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[Pashto] General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-09, 11:36
by Rémy LeBeau
Let's keep all general discussion of Pashto here in one thread (time to put the old catch-all "Pashto" thread to rest!). Here we can talk about anything really, learning Pashto, which textbooks and dictionaries you're using and how you're finding them, travelling in Afghanistan or Pakhtunkhwa, politics, society and culture in Afghanistan and Pakhtunkhwa... pretty much anything.

Except: You should make a new thread if you want to discuss specific areas of Pashto grammar or if you have any specific questions about usage, orthography ect.

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-09, 14:54
by kalemiye
Maybe there should be a "Short Questions" thread :)

Congratulations, now there is an specific forum for Pashto as well!

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-09, 16:31
by Meera
kalemiye wrote:Maybe there should be a "Short Questions" thread :)

Congratulations, now there is an specific forum for Pashto as well!


I know this is great :D

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-09, 19:36
by kalemiye
Meera wrote:
kalemiye wrote:Maybe there should be a "Short Questions" thread :)

Congratulations, now there is an specific forum for Pashto as well!


I know this is great :D


Do you know how to write Pashto in pashto-arabic script? :)

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-10, 1:37
by Meera
kalemiye wrote:
Meera wrote:
kalemiye wrote:Maybe there should be a "Short Questions" thread :)

Congratulations, now there is an specific forum for Pashto as well!


I know this is great :D


Do you know how to write Pashto in pashto-arabic script? :)


I am illerate in Pashto because I did not go to a school in Afghanistan and I never needed to. My brothers can both read and write Pashto, so can my father and mother. But I do regonize alot of words in Pashto script and can read some of it. I can speak in Pashto and when I hear anything in Pashto i can understand like news, songs etc. Just I was never formally taught how to read it.

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-10, 8:48
by kalemiye
Maybe we should post something about the alphabet. I vaguely remember somebody posting links to some websites in the general thread, let me see if I can find it...

My friends do not know how to write in Azeri either (neither in Latin or persoarabic script), so sometimes they even send sms to each other in Persian.

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-10, 16:39
by Meera
kalemiye wrote:Maybe we should post something about the alphabet. I vaguely remember somebody posting links to some websites in the general thread, let me see if I can find it...

My friends do not how write in Azeri either (neither in Latin or persoarabic script), so sometimes they even send sms to each other in Persian.


wat script is azeri written in?

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-10, 23:53
by kalemiye
Meera wrote:
kalemiye wrote:Maybe we should post something about the alphabet. I vaguely remember somebody posting links to some websites in the general thread, let me see if I can find it...

My friends do not how write in Azeri either (neither in Latin or persoarabic script), so sometimes they even send sms to each other in Persian.


wat script is azeri written in?


Depends. In Iran is written in a perso-arabic script, but in the Republic of Azerbaycan it is written in a latin-based script. It used to be written in cyrillic alphabet as well until 1992.

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-11, 3:04
by Meera
wow lol

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-14, 23:50
by Meera
So this is a response to Renata's question. The most important thing to know in Pashtun culture is called pashtunwali or really meaning (way of the pashtuns). When I was younger my dad kind of explained it to me as the "rulebook" of the Pashtuns. He said it was basically the rules for surviving. I really don't know where it orginated from, but even being in the United States my father still lives his life generally like Pashtunwali. Here are the main rules of Pashtunwali:

1.Melmastia (hospitality)- This just means being hosipital and freindly to all vistors. This is also means we have to respect any visitor no matter what race, ethinicty, social statu or what the person looks like. This changes though if the person is an enemy obviously :P

2.Nanawatai(Sancuary)-This means we must give protection to any human being that requests it. Even if it is someone on the run from the law, we protect that person till they are prooven guilty. Onetime my cousin was in a domestic dispute and came running to my familys house for protection, my family gave it to her and didn't tell her husband where she was. We ended up keeping her in the house till next moring. My cousin made with her husband now and all is well. :)

3.Badal (justice)-This means to get revenge on a wrongdoer.

4.tureh(bravery)-You have defend your house/land and of course your country :)

5.sabat(loyalty)- must be loyal to family, freinds and fellow tribal members.

6.Imandari (righteousness) - A Pashtun must always strive towards thinking good thoughts, speaking good words and doing other good deeds. Pashtuns must behave respectfully towards all creations including people, animals and the environment around them.

7.Isteqamat -must trust in god

8.Ghayrat (self honour or dignity) - Pashtuns must maintain their human dignity. Honour has great importance in Pashtun society and most other codes of life are aimed towards the preservation of one's honour or pride. They must respect themselves and others in order to be able to do so, especially those they do not know. Respect begins at home, among family members and relatives

9.Namus (Honor of women) - A Pashtun must defend the honor of Pashtun women at all costs and must protect them from vocal and physical harm.



For more info on this check this site: http://afghanland.com/culture/pashtunwali.html

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-15, 17:53
by księżycowy
Yay! new full fledged forum!

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-15, 20:36
by kalemiye
Thank you Meera! :)

What about celebrations? How do pashtuns celebrate New Year, etc? :)

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-15, 22:06
by księżycowy
Indeed, the info you gave on Pashto culture is quite interesting Meera.

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-16, 3:12
by Meera
We follow all the same celebrations as muslims. like ramadan, eid etc. My family celebrates norwaz but i kno some pashtuns who dont lie norwaz.

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-18, 20:29
by Meera
Im going to share some photos and explain them. :)

http://www.afghan-web.com/gallery/buzk.jpg
This is called Buzkashi, probably Afghanistan's favorite game. Its a very brutal game and instances where people have died. The Taliban banned this game in 1996, but I have been told its been popping up again. Also women are not allowed to particapate.


http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd25 ... ndahar.jpg
This is useually what a typical afghan house would look like. useually very few furinture, and we eat on the floor (which we dont do in america). Also we eat with our hands and do not use forks. Eating with a pashtun you always have to use your right hand. Never ever use your left hand unless you want to insult the person. Pashtun men and women useually eat in different sections of the house and the woman's center is blocked off by a curtain or purdah. Most Afghans drink tea all day with every meal no matter how hot it is.

http://www.litlovers.com/images/afg_chicken.jpg
qabuli palow :D

http://chowtimes.com/wp-content/uploads ... 00x600.jpg
This is an Afghan drink called Dogh. Its very good and tasty. If you dont like salt ask for sweet dogh.

http://www.rituscooking.com/web_images/ ... samosa.jpg
This is sombosa which is also very very good.


here are some pics of afghan tradtional clothes:
http://www.afghantribalarts.com/images/ ... 20side.JPG
http://www.afghantribalarts.com/images/ ... %20old.JPG
http://www.tarsian.com/catalog/images/S ... ple400.jpg
http://www.afghanethnicdolls.com/produc ... HilaLL.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... _Kabul.jpg
http://photos.afghanmania.com/img/4/8/6 ... _268_l.jpg

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-18, 21:40
by Meera

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-18, 21:41
by Meera

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-18, 22:19
by kalemiye
Nice posts Meera! :) Many people in Turkey and Iran also eat on the floor. There is a very nice traditional restaurant in Ankara, to go into the restaurant you must take your shoes off first and sit on the floor :). This is a picture of it:
Image

Does Afghan doogh taste like Turkish ayran? I loved drinking ayran along with my meals:
Image

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-19, 0:51
by Meera
Yep exactly like Aryan except we have a version with rosewater. Thats sweeter and most americans drink this kind :P

Re: General discussion

Posted: 2010-07-19, 1:31
by Meera