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This site contains previously unpublished material on the linguistics and ethnography of Nuristân and neighboring regions, collected and analyzed by Richard F. Strand since 1967. Funding for the author's field research in Nuristân, Afghânistân, and Pâkistân was provided in part by the following institutions: the Fulbright Foundation (1991-92), the Smithsonian Institution (1980, 1984-85), The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research (1972), Brown University (1971), Cornell University (1966-69, 1970), and Teachers College, Columbia University (1967-69 ).

All contents of this site are Copyright © 1997-2024 by Richard F. Strand. No part of these contents may be reproduced or redistributed by any means without written consent of the author.

Peoples of Nuristân

The region called Nuristân is one in a chain of ethnic refuge areas that line the mountains of the Indian Plate collision zone from Afghânistân to Southeast Asia. Nuristân lies in the Hindu Kush mountains of northeastern Afghânistân, spanning the basins of the Alingâr, Pech, Landai Sin, and Kunar rivers. It is the homeland of a unique group of Indo-European-speaking tribal peoples, now called Nuristânis, who fled and resisted Islâm as it spread eastward. In 1895-96 the Nuristânis were finally conquered by the Afghân armies of Âmir Abdur Rahmân Khân, and the people were obliged to abandon their ancient religious beliefs in favor of Islâm.

Nuristânis are today such devout Muslims that they were the first citizens of Afghânistân to successfully revolt against the communist overthrow of their government in 1978. Their success inspired others throughout the country to rise up and bleed the Soviet Union to death through thirteen years of war. The straw that broke the Soviet Union's back sprouted in Nuristân, and we must acknowledge the pivotal historical role that the Nuristânis played in nurturing the seed.

Topics

• A Brief Look at the Linguistic, Cultural, and Strategic Significance of Nuristan   (A .pdf version of a PowerPoint presentation given at the University of Chicago in April 2018, without my accompanying narration)
• Peoples and Languages of Nuristân  (15 February 2001 - 7 July 2011)
  • Northern Nuristâni Linguistic Group
    • The Vâsʹi   (24 June 1998 - 3 July 2000)
      • Vâs'i-vari, The Language of the Vâsi
      • Topics in Vâsi Ethnography  (31 December 1998 - 10 December 1999)
    • The Kâtʹa, Kʹom, Mumʹo, Kṣtʹo, Biniʹo, J̌âmčʹo, and J̌âšʹa   (24 December 1997 - 16 May 2011)
      • The Kâtʹa   (7 August 1998 - 13 July 2000)
        • Kât'a-vari, The Language of the Kâta
          • The Sound System of Kt'ivřâ·i-vari   (6 May 2011)
          • Kâtʹa-vari Lexicon [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (17 August 2011 - 6 December 2011)
      • The Kʹom   (24 December 1997 - 20 April 2019)
        • Kâmvʹiri, The Language of the Kom
          • The Sound System of Kâmviri   ( 29 December 1997 - 19 May 2011)
          • The Grammar of Kâmviri
            • A Cognitive Grammar of Kâmviri   (12 September 1999 - 19 January 2000)   [under construction]
            • The Kâmviri Verbal System   (29 December 1997)
            • The Kâmviri Directional System   (29 December 1997)
          • Kâmviri Lexicon [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (3 December 1999 - 12 July 2019)
        • Genealogy of the Kom   (7 March 1998 - 21 February 2012)
        • Accounts of Kom History and Culture in Kâmviri   (26 December 1997 - 30 June 1999)
          • The Origin of the Kom  (28 December 1997 - 30 June 1999)
          • The Expansion of the Kom into Pitigal  (7 January 1998 - 29 June 2002)
          • The Anti-Communist Revolt in Kombřom  (18 September 2019)
          • The True Story of Our Jihad: Memoirs of Commander Anvar Amin   ( 26 December 1997 - 7 July 2007)
          • Essays on Kom Ethnography, by Qâzi Ghulâmullâh   (17 December 2008)
      • The Mumʹo   (11 July 1998 - 13 July 2000)
  • Southern Nuristâni (Kalaṣʹa) Linguistic Group
    • The Âṣkuňu, Saňu, and Gřâmsaňâ   (24 June 1998 - 16 May 2024)
      • Saňu-viri, The Language of the Saňu of Šâma (Wâmâ)
        • The Sound System of Saňu-viri   (13 May 2024)
        • Saňu-viri Lexicon [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (10 October 2008 - 6 December 2011)
    • The Kalaṣa of Kalaṣüm   (16 August 1998 - 17 May 2011)
      • Kalaṣa-alâ, The Language of the Kalaṣa of Kalaṣüm
        • The Sound System of Kalaṣa-alâ   (26 September 2011)
        • Kalaṣa-alâ Lexicon [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (26 September 2011 - 26 August 2019)
    • The Tregâmî   (5 July 2000 - 12 July 2000)
  
  
• Transcription and Pronunciation of the Nuristâni Languages   (8 December 2007 - 10 December 2011)
  
  
• The Evolution of the Nuristâni Languages
  • Origins
    • Strand, Richard F. (2022) “Ethnolinguistic and genetic clues to Nûristânî origins.” International Journal of Diachronic Linguistics and Linguistic Reconstruction 19: 267-353. (2022) Wiesbaden: Reichert. (Offprint available here.)
    • Strand, Richard F. (2023) “Kamboǰas and Sakas in the Holly-Oak Mountains: On the Origins of the Nûristânîs.” In Cacopardo, Alberto, and Augusto Cacopardo (eds.), Roots of Peristan. Rome: ISMEO. (Offprint available here.) (An accompanying PowerPoint presentation is available here)
  • Phonology
    • The Evolution of the Nuristâni Languages [Phonology]   (1 March 2008 - 25 October 2022)
    • Basic Processes in the Evolution of the Nûristânî Languages   (22 September 2013)
    • Phonatory Location in the Far-Northwestern Indo-Âryan Languages   (30 August 2019)   [preprint; the full article appears in: Languages of Northern Pakistan: Essays in Memory of Carla Radloff, pp. 446-495. Karachi: Oxford University Press]
  • Grammar
    • Nominal Case Systems of the Nûristânî Languages   (27 October 2019)
  • Lexicon
    • Nuristâni Etymological Lexicon, (Version 2, 18 March 2013, containing etymological sources going back to Proto-Indo-European and beyond) [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (20 May 2012, 24 March 2013)
  
  
• Nuristan Natural Resource Assessment (A report prepared for USAID in February 2009)   (16 December 2019)
  
  
• Neighboring Peoples and Languages
  • Indo-Aryan-Speaking Peoples   (12 June 2001)
    • Southern Neighbors:
      • Pashai-Speaking Peoples
        • The Sound System of Degâno   (8 May 2005)
        • Degâno Lexicon [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (9 August 2011 - 1 November 2011)
      • Enclaves in the Pech and Lower Kunar Valleys
      • The Gawâr
    • Neighbors in Chitral:
      • The Kh´ow
        • Khow`ar, The Language of the Kh´ow
          • The Sound System of Khow`ar   (16 January 2012)
          • The Grammar of Khow`ar
          • Khow`ar Lexicon [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (5 July 2004 - 13 November 2011)
          • An Anectdote in Khow`ar
      • The Kalʹaṣa
      • Shin Enclaves in Chitral and Kunar
        • The Aćharʹîta of Ashret
          • Genealogy of the Aćhar'îta   (28 November 1998 - 27 June 2000)
          • Aćharêtâʹ, The Language the Aćharʹîta of Ashret
            • The Sound System of Aćharêtâʹ   (1 December 2000 - 3 June 2001)
            • The Grammar of Aćharêtâʹ
              • The Cognitive Geometry of Nominal Relationships [in Aćharêtâʹ]   (31 December 2000 - 23 May 2002)
            • Aćharêtâʹ Lexicon [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (25 October 2000 - 7 December 2011)
          • An Account of Aćharʹîta History in Aćharêtâʹ   (28 November 1998 - 14 April 2000)
      • The Dåmiâ
    • Neighboring Ethnic Refuge Areas: the Kohistâns of Dir, Swat, and the Indus:
      • The Garvi Speakers of Dir and Swat Kohistan
      • The Torwali of Swat Kohistan
      • The Ushuju Speakers of Swat Kohistan
      • The People of Duber and Kandia in Indus Kohistân
      • The People of Patan in Indus Kohistân
      • The People of Bhaṭera in Indus Kohistân
        • Bhaṭʹe sa-zib, The Language the People of Bhaṭera
          • The Sound System of Bhaṭʹe sa-zib   (18 June 2001)
          • Bhaṭʹe sa zib Lexicon [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (18 June 2001)
      • The People of Koli in Indus Kohistân
      • The Shin People of Indus Kohistân
  • Iranian-Speaking Peoples   (20 January 2002 - 28 March 2011)
    • The Afghâns of Kunar
      • Paxtʹo (Pashto), The Language the Afghâns
        • Paxtʹo Lexicon [choose this language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (6 October 2001)
    • The Munji
    • Persian Speakers
  
  
• Comparative Studies of the Region's Languages
  • Phylogeny
    • Languages of the Hindu-Kush [map]   ( 24 July 1999)
    • Phylogenetic Classification of the Region's Languages [table]   (10 April 1999 - 6 November 2006)
    • An Overview of the Nuristâni Languages   (24 December 1997 - 10 June 1998)
    • The Evolution of the Nuristâni Languages   (1 March 2008 - 11 September 2010)
    • Basic Processes in the Evolution of the Nûristânî Languages   (22 September 2013)
    • Indo-European Spatial Markers in Kâmviri   (6 May 2011)   [under construction]
  • Phonology
    • Phonological Processes on the Indo-Iranian Frontier   (2 September 2002)
    • Phonatory Location in the Far-Northwestern Indo-Âryan Languages   (30 August 2019)   [preprint; the full article appears in: Languages of Northern Pakistan: Essays in Memory of Carla Radloff, pp. 446-495. Karachi: Oxford University Press]
  • Lexicon
    • Lexicons of the Hindu-Kush: Kâmvʹiri, Kâtʹa-vari, Kalaṣa-alâ, Saňu-vi:ri, Aćharêtâʹ, Bhaṭʹesa-zib, and Paxtʹo [choose a language in the upper-right window of the ensuing page]   (3 December 1999 - 6 December 2011)
    • Kinship Terminologies of the Hindu-Kush   (15 May 1999)
  
  
• Bibliography   (1 May 1999 - 16 May 2024)
• Links to Other Websites Devoted to the Cultures of the Hindu-Kush Region