Investigating Isoglosses in the Khogyani Dialect

Abstract

This study examines phonological isoglosses in the Khogyani sub-dialect of Pashto, focusing on their nature and geographical distribution. Isoglosses, as linguistic boundaries, are essential in dialectology for mapping variation. The research aims to identify phonological differences across three regional divisions (Areas A, B, and C) and explain their systematic patterns. A qualitative field-based approach was used, including interviews, observation of natural speech, and collection of linguistic data from Khogyani district. The data were analyzed using phonological principles, and variations were organized comparatively. Findings reveal three distinct phonological isoglosses separating the regions. Key processes include epenthesis, vowel shift, metathesis, sound shift, cluster simplification, and vowel length variation, observed in common lexical items. The study concludes that the Khogyani dialect functions as a transitional variety between Eastern (Nangarhari) and Central Pashto dialects, shaped by geographical, historical, and social factors, and contributes to efforts toward a comprehensive Pashto dialect atlas.