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KIND OF MORPHOPHONEMIC CHANGES IN PASHTO LANGUAGE
Zahidullah Karimzai
Corresponding authors: Teaching Assistant, Department of Pashto language and literature, faculty of education, Kunduz University, Afghanistan E-Mail: [email protected]
Mohammad Israr Shinwaray
Senior Teaching Assistant, Department of Pashto language and literature, faculty of education, Kunduz University, Kunduz, Afghanistan E-Mail: israr.shinwari@gmail .como
Morphophonemic changes are considered vital discussion in the language and linguistic. These changes are a sample process in all language of the world, which are initially unconscious, easy, energy-saving and euphony. It has essential role in the growth and sustainability of a language. To this end, this research will investigate morphophonemic changes in Pashto language, and the cause and types of these changes. This research is a qualitative and data was collected from various Pashto theory and grammar books so that the morphophonemic changes were described with brief examples. It was discovered that the changes occur in order to reduce the physical and mental energy. In most cases the meaning of the morpheme is not change while the form of the morpheme changed. However, in some cases the meaning is also changed, such as in omission one phoneme is obliterated. In some examples create new morpheme, which cause create different meaning in the language. Regarding the changing of meaning there is different ideas in the books, some linguists say that these changes do not cause to change the meaning while some says that sometimes they change the meaning as well. Based on my opinion all morphophonemic changes do not change the meaning, for instance in assimilation and dissimilation and in the omission it changes the meaning like in /spor/ in English horseback or rider morpheme if the /p/ omit it become /sor/, which /sor/ means length in Pashto. This article tries to describe the morphophonemic changes in Pashto language.
Keywords: assimilation, dissimilation, hiatus, metathesis, omission, sandhi, syncope.
ABSTRACT
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Introduction
As every aspect of the life is changed so that the language is also changing by passing the time and place. It moves form difficulties and complicated situation to easy and development situation. Such changes are not new in the language, but they have been occurred already in the language. Complicated syllable structures transformed to sample syllable structures are the good example. For instance, in Pashto the previous form of /zma/ and /sta/ were /dama/ and /data/ still common in some dialect. This means the two syllables structure transformed to one syllable are still taken place in the language, these changes occur unconsciousness in the language and amazingly these changes are very regular and logical. The research tried to answer such questions. What are morphemic changes? What are the causes of these changes in the language? Form change or meaning change, what types these changes have.
The purpose and significance of the study
From one side the language is learning phenomena but from the other side it is a natural phenomenon as well, that is why the changes occur naturally in the language. The investigation, description of these changes help to know the status and internal structure of a language. The mean significance of these study is to investigate the morphemic changes in Pashto language. Although some studies have done previously, they are about the historical revolution in Pashto language.
The Background of the study
There is discussion in grammars book regarding Pashto language morph phonological changes even there is a book which was written by Kabul university professor Mr. Mohammad Qasim (Pashto language phonologic and morphologic changes). But the book discusses about Pashto language historical revolution, and the book describe the Pashto and Avista language changes in a historical manner, there is not any discussion regarding Pashto morphophonemic changes, Majawer Ahmad Zeyar explain this topic better than anyone. But what is new in this study is that, along with the reasons for these changes, the types are also explained with clear examples.
Research methodology and type
This is qualitative research that utilizes various authentic references, definitions and theory was taken from books and the examples are taken from publics. Based on the definitions the examples are explained and the study type is based on library.
Morphophonemic changes in Pashto language In language and language families the changes are common phenomenon, by passing the time new languages are come to
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existence and some languages are vanished, and new languages take their place. These changes have different reasons such as politics, economic, religious, culture, education and science, relationship with other societies. They are the main causes that pave the way for changes in languages.
One of the language changes can be morphophonemic change, in which the morpheme change due to the influence of environment or other reasons that chooses various forms. The changes which are occurred due to the environment lead to other changes occur in phoneme of the morpheme so that it is called morphophonemic changes (Serzad, 1399:117)
The changes occur in the syllables, morpheme, and in words and in phoneme are independent at the same time. Therefor it is called morphophonemic changes and most of times the changes do not affect the meaning. Rather, the phonemes in these syllables are harmonized according to their phonetic characteristics, or they show differences and disharmony. Similar sounds are combined into one another and a phoneme is dropped, but sometimes it causes a change in the grammatical meaning (xweskay, 1398: 58)
In some language the morphophonemic changes are simple but, in some languages, it is more complicated. Generally it occurs two in types: first type like the phoneme is influenced by another phoneme and changed. Such as in English /s/ sound is the plural phoneme when it comes after voiced it sound like /z/ such as in words (roads, Eggs, Rooms). At the end of the words /m/, /g/ and /d/ sound comes. These three sounds are voiced so the based on the influence of voiced /s/ change to /z/. If the same plural /s/ morpheme come after invoiced it will pronounce /s/ unvoiced such as in words (Lips, Books, and Roots). The words end with (K, T, P) unvoiced, so the plural (S) is pronounced on its own form. (Serzad, 1399:117)
Also, in Pashto language in /sta/) and /zma/ words the /z/ and /z/ are possessive morpheme. If this morpheme come before voiced phoneme /m/ it pronounces like /z/ means voiced, and if it comes before voiceless /t/ phoneme then it pronounces as /s/ which is voiceless, it means that the subsequent morpheme is affect by it is following phoneme and it's changing.
Causes of morphophonemic changes in language
Like all other social phenomena, language also change over the passing of time and these changes have some reasons. Like other language in Pashto the morphophonemic changes have some reasons. One of the reasons is to use less mental and physical muscles and try to consume less energy in speaking like we do the same in other activities.
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Therefore morphophonemic changes happening in the languages, even today some of the words are pronounced incomplete as well as short form in our oral language. Some phonemes and syllables are omitted or changed into other phoneme. The word comes in the infinitive form, like instead of /Ca kawe/ use /Cakay/ in this case the /zawar;a/ and waw /w/ phoneme is omitted. The vowel /e/ also left its place to /ay/ diphthong. (Yamin, 1384: 118).
Also, another reason for morphophonemic changes is that end of each phoneme proximate or near to each other. Instead of one phoneme pronounced another phoneme.
Another reason for morphophonemic change is music or melody, sometimes due to easy pronounce and euphony in a morpheme one phoneme added extra such as in Pashto /mong/ morpheme usually it is /mog/ only /n/ is added and change to /mong/. Type of Morphophonemic changes in Pashto language
Morphophonemic changes happen in all parts of language such as phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, difference between language changes and other changes is that other changes happens consciously and by professional people, but language changes happen naturally and unconsciously in the language, so these changes have been studied by linguists and these changes occur in all language of the world, in some language these changes have more instance while in other languages less, so Pashto language is also in the queue which affected by changes by passing the time, we are not discuss regarding grammar and historical changes but only discuss on current morphophonemic changes and describes these changes with examples and instance, these changes have different types and we will describe briefly.
Assimilation
A popular type of morphophonemic changes is assimilation in a word or morpheme. One phoneme is assimilated with another phoneme. For instance, in a sound environment one phoneme takes phonetic characteristics of another phoneme. Like in /punba/ and /sanbola/ the /n/ sound is change to the (m) sound and pronounce as /pumba/ and /sambola/. Here the sound /m/ changes to sound /n/ because it come with bilabial phoneme /b/ therefor /n/ changes to bilabial /m/. Such changes occur due to the speaker's energy saving, and easy pronunciation. (Zeyar, 1384:35) Assimilation Divided in the Following Types
According to the preceding and following sounds:
a. Progressive assimilation: when in a syllable, morpheme, or words that comes before a phoneme and affects the Subsequent phoneme and the last phoneme changes. Such movement is called
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progressive assimilation. For instance, in /mana/ and /rana/ words which the /a/ and (a) affect the /n/ phoneme and it pronounce nosy or like in north-eastern dialect the word /bax§al/ the sound /x/ affects the /§/ and it became /baxxal/ sound both /x/ integrated and changed to /Baxal/ (xweskay,1398:59)
b. Regressive assimilation: if in a syllable, morpheme, and word the subsequent phoneme affects the front phoneme and the front phoneme change than it is called the regressive assimilation, for example in /landa/ the /n/ is changed to /m/ and the word become /lamda/. In /Akbar/ the sound /k/ change to /g/ the word became /Agbar/ because the voiced sound of (b) change unvoiced sound of (k) to voiced sound of (g), or unlike the northeastern accent in the central Pashto the morpheme of /Bax§al/ the last /§/ sound affects the /x/ and the word become like (ba§al) and sound on both /§/ integrated and the word form changed to (ba§al). (Zeyar, 1384:35)
According to completeness and incompleteness divided two types:
a. Total assimilation: in this kind of assimilation one phoneme completely replaced by another phoneme, like in /badoday/ the second /d/ changed to /g/ and become /badogay/. In /lmar/ and /nmar/ the sound /l/ changed to /n/ finally in /lamasay/ and /namsay/ the /l/ change to /n/, the mentioned examples are the type of complete assimilation.
b. Partial assimilation: in a syllable, morpheme, and word when one phoneme assimilated due to the manner or place of articulation of another phoneme such as in /tanba/ and /xanba/ the sound of /n/ changes its articulation and become in nose so which pronounce near to /m/ and as well the words pronounced /tamba/ and /xamba/.(Taheri,1399:57)
According to the distance the assimilation divided two types:
a. Contiguous assimilation: where a phoneme assimilated with the subsequent phoneme like in the above examples.
b. Noncontiguous assimilation: where in a syllable, morpheme and word assimilated phoneme assimilated among two phoneme. For instance in /nonas/ which is originally it is /Nubs/ and assimilated /l/ become assimilated with it is own /n/ and changes to /n/. There has also been a noncontiguous assimilation in /zanjar/ and /janjar/. (Saker, 2019: 37)
Dissimilation
The phonemic change is the opposite of the assimilation. In this type of changes in a syllable, morpheme and word the assimilated phoneme become dissimilated. Such as in word /nmonj/ the first /n/ with second /n/ are assimilation. However, these become dissimilation and change to /lamonj/, as well dissimilation like assimilation divided into
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completeness and incompleteness, contiguous and noncontiguous, progressive, and regressive. (Zeyar, 1384:37) Omission
When a phoneme is omitted or integrated with another phoneme in a syllable, morpheme, or word, such changes are called omission. For instance in /siwray/ the word /i/ is omitted and the word changes into /soray/ or in /xpor/ and /spor/ the phoneme /p/ is omitted and changes to /xor/ and /sor/.
In Pashto examples of omission are seen more in compound verbs. The compound verbs are the verbs which the first part should be noun and the second part should be /kedal/, /kawal/ verbs. So, in these compound verbs the second part of first consonant /k/ is omitted and a complex syllable structure change to a simple syllable structure. (Kheshkay, 1398:66) Instances:
/kon kedal, kon kawal: kanedal, kanawal/
5 ? 5 5 7 5
/kog kedal, kog kawal: kogedal, kogawal or kagedal, kagedal/ /rund kedal, rund kawal: randedal, randawal/
5 ? 5 5 ? 5
/pox kawal, pox kawal: paxedal, paxawal/
/xpor kedal, xpor kawal: xporedal, xporawal or xparedal, xparawal/ /sor kedal, sor kawal/
5 ? 5
/tod kedal, tod kawal: tawdedal, tawdawal/ /zor kedal, zor kawal: zarawal, zaredal/
5 ? 5 5 7 5
/mor kedal, mor kawal: maredal, ,marawal/
5 >5 5 ? 7 5
/corb kedal, corb kawal: corbedal, corawal or carbedal, carawal/
/trix kedal, trix kawal: trixedal, trixawal/
/zeg kedal, zeg kawal: zegedal, zegawal/
/spin kedal, spin kawal: spinedal, spinawal/
/wrost kedal, wrost kawal: wrastedal, wrastawal/
Syncope
The dropped of unstressed vowel following by stressed vowel is called syncope. A synthetic or compound word is creating, if the first part of the word end with stressed vowel than the vowel sound grapheme is not omitted, and suffix is written with the word in half space. (xweSkay,1398;57) /sima/+ /yiz/
Here in /sima/, /wasla/ and /Jagra/ the last vowel (a) is stressed one, therefor it is not omitted, and suffix is joined with it /simayiz/, /waslawal/ and /Jagrayiz/
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But if the first part of the word end with unstressed vowel, than the last vowel grapheme is omitting and the /iz/ change to /yiz/ like other words which is end with consonant (dod+iz/=/doddize/, words which is end with consonant /iz/ suffix added. Instance: /tolana/+/yiz/= /tolaniz/. Here, the last vowel sound "a" is unstressed, so the grapheme is dropped and "yiz" also becomes "iz".
The syncope rule is applying for all suffix such as /wasla/+/wal/ In the above examples the /wasla/ is end with stressed vowel, so the grapheme is not omitting, in the half distance the other part is joining, for instance /mina/+/wal/ /pohana/ is ended with unstressed vowel so the (a) is omitting and the second part is joined.
/pohana/+/tun/=/pohantun/
Half space: full space comes between two words, if we separate two words we separate it by space bottom, based on linguistic rule, every word which provide a meaning should be written together as much possible according to the writing system, meaning and form unity bring together.
If we hit space among /sima/ and /yiz/ morpheme, then it became two words and if we do not hit the space than our writing systems does not have ability to read it better, so like this type of word need half space, we can find by (Shift+B) in computer Pashto keyboards.
Hiatus means gap or fraction, in this type of changes a word last vowel phoneme is combined with the beginning phoneme of another word and create a long new vowel, for instance according to Nangarhar Mazeen in /arx pa arx/ the /pa/ sound /a/ is merged with /a/ and forming a new long /a/ and /arx pa arx/ changed to /arx parx/ Hiatus is considered as a type of omission of vowel phonemes. (Qane,1397:96)
The term of sandhi is not much popular in Pashto, nor their examples are investigated much, the author (linguistic terminology book Rahmullah Qani written based on Mr. Azizullah Jabir Khail lecture notes, that sandhi is refers to change of phoneme in a sentence, the origin is related to Sanskrit, but maybe we can investigate the examples in Pashto as well, the meaning of sandhi is linking and in the sentence the some words last phoneme affect from the upcoming word beginning phoneme, for instance /za sind ta tlalay wam/ in this sentence the /za/ /a/ is affected with beginning phoneme of the /send/ morpheme, this kind of assimilation is called sandhi. (Qane, 1397:98)
Hiatus
Sandhi
Metathesis
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If in a word one phoneme change its place with another phoneme it is called metathesis, Pashto language has a lot of instance of metathesis, like /wraz/, /zmska/, /yag/, /ps§a/, /pssarlay/ are changed /rwaz/, /mzska/, /gay/, /sparlay/. (Zeyar, 1384:34)
When in a phoneme is added in a syllable, morpheme, and word due to the ease, fluency or euphony, this change is called addition, for instance in /mog/ morpheme the /n/ phoneme is add and change to /mong/ as well in /rombay/ and /rond/ words the /w/ phoneme is added and changed to /wrombay/ and wrond/.
Or addition is the change in which one phoneme is added in a word, for example in /§kazsl/ the /§/ will added and change to /çakanzsl/ or in /masay/ the /y/ added and change to /yawmàsay/. (Reçtin, 1393:40)
Conclusion
Internet and especially social media connect the human societies, bring change and revelation in life much faster than before, like other part of the life in the language change also very fast, in the language change the most important change is the morph phonological changes. These changes have different types which is already described with instance the article, in this article, each example is explained for a better explanation of the subject which will open the way to the collection and research of words, the popular idea regarding the morph phonological changes is that these kind of change not bring changes in the meaning, but we have seen that bring the change in the meaning and the good example is in the omission for instance in /xpor/ the /p/ phoneme is omitted and change to /xpor/ which means find out the second meaning, or in the other word it change the meaning, finally we can conclude that the morph phonological are changes in the language word (syllable, morpheme, and word) environment which one phoneme affect the other phoneme, and these affection sometimes change the meaning of the morpheme. Overall the change is for ease, save energy and naturally in a language.
REFERENCES
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