir Roshan is historically recognized for introducing 13 new letters to the Pashto alphabet during the 16th century, contributing to its development.
Who is credited with introducing significant modifications, specifically 13 new letters, to the Pashto alphabet?
Answer: Bayazid Pir Roshan
Explanation: Bayazid Pir Roshan is credited with the introduction of 13 new letters to the Pashto alphabet in the 16th century.