Kurdish language: Encyclopedia II - Kurdish language - Dialects and regional variants

Kurdish language - Dialects and regional variants

Kurdish dialects can be divided into three primary groups:

• the Northern Kurdish dialects group also called Kurmanji and Badínaní,
• Central Kurdish dialects group also called Sorani (see also basic linguistic differences between these two major branches) and
• the Southern Kurdish dialects group also called Pahlavani or "Pahlawanik" group in some sources.

The two other major branches of Kurdish language are:

• the Dimílí group, also called Zaza, and
• the Auramani group, also called Gorani (Gúraní) in some sources.

These are further divided into scores of dialects and sub-dialects.

The detailed classification of Kurdish dialects is problematic. There is no widely-accepted appellative system for the various Kurdish dialects;not only in Western scholarly opinion, but even among the Kurds themselves. This often prompts arguments if these four different dialects are a language on their own or not.
All of the native designators for local language and dialects are based on the way the spoken language of one group sounds to the unaccustomed ears of the other. For instance, Dimila and their vernacular, Dimili, are called Zaza by the Badínaní speakers, with reference to the preponderance of Z sounds in their language (Nikitin 1926). Meanwhile, the Dimila call the Badínaní dialect and its speakers Xerewere. The Gorans refer to the Soraní as Kurkure and Wawa. The Soraní speakers in turn call the Gorans and their vernacular, Goraní or Mecú Mecú, and refer to the tongue and the speakers of Badínaní as Ji Babu.

A proposed system for the classification of the dialects is as follows:

• Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji)
  • In Iran (Persia), tribes of Herki, Milan, Shekak, Jelali, Heydari in Northern regions and western Azarbaijan province
  • In Iran, Kurds in Khorasan.
  • In Turkey, almost all the Kurds who live in Erzurum, Dogubayazid, Hakkari, Shamdinan, Behdinan, Abdin, Mardin and Diyarbakir.
  • all Kurds who live in the former Soviet Union.
  • In Iraq, most of the tribes who live in Duhok, Akra, Amedi, Zakho and Sanjar, Mosul.
  • In Syria, all Kurds.
• Central Kurdish (Sorani)
  • In Iraq: Most of the Kurds who live in Sulemanya, Kirkuk, Erbil, Ruwanduz.
  • In Iran: From south of Urmia lake to west of Kirmashan and is divided into Mukri dialect of Mahabad and dialect of Sanandaj.
• Southern Kurdish (Pehlewanî)
  • Kermashani Kurdish dialect
  • Gorani Kurdi dialect
    • Old Gorani - Kurdish dialect of Yarsan (Ahl-e Haqq, Yaristan, Kakeyi)
    • Macho Macho religious dialect
    • Old Gahvarei dialect
    • Old Korejoei dialect
    • Old Bivenji dialect
    • Old Kinduleh dialect
    • Bajelani (or Bajalani) dialect spoken in Iraq opposite Sar-pul-e Zohab
  • Sanjabi dialect
  • Kalhur dialect
  • Laki dialect (classified by some as a separate branch, coordinate with Northern, Central, and Southern Kurdish)
  • Kolyaei dialect
  • Sahne and Harsin dialect
• Zaza/Dimili/Kurdish dialect in Dersim of Turkey.
• Hawrami dialects
  • Hawraman-e Takht dialect
  • Hawraman-e Lehon dialect
  • Javrud dialect
  • Paveh and Javanrud dialect

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Dialects and regional variants", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki