The Names of Afghanistan: Understanding Pushto and Dari Names

Bushra Zawaydeh, Ph.D. Senior Linguist Basis Technology Corp.

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Names and National Security

Understanding the linguistic properties of names and the usage of names in a particular culture is essential for intelligence gathering, and homeland security. If there is no one to one correspondence between naming conventions in English vs. other languages, what are the ramifications of that on things like filling up forms such as for visa application or entering the country?
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Layout of this talk

Languages of Afghanistan Their relationship with Arabic Persian/ Dari language Pushto language Afghani names (Pushto and Dari)
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Languages of Afghanistan
Official languages are Pushto and Dari (Afghan Persian). Turkic languages (Uzbek and Turkmen). Other languages: Balochi, Pashai, Nuristani, etc.
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--Pashto --Uzbek & Tu rkmen
--Balochi --hluristani

--Pashai
with the most spoken language colored *B::se-cl on map by AGCHCI after sources frorn Afgh:anistans Central Statistic Office. 15-B5

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Relationship of Pushto and Dari with Arabic

Arabic and Pushto and Dari are not related linguistically. Arabic is a Semitic language.
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Relationship of Pushto and Dari to Arabic

Pushto and Dari (Persian) are Indo European languages.
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Arabic
Since the Quran is written in Arabic, Arabic is considered to be the holy language of Islam. Arabian conquest occurred in the 7th century AD. Thereafter, Islam, Arabic, and the Arabic script were adopted. By the 11th century, Arabic was the common medium of expression from China to France. The Muslim Arab civilization flourished in the Arabian Peninsula, and was embraced by the Turks, Iranians, Afghans, Indians, North Africans, Spanish Andalusians.
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Arabic Script
The Arabic script was adopted to write languages whose nations embraced Islam. Persian, Urdu, Pushto, and even Turkish (until 50 years ago), used the Arabic script. Arabic is the second most widespread script in the world.
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Adoption of the Arabic Script

When the Arabic script was adopted, it was augmented to fit the phonologies of the non-Semitic languages. The alphabet was extended by the different languages. The 28 basic Arabic letters were extended to more than 100 letters (Esfahbod, 2004).
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Persian
Locally called:

Farsi in Iran Dari in Afghanistan Tajiki in former Soviet Union countries

Dialects:

Lari (in Iran) Hazaragi (in Afghanistan) Darwazi (in Afghanistan and Tajikistan)
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