Origins of the Pashto Language and Phases of its Literary Evolution

Abstract

The cultural and historical richness of the Pashto
language as well as its significance within the context of other languages
has been acknowledged across the world. This article explores the
contradictions of various historians and philologists in connection with
the origin of Pashtos as a main language of South Asia, with special
reference to Semitic and Aryan theories, the process of development of
its literature, the dialects of the language and its place within the context
of the South Asian linguistic reality. This work also explores the
evolution of Pashto literature and critically investigates a recently
conducted DNA study that negates Pakhtoon’s genetic association with
Arabs.