Origins of the Pashto Language and Phases of its Literary Evolution

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.