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Difference between Persian, Tajik, Pashtun and Baloch?

Kirran

Premium Member
Another thing that interests me is the languages. I find Arabic is an ugly language when used in conversation but poetic Arabic and musical Arabic sound good. Is there a difference in classical and modern Arabic?

My father is also a big fan of Urdu even though I see no difference in conversational Urdu and Hindi.

Do Arabic, Farsi, Dari and Urdu share the same alphabet? Are any of them mutually intelligible i.e. keeping with the thread title, can an Afghan understand Farsi or can a Tajik speak Dari or can a Azeri and Baloch speak to one another? Do the Pashtuns and Tajiks of Afghanistan have the same language?

Because my Saudi Arabian friend can read a bit of Urdu and he hasn't a drop of Indian or Pakistani blood in him! I also heard South Arabians aren't Muslim and have a completely different language to Arabic!

@MD

Do Zoroastrians use Farsi in their congregations and prayers? If not, what's the language?

Classical Arabic is the preserved literary Arabic of the 7th or 8th Century. Modern Arabic is in practice almost entirely constituted by very divergent dialects, which may or may not be mutually intelligible.

Arabic, Farsi, Dari and Urdu use the same, or very similar, alphabets. Farsi/Persian, Dari and Tajik are the same language. Arabic and Urdu are very different to each other and to Persian. What do you mean by an Afghan? An Afghan might be Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek... A Dari-speaking Afghan can understand Persian no problem. A Tajik too.

An Azeri and a Baloch, no I don't their languages would be mutually intelligible. The main language spoken by Pashtuns is Pashto, although there are many who speak Dari as a second or even a first language too. Pashto is not mutually intelligible with Persian.

There are groups in Southern Arabia which speak South Arabian languages, that are distinct from Arabic. But they're all still Arabs, and all still Muslims.
 

ronki23

Well-Known Member
Classical Arabic is the preserved literary Arabic of the 7th or 8th Century. Modern Arabic is in practice almost entirely constituted by very divergent dialects, which may or may not be mutually intelligible.

Arabic, Farsi, Dari and Urdu use the same, or very similar, alphabets. Farsi/Persian, Dari and Tajik are the same language. Arabic and Urdu are very different to each other and to Persian. What do you mean by an Afghan? An Afghan might be Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek... A Dari-speaking Afghan can understand Persian no problem. A Tajik too.

An Azeri and a Baloch, no I don't their languages would be mutually intelligible. The main language spoken by Pashtuns is Pashto, although there are many who speak Dari as a second or even a first language too. Pashto is not mutually intelligible with Persian.

There are groups in Southern Arabia which speak South Arabian languages, that are distinct from Arabic. But they're all still Arabs, and all still Muslims.

So Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Pashtuns are still Persian by race (Aryan) but they don't speak the Persian language Farsi?

And what are 'South Arabic' languages called? I recall you saying not all Arabs are Muslim so assume you're referring to Egypt's Copts, Yazidis of Iraq and the Orthodox Christians of Jordan and Palestine????
 

Kirran

Premium Member
So Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Pashtuns are still Persian by race (Aryan) but they don't speak the Persian language Farsi?

And what are 'South Arabic' languages called? I recall you saying not all Arabs are Muslim so assume you're referring to Egypt's Copts, Yazidis of Iraq and the Orthodox Christians of Jordan and Palestine????

Pashtuns, Tajiks, Persians, Uzbeks and Azeris are distinct ethnic groups. Tajiks and Persians speak different dialects of one language.

South Arabian languages are called just that. Well, Modern South Arabian languages, technically. There are six of them, see here -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_South_Arabian_languages

Yeah, among others, sure. Yazidis often aren't considered Arab, mind.
 

ronki23

Well-Known Member
Pashtuns, Tajiks, Persians, Uzbeks and Azeris are distinct ethnic groups. Tajiks and Persians speak different dialects of one language.

South Arabian languages are called just that. Well, Modern South Arabian languages, technically. There are six of them, see here -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_South_Arabian_languages

Yeah, among others, sure. Yazidis often aren't considered Arab, mind.

I was told Pashtuns, Tajik, Baloch, Azeris and Persians are all Iranic people e.g Aryan race on the last page. I thought only difference is whether they're Sunni or Shia and their language:- you yourself said Tajik Afghans can understand Farsi because it's same as Dari. You also said Pashtuns speak a different language to Tajik but Afghans normally know both Dari and Pashtun. A fair few seem to know Hindi/ Urdu

As for Arab languages, if I were to emigrate to Qatar, UAE, or Saudi Arabia for work, would it be necessary to learn Arabic because when I went to Dubai they all spoke English and Hindi/Urdu. I never stumbled across anyone who spoke only Arabic
 

Kirran

Premium Member
I was told Pashtuns, Tajik, Baloch, Azeris and Persians are all Iranic people e.g Aryan race on the last page. I thought only difference is whether they're Sunni or Shia and their language:- you yourself said Tajik Afghans can understand Farsi because it's same as Dari. You also said Pashtuns speak a different language to Tajik but Afghans normally know both Dari and Pashtun. A fair few seem to know Hindi/ Urdu

As for Arab languages, if I were to emigrate to Qatar, UAE, or Saudi Arabia for work, would it be necessary to learn Arabic because when I went to Dubai they all spoke English and Hindi/Urdu. I never stumbled across anyone who spoke only Arabic

Azeris are Turkic by language, their language is mutually intelligible with Turkish. "Aryan race" doesn't really exist, but the others are ethnic groups speaking Iranian languages, sure. I said Tajiks understand Persian anyway cos their language, Tajik, is a dialect of the same language.

I would have thought there'd be Emiratis who only speak Arabic. Certainly there'll be Saudis who only speak Arabic.

If you wanted to live there full time, and not just be in an expat community all the time, you'd need Arabic.
 

ronki23

Well-Known Member
Azeris are Turkic by language, their language is mutually intelligible with Turkish. "Aryan race" doesn't really exist, but the others are ethnic groups speaking Iranian languages, sure. I said Tajiks understand Persian anyway cos their language, Tajik, is a dialect of the same language.

I would have thought there'd be Emiratis who only speak Arabic. Certainly there'll be Saudis who only speak Arabic.

If you wanted to live there full time, and not just be in an expat community all the time, you'd need Arabic.


so Tajiks, Uzbeks,Pashtuns and Balochs are same race as Persians if they share same culture and language? It's a hell of a lot easier calling Persians Iranian as they're from Iran and referring to all Iranic people as Persian as those countries were part of the Persian Empire iirc.

alexander-the-great-and-the-persian-empire-4-638.jpg


persian_empire.jpg
 

ronki23

Well-Known Member
I wish I could see these countries because they all look unique in their own way:

Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Krygyztan
Turkmenistan
Azerbaijan

But it's very expensive and time consuming. Kazakhstan is too big to do with these countries
 
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