?.. by Mohammad Ilyas Khwaja

Khowar language has been grouped as Indo Aryan Language upon resemblance of Khowar words with those of the Indo Aryan languages especially, of the presence of abundance of pure Sanskrit words or almost similar sounding words in the language. As I have seen it, Khowar language though is saturated with Sanskrit wordings but the most important feature of the language that is the root verb and its system of usage in tenses and possession totally resembles with the Turkic language system beside inclusion of a lot of Turkish/Mongol words in the language. Why is that so is still a question to be answered that we shall discuss further ahead. First we take an example of the basic verb formation(????).

Many though not all Khowar base verbs resemble with Turkic languages, but the pattern of usage fully resembles with the Turkic Language system.

Khowar

Alik (to take) Aloman (I take) Aletam (I brought/took) Altiastam (I had taken) Alom (I will take)

Turkish/Mongol

Almak (to take) Alman (I take) Aldim ( I took) Almishtim (I had taken) Alacakim (I will take)

Khowar

Pacheyk (to cook) Pacheman (I cook) Pachetam (I cooked) Pachestam (I had cooked) Pacheym ( I will cook)

Turkic

Pishirmak (to cook) Pishirman (I cook) Pishirdim (I cooked) Pishirmishtim (I had cooked) pishirajakim ( I shall cook)

Some Turkic base verb words that totally fall in Khowar Language or almost resembl them are as follow;

Khowar Turkish Meaning

Oreyk Uyumak to sleep

Jibik Yemek to eat

Kosik Koshamak to walk/to run

xingeyk Chekmak to pull

goreyk gormak to watch sharply

bik bitmak to have/done

obrik olmak to die

botik baghlamak to tie

Other Turkic/Mongol Words in Khowar language

Khowar Turkic Meanings

Gol Gol stream/river

Kay Kai/ka woman/female

Qush qaush meeting

Kuluchi Kuluchka chicken/hen

Budalak Budala He man/idiot

Mayakh Maya yeast

Pin Chin sharp

Toroq(kahak) tovuq big hen/hen

Asaqal Aq saqalli White bearded/elder

Khashuk qashuq spoon

Bodol budur strong built/dwarf

Khudai Khudai God Almighty

Korum korumu work/duty

Arqa arka back

Khapusi qabus nightmare

Kicha qanchi how/how much

Dada dada father

Nan nana/anna mother

Kutu kutu small room/box

Chumur temur iron

Patigan patligan brinjal

Trup trup carrot/turnip

Qab qab plate

Shiyeli Chroili beautiful

Now we shall come to the debate that why Khowar Language is marked as an Indo Aryan Language. Many many pure Sanskrit words and some slightlymodified words totally fill the language. Though Persian words also exist and have made a good room in the language but the typical Khowar Non-Persian words are either purely Sanskrit or some slightly altered form, rest even that of Prakrit or of Indian origin. I present some wordsso that to have a glimpse of the factor;

Khowar Sanskrit meaning

ashru ashru tears

gram gram village

shyal shyal jackal

matsi matsi fish

istri istri female/girl

kumoru kumari girl

sin sin river

kirmi kirmi insect

thul thul fat

dok dok mound

mul mula root

kar karna ear

niskar niska nose

prash prasta back

deek daha to suck

hosik hasti to laugh

poshik pashiti to seen

xonik xina to know

kheneyk khenati to dig

deyk dadati to run

dorik darati to stand

petsik sapati to leave off

botik badhati to tie

boshik varsha/barsha rainfall

him hima snow

chhucho shushka dry

duderi dura far

lavat lavana salt/salty

yor surya sun

ei-phat alpha some

no na not

ka ka who

mosh manusha human

tat tat fat her/elder

hardi hride heart

kanchani kanchani whore

Other words either derived from Sanskrik/Indian origin

Khowar Indo translation

khot ghata cloud

gutch goth corner

tuk tuk a bit

maska maska butter

klok kr’uk hen on eggs

Persian language has also a major influence on Khowar language. It has provided the language a vast glossary. Persian had been the official language of the state of Chitral form some centuries under its Islamized status till till the state was abolished in 1969. Certainly Persian has a great influence on Khowar Language and a bulk of Persian either original or corrupt words exist in the language. Corruption of the Persian words are mainly because of the mis-pronunciation of the Badakhshi peoplein the near nieghborhood. Names of the days of week are as in original Persian and many more likely words are there, strange to see that some old Persian Words also exist in Khowar Language that remain not in use in the Persian languages now spoken around. We shall look into fewer common used words among them.

Khowar Old/New Persian Translation

piyala piyala cup

thasht tasht flat dish

kasa kasa bowl

sardavai sardaba water tank

oogh av/ab water

bogho birav go

nishe nishin sit

stor stor horse

ulagh ulagh mule

kushik kushtan kill/slaughter

deh deh village

dosh dosh yesterday/last night

kaush kafash shoes

Now the point that is needed to be discussed is that how Khowar language has gotten its basic linguistic feature as that of Turkish. For that we shall look into history. In Kafir period that lasted upto 16/17th century three waves of military intrusions were made in the area. First, the Mongols in 13th century who have been heard of taking the central fort of kafirs into siege in present Kosht area that lasted for more than a month and the Mongols retreated without success. Yarkhun valley however remained under Mongol rule for a long period not specified. Second attack was that of Amir Taimur some time before his death. This time their attack was on Bashgal Valley and the entrance was made from Badakhshan. His army was taken in a hard beset by Kafir Archers and he being a man of literature had writers as companions who have described the best archery skill of the Kafirs. Amir Taimur with his powerful army subdued the Kafirs who asked him to leave learned Muslims among them to convert them to Islam and teach them religion. The Kafirs being rough in social matters killed all the Islamic scholars upon the departure of the strong Muslim King. The third wave of attack was made by Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar the Mughal King of India. His campaign against Yousufzai Afghans made his armies penetrate upto present Upper Dir area and his historians say that the area Baraul was captured from the Kafirs. His armies almost touched the present boundary of Chitral. When they saw the ones ahead to meet them in battle and the terrain, they returned saying that the region further ahead belongs to the King of Kashghar. By then or some time after that the ruling or the main section of Kafir tribes was converted to Islam. It was then a slow and natural process that continues till date. Then Muslim rulers of Chitral named Raees were in a loose subjection bondage with the Amir of Kashghar. How long remained the period of Raees rulers is also not properly defined. Before Raees were Sumaleks as rulers of Chitral. Sumaleks were probably allover Kafirs. Raees Muslim rulers also practiced some Kafir customs beside Islam as they did not use to bury their dead instead put them in shelves made in a trench under the ground. Their envoys regularly visited Kashghar and carried yearly tributary yearly while Kashghar rulers provided their assistance in turn. When Katoor took over the power from Raees perhaps in later 17th or in the beginning of 18th century they ceased the subjugation link with Kashghar and no more assistance sought from there. Now there are two probabilities for Khowar language of having a Turkic base.

1_ If it is a very old language then it might have derived its form from the Budha/Manchurian rule of the north they were themselves and their allies were Turkic people.

2_ If it is not so old then it might have gotten the pattern from being linked with Kashghar in post Kafir Raees period. ..?Mohammad Ilyas Khwaja, Chitral 09 Oct 2018

Mohammad Ilyas Khwaja