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Notes on Kabuli-Persian” by L. Bogdanov. The main characteristic of the Western authors writing on Afghan Persian during that period was their very general approach to that language without an attempt to distinguish and specify its dialects.
The second half of the last century was marked by an increased interest in Afghan Persian dialects and the appearance of some major publications. First and foremost was the comprehensive description of the dialect of Kabul in Le Persan Parlé en Afghanistan. Grammaire du Kâboli (Persian as it is spoken in Afghanistan. The grammar of the dialect of Kabul) by A. Farhâdi. The book presented a very detailed picture illustrated by abundant examples. Of special importance was a table of the correlations of vowels and diphthongs among the dialects of Kabul, Herat, and Tehran. A significant event in the field of Afghan Persian studies was also the coming out of the Loghât-e ’Âmiyâna-ye Fârsi-ye Afghânestân ([Dictionary of] colloquial terms of the Persian of Afghânestân) by A. Afghani Nawis (in Afghan Persian). The dictionary, first appearing in 1961, was reprinted in 1985. It covered a wide range of colloquial words, expressions, and idioms primarily but not exclusively of the dialect of Kabul. The reprinted edition under the English title A Dictionary of Afghan Persian Slangs contained a “Supplementary” (with added words and expressions) by H. Farmand. Le Persan Parlé en Afghanistan and Loghât-e ’Âmiyâna-ye Fârsi-ye Afghânestân are still highly valuable sources for any study in the dialect of Kabul and Afghan Persian in general.
The Afghan Persian dialects of the people of Hazara were also in the focus of scholars’ attention. One of the publications on this subject was The Hazaragi Dialect of Afghan Persian: A Preliminary Study by G. Dulling.
Along with studying the peculiarities of the dialects, attempts were made to collect and publish folklore in those dialects. Examples of such publications (in Afghan Persian) are Tarânahâ-ye Kohsâr (Songs of the Montains) compiled by A. Sho’ur and Namunahâ-ye Folklor-e Dari (Samples of Dari folklore) by R. Rehman. The former contained popular poetry (quatrains) while the latter (in three volumes) consisted respectively of folktales, poetry, and proverbs recorded in different regions of Afghanistan, including Herat province.