Waṇetsi (), also called Tarīno () and sometimes Tsalgari (), is an eastern Iranian language that is spoken mainly in northern regions of the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is sometimes considered a distinct variety of Pashto and perhaps is a representation of a more archaic, or very early, form of Pashto. In some cases, Wanetsi shares similarities with the Pamir language of Munji, being a sort of bridge between the former and Pashto. However, Wanetsi is generally unintelligible to Pashto speakers.
It is spoken by the Tareen in Balochistan, Pakistan, primarily in Harnai (هرنای) (Harnai District) and Chawter (چوتېر) area in Sanjawi, northern Balochistan, Pakistan. The language is at risk of extinction due to lack of attention and a perception that it is a language of foreigners.
History Professor Prods Oktor Skjærvø states:
According to Encyclopædia Iranica Waṇetsi branched off from the other Pashto dialects in the Middle Iranian stage:
Research
The first known linguistic research on Waṇetsi was conducted in 1929 by Georg Morgenstierne. Since then linguists like Josef Elfenbein have worked and researched on this archaic Pashto dialect. In his book "Tarin aw Tarīno", Syed Khair Muhammad Arif has also included a small dictionary of Waṇetsi. ٙBut much work remains to be done on understanding Waṇetsi.
Poetry The Waṇetsi Poet Nizamuddin Nizami Tarin, a Spin Tarin from Chawter, has also compiled poetry in the language. An excerpt from his poem in Waṇetsi:
Music
The singer Khayam Tareen (خيام ترين) has also sung songs in Waṇetsi.
Phonology
Consonants LabialDenti-alveolarAlveolarRetroflexPost-alveolarPalatalVelarUvular/GlottalNasalPlosivevoicelessvoicedAffricatevoicelessvoicedFlapFricativevoicelessvoicedApproximantRhotic
Waṇetsi has [] and [] for Pashto ښ and ږ, respectively. څ does not merge with [s] but can be pronounced as [] and ځ does not merge with [z] but can be pronounced as []. [] is dropable in Waṇetsi e.g. هغه becomes اغه
Vowels FrontCentralBackCloseMidOpen
Josef Elfenbein states: "ī and ū are not phonemically distinct from i and u respectively, and are pronounced [i] and [u] respectively when unstressed (and not [ɪ] and [ʊ] as in Kākaṛī), and [iː] and [uː] when stressed." There is a marked spontaneous tendency to palatalize "ī" as "yī" and "ē" as "yē"; and to labialize "ū" as "wū" and "ō" as "wo". Initial delabialization is common in "wū" as "ū" and "wō" as "ō". The stressed short "á" is often lengthened, and an unstressed long "ā" shortened. The standard weakening of final vowels in Waṇetsi makes the masculine-feminine gender distinction much less audible: [ə] and [a] are not phonemically distinct when unstressed in any position. But stressed final ә́ is kept apart from stressed á as in general Pashto.
Nasalisation
Waṇetsi also has vowel nasalisation which is transcribed as / ̃/ or ں in the Pashto alphabet.
Stress
Verbs Like Pashto, verbs have final stress in the imperfective aspect and initial stress in the perfective aspect. Imperfective (mostly Final Stress)MeaningPerfective (Initial Stress)Meaningچينستي čīnastī́I was sittingچينستي čī́nastīI sat down Examples:
Examples Waṇetsi Southeastern Pashto TranslationImpefective (čīnastī́) زې چينستي خو اغه راغيا زه کښېناستم خو هغه راغله I was sitting [or about to sit] that she came ze čīnastī́ xo áğa rā́ğyā zə kšenāstə́m xo hağá rā́ğla Perfective (čī́nastī) زې چينستيزه کښېناستمI satze čī́nastizə kšénāstəm
Words Stress can also change the meaning of words, as in Pashto.
Example:
WordIPA: following general stress pattern [penultimate syllable]Meaning 1IPA: following exception stress patternMeaning 2جوړهwell/healthy [feminine]; agreement/peacea pairTransliterationjṓṛajōṛá
Subdialects Tarīno is subdivided into the Harnāi variety and the Chawter variety.
Grammatical comparison with general Pashto
Adpositions
Possessive The possessive postposition غه is used instead of د Waṇetsi General Pashto Translation غه ğa(postposition) د dә(preposition) of Example: Waṇetsi Southeastern MeaningSentence اندي وګړي چي موش پيار غه څټ لېژدي وي په دې کلي کې زموږ د پلار ډېر غويان وو In this village our father had many bulls.indī́ wagaṛī́ čī moš pyār ğa tsaṭ leždī́ wīpə de kə́li ke zmuž də plār ḍer ğwayā́n wu
Idiomatic Expression Tareeno also varies from Pashto in idiomatic expression.
Example:
نهير /nahī́r/ “thought” - used with the verb to hit TareenoSoutheastern PashtoMeaning ته دا نهير ولهته داسې سوچ وکړهThink like thistə dā nahīr wū́layou this thought hit [imperative]you like-this thought do [imperative]
Verbal Suffixes First Person Suffix The first person verbal suffixes also change: Waṇetsi Pashto TranslationChange noted زې کي ze ki زه کوم zә kawә́m I doم ← ي i ←әmزې وايي ze wāyiزه وايم zә wāyә́mI say
Second Person Suffix
Some verbal suffixes like the feminine third person suffix [ه and ې] are the same: Waṇetsi Pashto Translation وياړه wyā́ṛa لاړه lā́ṛa She wentgo:Aorist:Past:3Person:Singular:Feminineوياړې wyā́reلاړې lā́reThey [females] wentgo:Aorist:Past:3Person:Plural:Feminine
Third Person Suffix
Past Suffix Like standard Pashto the third person suffix for verbs with the root وتل the third person past suffix is different for the singular and plural. Waṇetsi Meaning Standard دغه سړا وته چووت dága saṛá watə čə́wot that man entered itدغه سړی ور ته ننووت dága saṛáy war tə nə́nawotدغه سړي وته چواته dága saṛí watə čə́wātəthose men entered itدغه سړی ور ته ننواته
dága saṛí war tə nə́nātə
Comparison with general Pashto
Poetry The following is provided by Zamir Gulbahar (ظمير ګلبهار), a Tareeno poet from Harnai:
Lexical Comparison The following list has been provided by the Waṇetsi poet Nizamuddin Nizami Waṇetsi Pashto Southeastern Pashto Meaning تره ژمي taražmī́ ترژومۍ the time of the evening where the darkness has not been fully come;
the night where the moon is hidden غوبله ğūblə́ قبله Kiblah لهه láha شېله a watercourse in which rain water flows and ultimately joins a river لهړ laháṛ مانده weak; tired ژله žə́la ږغل sludge, gravel کولي kūlí کوډل shack پرڅله partsála برنډه veranda ګوګ gōg روشندان roshandan; combined skylight and ventilating window. ارغولا arğōlá لنګرkitchen غوله ğṓla صحن patio اربوی orbṓy هوېلي haveliدرګهdárgaدروازه/وړdoor لېښت lešt لښته stick کاوي kā́wi لوښي dishes غاب ğāb ټولګيplateمنګوټاmangōṭáکټوcooking potچمچرهčimčarə́کشهغهspoonکړېڅيkṛetsíد لرګي چمچيa wooden sponشپې تناšpe tə̃náد شپې ځایthe place for the nightرېبونrebúnقميصshirtبخڅهbuxtsə́بوتوهpurseلاس وينځونهlās winzū́naواشبېسن, سلمچيwashbasinګوډيguḍī́غړکthe handle for the press used to make buttermilkبدنيbadnī́لوټهa small jug/bucketدنګdangبوتلbottleمېژواmežwáمېژویpeg; tethering post; tied on a horseخولبزهxōlbázaسرپوښlid, dish coverلېڅکيletskíپرړهropeتبخاtabxáټګونهa flat panمنګاmangáمنګیearthenware waterpotرنګلونranglū́nد رنګ لوټهa container for colourوړکېwaṛákeوړۍwoolپوړدګpōrdágپرتوګpantپاخلېpā́xleپایڅېthe openings of a pant near the ankle; cuffs/hemsپټکاpaṭkáپټکیturbanییرyayə́rراشنrationغوړنهğwaṛə́naکتنپلاویoverseer/oversightتوڼهtū́ṇaبازارmarket
Sentence Comparison Sample 1
The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami Sample 1Sentence No. [for corresponding audio] Waṇetsi General [Southeastern Pashto accent] Translation1 My sister's house is near to that place 2 زې اوبه غوزيزه اوبه څښمI am drinking waterze obə́ ğozízə obə́ čšə́m3موش څه غندم وکورو بیار بې وته درموموږ چې غنم وکرو نو بيا به ورځوOnce we plant the wheat, then we will go [to them]moš tsə ğandə́m wə́ kōru byār be watə dramū́muž če ğanə́m wə́ karu no byā ba war dzú4ته غره یې کوز سه بیار به دې وسره خبرې وکي ته د غرۀ نه راکوشه نو بيا به در سره خبررې وکړمYou come down from the mountain, then i will talk to youtə ğrə ye kū́z sa byār bə de wasará xabə́re wə́ kītə də ğrə na rā́kuša no byā bə dar sará xabə́re wə́ kṛam5آ چوره دې لونډه خورههغه نجلۍ ډوډۍ خوريThat girl over there is eating foodā čwára de lū́nḍa xwrə́háğa njalə́i ḍoḍə́i xwri6ما لوشي واخستهما جامې واغستېI wore clothesmā lōší wā́xstəmā jāmé wāğaste7ته بي ښار ته ویاړېته بل ښار ته لاړېYou went to anothercitytə bi šār tə wyā́ṛetə bəl šār tə lā́ṛe8زمي چي دلته واوره ورېده ژمي کې دلته واوره ورېدهIn winter it was snowing herezə́mi či də́lta wā́wra waredážə́mi ke də́lta wā́wra waredá9مور یې مچنې ډلي مور يې مېچنې ګرځولېHis/her/there mother was working the hand-millsmor ye mečə́ne ḍalī́mor ye mečə́ne gardzawlé10ما واده چي لبه کهزه ګډېدم په وادۀ کېI was dancing in the weddingmā wādə́ či lába kázə gaḍedə́m pə wādə́ ke11ته بډا سوېته بوډه شوېYou have become oldtə buḍā́ swetə budá šwe12اغه ښځې اندي توني يه اورته ویاړههغه ښځه دې ځاي نه هلته لاړهThat woman went from this place to therereáğa šə́dze indī́ tūní ya ortá wyā́ṛaháğa šə́dza de dzáyi na hálta lā́ṛa
Sample 2
The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami Sample 2Sentence No. [fore corresponding audio] Waṇetsi General [Southeastern Pashto accent] Translation1 کاډي وچلوه ګاډی وچلوه Drive the car gā́di wə́ čalawa gā́day wə́ čalawa 2 ته اورته مه درمه ته هاغې خوا ته مه ځهDon't go to that side [over there]tə ortá mə́ dramátə háğe x̌wā tə mə́ dza3اور بلو ده که مړاور بل دی که مړIs the fire alight/burning or extinguishedawə́r baláw da kə maṛor bal day kə maṛ4اغه خلک دې ارغولي اوره مندې کاوي چینه وین هغوی خلک د نغري په اور لوښي اېږديThose people keep dishware on hearth's fireáğa xalák de arğōlí awrə́ məndé kā́wi čīna wī́nhağúi xalák də nağarí pə or lóši iždí5درګه بند نه وي نو دغه سړا وته چوتور بند نه و نو دغه سړی پې ور ننوتThe door was not closed so the man entered [through it]dárga band nə́ wi no dáğa saṛá watə čəwṓtwar band nə wə no dáğa saṛáy pe war nənawát6اس پرېووت اس پرېووتThe horse feelas préwōtas préwot7څوړي لا وړې دي او نهړې دي داګایه دې نه سین الوتامرغۍ لا وړې او کمزورې دي ځکه نه شي اوتلېThe birds are yet small and weak they cannot flytsū́ṛi lā waṛé di aw nahṛé di dāgā́ya de nə́ sīn alwatāmarğə́i lā waṛé aw kamzóre di dzə́ka nə ši alwatə́le8ونه دې پرې که ده ونه دې پرې کړې دهHave you cut the tree / You have cut the treewə́na de pré ka dawə́na de pré kaṛe da9اغه مځکې یه غندم ورېبههغې ځمکې نه غنم ورېبهReap wheat from that landága mdzə́ke ya ğandə́m wə́ rebaháğe dzmə́ke na ğanə́m wə́ reba10څه ووړه تېر سه نو بې اسپې تا مندې خرڅې کياوړي تېر شي نو اسپې به در باندې خرڅومLet the summer pass then I will sell the horse on youtsə wōṛá ter sa no be áspe tā mənde xartse kíóri ter ši no áspe bə dar bā́nde xartsawə́m11تا کور کم وګړي چي دهستا کور کوم کلي کې دیIn which village is your housetā kor kam wagaṛī́ či dastā kor kom kə́li ke day12دا چوره څو کالو غه دهدا نجلۍ د څو کالو دهHow old is this girldā čwára tso kā́lo ğa dadā njlə́i də tso kā́lo da
Sample 3
The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami Sentence No. [fore corresponding audio] Waṇetsi General