Phonetic Variations in Yousafzai Dialect: A Corpus-Driven Phonetic Analysis of Thanewal Accent

Authors

  • Saqlain Hassan Assistant Professor, Riphah International University, Malakand Campus https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8861-6800
  • Maryam Mukhtyiar B.S. English Scholar, Riphah International University, Malakand Campus
  • Laiba Aziz B.S. English Scholar, Riphah International University, Malakand Campus
  • Kiran Zahir B.S. English Scholar, Riphah International University, Malakand Campus
  • Munazza Bibi B.S. English Scholar, Riphah International University, Malakand Campus

Keywords:

Phonetic Variation, Pashto, Thana, Yousafzai Dialect, Corpus, PRAAT.

Abstract

This research study aims to identify and understand the rules that govern the phonetic variation in the Thanewal accent of the Yousafzai dialect of the Pashto Language. This study is the pioneer study in observing the phonetic variation of the Thanewal accent. The Thanewal accent is spoken by thousands of people in Thana town of district Malakand. The researchers in the current study have collected data through the focus group technique of data collection with 7 participants belonging to Thana. A list of 50 words (nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives) has been identified, showing potential deviation from the normal Yousafzai dialect. The data analysis shows that the people in Thana deviate from the normal Pashto accent when pronouncing certain verbs, nouns, adjectives, and pronouns. Therefore, this corpus-based research study considers the accent spoken in Thana separate and distinct from other accents spoken in the Pashtun belt of Southeast Asia.

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Published

2025-01-03

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 01 (2024): Malakand University Research Journal of Pashto (Palatana)

Section

Articles