Meaning & use
Pathan
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Meanings
nouncountable
A member of the Pashtun people, living mainly in Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan.
Grammar: Countable and capitalized: a Pathan, the Pathans.
Patterns
- a Pathan from somewhere
The shopkeeper was a Pathan from Peshawar.
Many Pathans live on both sides of the border.
The novel follows a Pathan family through several generations.
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to the Pashtun people or their culture.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: Pathan hospitality.
Patterns
- Pathan custom
Pathan hospitality is famous across the region.
The museum displays Pathan embroidery.
Word forms
| plural | Pathans |
|---|
Common combinations
- a Pathan family
- She grew up in a Pathan family in Peshawar.
- Pathan culture
- Pathan culture values hospitality.
- a Pathan tribe
- Each Pathan tribe has its own customs.
- Pathan dress
- He wore traditional Pathan dress to the wedding.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Pashtun
- Pashtun is the name the people use for themselves and is the standard international term today.
- Pakhtun
- Pakhtun is a regional pronunciation of Pashtun, used in the northern dialect.
- Pushtun
- Pushtun is an older English spelling of Pashtun.
Word family
- Pashtun noun
- the preferred name of the ethnic group
- Pashto noun
- the language the Pashtun people speak
- Pathani adjective
- relating to Pathans, as in the Pathani suit
Commonly confused: Pathan or Pashtun?
Pathan vs Pashtun
Pashtun is the preferred modern term for the same people, while Pathan is an older South Asian English word.
Practice
Which term do most people use today for the group once commonly called Pathan?
Choose one answer.
Pashtun is the standard modern name. Punjabi, Sindhi and Baloch are different groups.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Pathan”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.