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Glite Dictionary
Pushtun

Pushtun

14 8.8
A person from a group of people in eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, also called Pashtun or Pathan
  • noun
  • /ˈpuːʃtʊn/
: pushtún
  • The majority of the population in southern Afghanistan is made up of Pushtun people.

Examples

  • According to The Economist, "Less than 3% of recruits are from the troublesome Pushtun south, from where the Taliban draw most support."

    Academic text (2011)

  • Doug: "We want President Karzai gone, but we don't have a Pushtun successor handy."

    Blog text (30)

  • Throughout history, the Pushtun have played a significant role in the politics of Afghanistan.

  • Many Pushtun families maintain traditions that have been passed down for generations.

Synonyms

Pashtun
vsPushtun
3 9.3

A person from a group that mainly lives in Afghanistan and Pakistan and has its own language and culture

is the same group but defined specifically in mountainous eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan
Pashtoon
vsPushtun
1 9.4

A person from a group in eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan with their own language and culture

focuses on the group's regional origin and alternate names rather than language
Pathan
vsPushtun
1 9.6

A person from an ethnic group in northwest Pakistan and southeast Afghanistan who speaks Pashto

uses the other name but highlights origin in mountainous eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan

Surface Forms

Pushtun singular
Pushtuns plural
Pashtuns plural
Pushhtuns plural
Pashtun singular
Pushhtun singular

Etymology

The word Pushtun comes from the name the people call themselves, Pashtun, which is also written Pathan, and from their language Pashto. So, Pushtun simply means 'a person of the Pashto-speaking people' from eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan.