Central Pashto () is a standard variety of the Pashto language, spoken in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. They are the middle dialects of Mangal, Zadran, Mahsudi and Waziri. These dialects are affected by what Ibrahim Khan terms as "the Great KarlÃÂá¹ Vowel Shift".
Here is a comparison of Middle Dialects with South Eastern:
Daniel Septfonds provides the following example:
In à ¹adrÃÂá¹Âi, a vowel shift like Waziri has been noted:
Afridi/Apridi is also categorised as a Northern Phonology.
There is presence of the additional vowels close-mid central rounded vowel /õ/ and open back rounded vowel /ÃÂà/ in Apridi. The following vowel shift has been noted by Jdosef Elfenbein:
Naseem Khan Naseem provides the following list:
The following difference can be noticed in pronunciation:
The following is an example from Central Kurram agency; where a change in /ÃÂ/ to /ÃÂ/ can be seen:
In Waziri Pashto there is also a vowel shift
In Waziri dialect the in most other dialects of Pashto becomes in Northern Waziri and in Southern Waziri.
In Waziri dialect the stressed in most other dialects of Pashto becomes and . The in general Pashto may also become or . In Waziri dialect the stressed in general Pashto becomes .
When in begins a word in general Pashto can become , or [w]
A change is noticed:
The Khattak dialect, as deduced by Yusuf Khan Jazab in contrast to non-KarÃÂá¹Âi dialects differentiates lexemes in term of vowel lengthening.
Example: between and - transcribed as "e" and "ÃÂ" respectively to indicated the distinction.
The following words which are rare in Kandhari and Yusapzai Pashto, were noted by Yousaf Khan Jazab in the Khattak dialect:
In the Bannu dialect the nasalisation of vowels has been noted, as mentioned by Yousuf Khan Jazab:
As with other dialects stress on a particular syllable can also change the meaning of a word or aspect of the verb.