Wanetsi


Waṇetsi , commonly called Tarīno, and sometimes Tsalgari, is a distinct variety of Pashto and is considered by some to be a different language. In some cases, Wanetsi shares similarities with the Pamir language of Munji, being a sort of bridge between the former and Pashto. It is perhaps a representation of a more archaic, or very early, form of Pashto.
It is spoken by the Tareen in Balochistan, Pakistan, primarily in Harnai and Chawter area in Sanjawi, Northern Balochistan, Pakistan. The language is at risk due to lack of attention and not liking it as a language by 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 was conducted in 1929 by Georg Morgenstierne on Waṇetsi. Since then linguists like Josef Elfenbein have worked and researched on this archaic Pashto dialect. In his book, Syed Khair Muhammad Arif, "Tarin aw Tarīno" 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 has also sung songs in Waṇetsi.

Phonology

Consonants

  • Waṇetsi has and for Pashto ښ and ږ, respectively.
  • څ does not merge with but can be pronounced as and ځ does not merge with but can be pronounced as .
  • is dropable in Waṇetsi e.g. هغه becomes اغه

    Vowels

  • Josef Elfenbein states: "ī and ū are not phonemically distinct from i and u respectively, and are pronounced and respectively when unstressed, and and 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: and 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
MeaningPerfective
Meaning
چينستي
čīnastī́
I was sittingچينستي
čī́nastī
I sat down

Examples:

Words

Stress can also change the meaning of words, as in Pashto.
Example:
WordIPA: following general stress pattern Meaning 1IPA: following exception stress patternMeaning 2
جوړهwell/healthy ;
agreement/peace
a pair
Transliterationjṓṛawell/healthy ;
agreement/peace
jōṛáa pair

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
WaṇetsiGeneral PashtoTranslation
غه
ğa
د

of

Example:
WaṇetsiSoutheasternMeaning
Sentenceاندي وګړي چي موش پيار غه څټ لېژدي ويپه دې کلي کې زموږ د پلار ډېر غويان ووIn this village our father had many bulls.
Sentenceindī́ wagaṛī́ čī moš pyār ğa tsaṭ leždī́ wīpə de kə́li ke zmuž də plār ḍer ğwayā́n wuIn this village our father had many bulls.

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 this
tə dā nahīr wū́laته داسې سوچ وکړهThink like this
you this thought hit you like-this thought do Think like this

Verbal Suffixes

First Person Suffix

The first person verbal suffixes also change:
WaṇetsiPashtoTranslationChange noted
زې کي
ze ki
زه کوم
zә kawә́m
I doم ← ي
i ←әm
زې وايي
ze wāyi
زه وايم
zә wāyә́m
I sayم ← ي
i ←әm

Second Person Suffix

Some verbal suffixes like the feminine third person suffix are the same:

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.
WaṇetsiMeaningStandard
دغه سړا وته چووت
dága saṛá watə čə́wot
that man entered itدغه سړی ور ته ننووت
dága saṛáy war tə nə́nawot
دغه سړي وته چواته
dága saṛí watə čə́wātə
those men entered itدغه سړی ور ته ننواته
dága saṛí war tə nə́nātə

Comparison with general Pashto

Poetry

The following is provided by Zamir Gulbahar, a Tareeno poet from Harnai:

Lexical Comparison

The following list has been provided by the Waṇetsi poet Nizamuddin Nizami

Sentence Comparison

Sample 1

The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami

Sample 2

The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami

Sample 3

The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami
Sentence No.
WaṇetsiGeneral
Translation
1ته چرې یېته چېرته يېWhere are you
1tə čáre yetə čérta yeWhere are you
2دغه خوا یه راغادغې خوا نه راغیHe came from that direction
2dága xwā ya rā́ğādáğe xwā na rā́ğayHe came from that direction
3که تاس ویو او موش ویو نو بې هېڅ نه سینکه تاسو يئ او موږ يو نو هيڅ به نه کېږيIf you are there and we are there nothing will happen
3kə tās wyō aw moš wyū no be hets nə sī́nkə tā́so yəi aw muž yu no hits bə nə kéžiIf you are there and we are there nothing will happen
4میر ما مخ ته دهلمر زما مخې ته دیThe sun is to my front
4mīr mā məx tə dalmar zmā mə́xe tə dayThe sun is to my front
5اغه چوره څه لویه سین نو اله بې وته واک سپاريهغه هلک چې لوی شي نو هله به ورته دا واک سپارمWhen that boy grows up then I will entrust with this authority
5áğa čorá tsə lōyá sīn no ála be watə wāk spāriháğa halə́k če loy ši no hála bə war tə dā wāk spārə́mWhen that boy grows up then I will entrust with this authority
6دا دریاب چي پارند بېړي ډبه سوهپه دې سيند کې پرون بېړۍ ډوبه شوهIn this river, yesterday a ship sank
6dā daryā́b či pārə́nd beṛi ḍə́ba swapə de sind ke parún beṛə́i ḍúba šwaIn this river, yesterday a ship sank
7سېبه درختو چي پیخه سومڼې په ونو کې پخې شوېThe apples ripened in the trees
7sebə́ dəraxtó či pīxə́ sumaṇé pə wə́no ke paxé šweThe apples ripened in the trees
8سېبه دې درختو چي پیخه سینمڼې په ونې کې پخېږيThe apples are ripening in the trees
8sebə́ de dəraxtó či pīxə sī́nmaṇé pə wə́ne ke paxéžiThe apples are ripening in the trees
9زې لا اورته نه یي ید څه ویاړسي تا ته بې اوایيزه لا هلته نه يم تللی چې لاړشم تا ته به وويمI have not gone there yet when I go I will tell you
9ze lā ortá nə yi yad tsə wyāṛsī́ tā tə be uwayī́za lā hálta nə yam tlə́lay če lā́ṛšam tā tə bə wə́ wayəmI have not gone there yet when I go I will tell you
10سترګې ېې شنې ديسترګې ېې شنې ديHis/her eyes are green
10stə́rge ye šne dīstə́rge ye šne diHis/her eyes are green
11تر یه دوه درې څلورو پورې دې خالي ویا سيتر يو دوه درې څلور پورې تش ویلی شمI cam only say till one two three
11tər yə duə dre tsalór póre de xālí wayā́ sitər yaw dwa dre tsalór póre taš wayə́lay šamI cam only say till one two three
12دا کپړه سره او کربي دهدا کپړه سره او ښکلې دهThis cloth is red and beautiful
12dā kapṛá sra aw kə́rbī dadā kapṛá sra aw škʊ́le daThis cloth is red and beautiful

Sample 4

The following examples have been provided by Nizamuddin Nizami
Sentence No.
WaṇetsiGeneral
Translation
1میر دې دو ګوتو پورې نس پټلمر په دوو ګوتو نه پټېږيThe sun does not hide by two fingers
1mīr de dwū/dū gwə́to pṓre nə́s paṭlmar dwo gwə́to nə́ paṭéžiThe sun does not hide by two fingers
2سونډې مندې مېچ مه انه په پوزې مچ مه پرېږدهDon't let a fly on your nose
2sū́nḍe mə́nde meč mə́ ana pə póza məč mə́ preždaDon't let a fly on your nose
3غوا یې ولوېسیا بیار یې پرې وښه اوخواړغوا يې ولوشله او بيا يې پرې واښه وخوړلHe/she milked the cow and then he/she made it eat hay/herbage
3ğwā ye wə́ lwesyā byār ye pre wašə́ ō-xwāṛğwā ye wə́ lwəšəla aw byā ye pre wāšə́ wə́ xwaṛəlHe/she milked the cow and then he/she made it eat hay/herbage
4آ اورې چرګانو هویې واچېهاغو لرې خوا ته چرګانو هګۍ واچولېThe sun is to my front
4ā ōre čərgā́no hóye wā́čehā́ğo lə́re xwā tə čərgā́no hagə́i wā́čawəleThe sun is to my front
5ته ځنې څو جګ یېته ترې څونه دنګ يېFrom him/her how tall are you
5tə dzə́ne tso jəg yetə tre tsóna dəng yeFrom him/her how tall are you
6دومبې سوچه مه ولهدومره سوچونه مه کوهDon't think so much
6dṓmbe sočə́ mə́ wuladū́mra sočū́na mə́ kawaDon't think so much
7ګامېښې دې ورسو چي غړېږینمېښې دې ورشو کښې څرېدې buffalos were grazing in the pasture
7gāméše de warsṓ cī gaṛežī́nméše de waršó kše tsaredé buffalos were grazing in the pasture
8څپلي / چپړکې شپوکې که ناڅپلۍ/چپړې اغوندې که نه
also
څپلۍ / چپړې په پښو کوې که نه
Are you wearing the slipper or no
8tsaplī́ / čapṛáke špoké kə nātsaplə́i / čapáṛa ağundé kə nə
also
tsaplə́i / čapáṛa pə pšo kawé kə nə
Are you wearing the slipper or no
9اغې رېبون ونغاړيهغې کميس ونغښتۀShe folded the shirt
9áğe rebū́n wə́ nğāṛīhağé kamís wə́ nğaštəShe folded the shirt
10رېبنان ونغاړهکميسونه ونغاړهFold the shirts
10rebnā́n wə́ nğāṛakamísū́na wə́ nğāṛaFold the shirts
11ترژه ده او کهل مي دهتږی دی او ستړی هم دیHe is thirsty and also tired
11tə́rža da aw kahál mī datə́žay day aw stə́ṛay ham dayHe is thirsty and also tired
12تا حق خالي خپل کار لا کړنګ ته ده کله مي کار مېوې ته نهستا حق تش خپل کار يا کړنې ته دی کله هم د کار مېوې ته نهYour right is only to your own work or action never-ever to the fruit of action
12tā hak xālī́ xpəl kār lā kṛang tə da kə́la mī kār mewé tə nəstā hak taš xpəl kār yā kṛə́ne tə day kə́la ham də kār mewé tə nəYour right is only to your own work or action never-ever to the fruit of action