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| altname = Northern Kurdish
| altname = Northern Kurdish
| nativename = [[Ezdiki language]]<br/>
| nativename = [[Ezdiki language]]<br/>
{{lang|kmr|Kurmancî}}, {{lang|kmr|کورمانجی|rtl=yes}}, {{lang|kmr-Cyrl|Кӧрманщи}}<br />{{lang|kmr|Kurdiya Jorîn}}, {{lang|kmr-Arab|کوردیا ژۆرین|rtl=yes}}, {{lang|kmr-Cyrl|Кӧрдьйа Жорин}}
{{lang|kmr|Kurmancî}}, {{lang|kmr|کورمانجی|rtl=yes}}, {{lang|kmr-Cyrl|Кӧрманщи}}<br/>{{lang|kmr|Kurdiya Jorîn}}, {{lang|kmr-Arab|کوردیا ژۆرین|rtl=yes}}, {{lang|kmr-Cyrl|Кӧрдьйа Жорин}}<br/>{{lang|kmr|Êzdîkî}}
| states = [[Turkey]], [[Armenia]], [[Syria]], [[Iraq]], [[Iran]]
| states = [[Turkey]], [[Armenia]], [[Syria]], [[Iraq]], [[Iran]]
| region =
| region =
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| glottorefname = Northern Kurdish
| glottorefname = Northern Kurdish
| map = Kurdish languages map.svg
| map = Kurdish languages map.svg
| mapcaption = Geographic distribution of Kurdish and other Northwestern Iranian languages spoken by Kurds
| mapcaption = Geographic distribution of Kurmanji and other Northwestern Iranian languages spoken by Kurds and Yazidis (Yazidis speak only Kurmanji or Ezdiki)
{{col-begin}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{{col-break}}
{{legend|#156a33|[[Northern Kurdish dialects|Northern]]}}
{{legend|#156a33|Kurmanji}}
{{legend|#00a239|Central}}
{{legend|#00a239|[[Sorani]]}}
{{legend|#00e450|[[Southern Kurdish dialects|Southern]]}}
{{legend|#00e450|[[Southern Kurdish|Southern]]}}
{{col-break}}
{{col-break}}
{{legend|#ffd700|[[Zaza language|Zaza]]}}
{{legend|#ffd700|[[Zaza language|Zaza]]}}
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}}
}}


'''Kurmanji''' ({{lang|kmr|Kurmancî}}, {{lang|kmr-Arab|کورمانجی|rtl=yes}}), also called '''Northern Kurdish''' ({{lang|kmr|Kurdiya jorîn}}, {{lang|kmr-Arab|کوردیا ژۆرین|rtl=yes}}), is a [[Kurdish languages|Kurdish language]] spoken in southeast [[Turkey]], northwest and northeast [[Iran]], northern [[Iraq]] and northern [[Syria]]. It is the most widespread language of the [[Kurdish languages]]. <!-- Kurmanji is difficult to classify, like Kurdish in general, due to strong influence from Persian and other neighbouring related Iranian languages, numerous lexical borrowings and conflicting or ambiguous dialectal traits. -->While Kurdish is generally categorized as one of the [[Western Iranian languages|Northwestern Iranian languages]] along with [[Balochi language|Baluchi]]<!-- given its placement regarding the very oldest isoglosses within Iranian -->,<ref name=Iranica>{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Kurdish language I. History of the Kurdish language|author-last=Paul|author-first=Ludwig|author-link=|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]|editor-last=Yarshater|editor-first=Ehsan|editor-link=Ehsan Yarshater|volume=|year=2008|publisher=Routledge|location=London and New York|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/kurdish-language-i|accessdate=28 August 2013}}</ref><ref>Windfuhr, Gernot (1975), “Isoglosses: A Sketch on Persians and Parthians, Kurds and Medes”, Monumentum H.S. Nyberg II (Acta Iranica-5), Leiden: 457–471</ref> it also shares many traits with Southwestern Iranian languages like [[Persian language|Persian]], apparently due to longstanding and intense historical contacts, and some authorities have gone so far as to classify Kurmanji as a Southwestern or "southern"<!-- this is not a usually acknowledged subgroup, but seems to be merely an alternative term for "Southwestern Iranian" --> Iranian language.<ref>{{cite book|title=Turkey's Alevi Enigma: A Comprehensive Overview|year=2002|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-9004125384|editor=Paul J. White|page=23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gunter|first=Michael M.|title=The A to Z of the Kurds|year=2009|publisher=The Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0810868182|url=https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Kurmanji+%28Kurmanc%C3%AE%29+or+Northern+Kurdish&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&sourceid=Mozilla-search&start=0#q=Kurmanji+%28Kurmanc%C3%AE%29+or+Northern+Kurdish&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=bks&source=og&sa=N&tab=wp&ei=tfssUNOuE-Sp0QWX0oGoDA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=f81dd1ab64a80a9f&biw=980&bih=418|page=112}}</ref>
'''Kurmanji''' ({{lang|kmr|Kurmancî}}, {{lang|kmr-Arab|کورمانجی|rtl=yes}}), also called '''Northern Kurdish''' ({{lang|kmr|Kurdiya jorîn}}, {{lang|kmr-Arab|کوردیا ژۆرین|rtl=yes}}) or '''Ezdiki''' (''Êzdîkî'')<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schulze|first=Ilona|title=Methodologische Überlegungen zur soziokulturellen Dokumentation von Minderheiten in Armenien. Iran and the Caucasus Vol. 18, 2, pp. 169-193|url=https://www.academia.edu/15116713/Methodologische_%C3%9Cberlegungen_zur_soziokulturellen_Dokumentation_von_Minderheiten_in_Armenien._Iran_and_the_Caucasus_Vol._18_2_pp._169-193|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.de/books?id=y1RsBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT8&dq=%C4%93zd%C4%ABk%C4%AB+the+yezidi+language&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0_8bPi-ngAhUpM-wKHaNyB78Q6AEIJTAA#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=The Religion of the Peacock Angel: The Yezidis and Their Spirit World|last=Asatrian|first=Garnik S.|last2=Arakelova|first2=Victoria|date=2014-09-03|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317544289|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.de/books?id=7XuMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA68&dq=ezdiki&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1o-yQlpPfAhXNKlAKHYZdBm8Q6AEIMzAC#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=The Caucasus - An Introduction|last=Coene|first=Frederik|date=2009-10-16|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135203023|language=en}}</ref> is a [[Western Iranian languages|Northwestern Iranian language]] spoken in southeast [[Turkey]], northwest and northeast [[Iran]], northern [[Iraq]], northern [[Syria]] and [[Armenia]]. It is the most widespread language of the [[Kurds]] and [[Yazidis]]. <!-- Kurmanji is difficult to classify, like Kurdish in general, due to strong influence from Persian and other neighbouring related Iranian languages, numerous lexical borrowings and conflicting or ambiguous dialectal traits. -->Kurmanji belongs to the [[Kurdish languages]] and [[Ezdiki language|Yazidi language]]. Kurmanji also shares many similarities with [[Central Kurdish|Sorani]] and other [[Western Iranian languages|Northwestern Iranian languages]] along with [[Balochi language|Baluchi]]<!-- given its placement regarding the very oldest isoglosses within Iranian -->,<ref name=Iranica>{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Kurdish language I. History of the Kurdish language|author-last=Paul|author-first=Ludwig|author-link=|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]|editor-last=Yarshater|editor-first=Ehsan|editor-link=Ehsan Yarshater|volume=|year=2008|publisher=Routledge|location=London and New York|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/kurdish-language-i|accessdate=28 August 2013}}</ref><ref>Windfuhr, Gernot (1975), “Isoglosses: A Sketch on Persians and Parthians, Kurds and Medes”, Monumentum H.S. Nyberg II (Acta Iranica-5), Leiden: 457–471</ref> it also shares many traits with Southwestern Iranian languages like [[Persian language|Persian]], apparently due to longstanding and intense historical contacts, and some authorities have gone so far as to classify Kurmanji as a Southwestern or "southern"<!-- this is not a usually acknowledged subgroup, but seems to be merely an alternative term for "Southwestern Iranian" --> Iranian language.<ref>{{cite book|title=Turkey's Alevi Enigma: A Comprehensive Overview|year=2002|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-9004125384|editor=Paul J. White|page=23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gunter|first=Michael M.|title=The A to Z of the Kurds|year=2009|publisher=The Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0810868182|url=https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Kurmanji+%28Kurmanc%C3%AE%29+or+Northern+Kurdish&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&sourceid=Mozilla-search&start=0#q=Kurmanji+%28Kurmanc%C3%AE%29+or+Northern+Kurdish&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=bks&source=og&sa=N&tab=wp&ei=tfssUNOuE-Sp0QWX0oGoDA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=f81dd1ab64a80a9f&biw=980&bih=418|page=112}}</ref>


== Scripts and books ==
== Scripts and books ==
Northern Kurdish is written using the [[Latin script]] in [[Turkey]], where most of its speakers live, as well as in [[Syria]]. Northern Kurdish is the most widely spoken [[Kurdish languages|Kurdish]] language, being spoken by 80% of all [[Kurds]]. The earliest textual record of a Kurdish language dates to the 16th century.<ref name="Iranica"/>
Kurmanji is written using the [[Latin script]] in [[Turkey]], where most of its speakers live, as well as in [[Syria]], [[Iraq]] and [[Armenia]]. Kurmanji is the most widely spoken language by [[Kurds]] and [[Yazidis]]. It is being spoken by 80% of all Kurds and it is also the mother tongue of almost all Yazidis. The earliest textual record of Kurmanji dates to the 16th century.<ref name="Iranica"/>


Kurmanji is also the ceremonial language<ref>[http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/yazidis-i-general-1 Kurmanji is the language of almost all the orally transmitted religious traditions of the Yazidis.]</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=YEZIDIS in Armenia |title=People Armenia Travel, History, Archeology & Ecology TourArmenia Travel Guide to Armenia |url=http://www.tacentral.com/people.asp?story_no=8 |website=www.tacentral.com}}</ref> of [[Yazidism]]. The sacred book ''[[Mishefa Reş]]'' (the "[[Yazidi Black Book]]") and all prayers are written and spoken in Kurmanji. In this context, the Kurmanji language may also be called '''[[Ezdiki language|Ezdiki]]'''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Arakelova |first1=Victoria |date=2001 |title=Healing Practices among the Yezidi Sheikhs of Armenia |journal=Asian Folklore Studies |volume=60 |issue=2 |pages=319–328 |doi=10.2307/1179060 |quote = As for their language, the Yezidis themselves, in an attempt to avoid being identified with Kurds, call it ''Ezdiki''. }}</ref>
Kurmanji is also the ceremonial language<ref>[http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/yazidis-i-general-1 Kurmanji is the language of almost all the orally transmitted religious traditions of the Yazidis.]</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=YEZIDIS in Armenia |title=People Armenia Travel, History, Archeology & Ecology TourArmenia Travel Guide to Armenia |url=http://www.tacentral.com/people.asp?story_no=8 |website=www.tacentral.com}}</ref> of [[Yazidism]]. The sacred book ''[[Mishefa Reş]]'' (the "[[Yazidi Black Book]]") and all prayers are written and spoken in Kurmanji. In this context, the Kurmanji language may also be called '''[[Ezdiki language|Ezdiki]]'''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Arakelova |first1=Victoria |date=2001 |title=Healing Practices among the Yezidi Sheikhs of Armenia |journal=Asian Folklore Studies |volume=60 |issue=2 |pages=319–328 |doi=10.2307/1179060 |quote = As for their language, the Yezidis themselves, in an attempt to avoid being identified with Kurds, call it ''Ezdiki''. }}</ref>

Revision as of 03:08, 15 March 2019

Kurmanji
Northern Kurdish
Ezdiki language
Kurmancî, کورمانجی, Кӧрманщи
Kurdiya Jorîn, کوردیا ژۆرین, Кӧрдьйа Жорин
Êzdîkî
Native toTurkey, Armenia, Syria, Iraq, Iran
Native speakers
15 million (2009)[1]
Dialects
  • Northern Kurdish
  • Botani
  • Bazidi
  • Bakrani
  • Hakkari
  • Behdini
  • Shengali
  • Judikani
  • Jiwanshiri
  • Alburzi
  • Qochani
  • Bujnurdi
  • Rihayi
Latin (Turkey, Syria), Perso-Arabic (Iran, Iraq); Cyrillic (formerly in the Soviet Union), Armenian (formerly in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic)
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3kmr
Glottolognort2641
Linguasphere58-AAA-a
Geographic distribution of Kurmanji and other Northwestern Iranian languages spoken by Kurds and Yazidis (Yazidis speak only Kurmanji or Ezdiki)

Kurmanji (Kurmancî, کورمانجی), also called Northern Kurdish (Kurdiya jorîn, کوردیا ژۆرین) or Ezdiki (Êzdîkî)[3][4][5] is a Northwestern Iranian language spoken in southeast Turkey, northwest and northeast Iran, northern Iraq, northern Syria and Armenia. It is the most widespread language of the Kurds and Yazidis. Kurmanji belongs to the Kurdish languages and Yazidi language. Kurmanji also shares many similarities with Sorani and other Northwestern Iranian languages along with Baluchi,[6][7] it also shares many traits with Southwestern Iranian languages like Persian, apparently due to longstanding and intense historical contacts, and some authorities have gone so far as to classify Kurmanji as a Southwestern or "southern" Iranian language.[8][9]

Scripts and books

Kurmanji is written using the Latin script in Turkey, where most of its speakers live, as well as in Syria, Iraq and Armenia. Kurmanji is the most widely spoken language by Kurds and Yazidis. It is being spoken by 80% of all Kurds and it is also the mother tongue of almost all Yazidis. The earliest textual record of Kurmanji dates to the 16th century.[6]

Kurmanji is also the ceremonial language[10][11] of Yazidism. The sacred book Mishefa Reş (the "Yazidi Black Book") and all prayers are written and spoken in Kurmanji. In this context, the Kurmanji language may also be called Ezdiki.[12]

Phonology

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i u
Near-close ʏ
Mid ə
Close-mid e o
Open a ɑ

The vowels /i, a, u/ have long forms, and Kumandji has contrastive vowel length.[13]

Consonants
Bilabial Labiodental Dental Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal Glottal
plain aspirated plain aspirated plain aspirated plain aspirated
Stop voiceless p pʰ t̪ t̪ʰ k kʰ q ʔ
voiced b bʱ d̪ d̪ʱ ɡ ɡʱ
Affricate voiceless t͡ʃ t͡ʃʰ
voiced d͡ʒ d͡ʒʱ
Fricative voiceless f s sʰ ɬ ʃ x ħ h
voiced (v) z zʱ ʒ ɣ (ʕ) ɦ
Nasal m n̪ ŋ
Approximant l̪ j w
Trill r
Flap ɾ

Dialects

Northern Kurdish forms a dialect continuum of great variability. Loosely, five dialect areas can be distinguished:[14]

The most distinctive[clarification needed] of these is Badînî.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Kurmanji at Ethnologue (19th ed., 2016) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Pavlenko, Aneta (2008). Multilingualism in post-Soviet countries. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters. pp. 18–22. ISBN 978-1-84769-087-6.
  3. ^ Schulze, Ilona. "Methodologische Überlegungen zur soziokulturellen Dokumentation von Minderheiten in Armenien. Iran and the Caucasus Vol. 18, 2, pp. 169-193". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ Asatrian, Garnik S.; Arakelova, Victoria (2014-09-03). The Religion of the Peacock Angel: The Yezidis and Their Spirit World. Routledge. ISBN 9781317544289.
  5. ^ Coene, Frederik (2009-10-16). The Caucasus - An Introduction. Routledge. ISBN 9781135203023.
  6. ^ a b Paul, Ludwig (2008). "Kurdish language I. History of the Kurdish language". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica. London and New York: Routledge. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  7. ^ Windfuhr, Gernot (1975), “Isoglosses: A Sketch on Persians and Parthians, Kurds and Medes”, Monumentum H.S. Nyberg II (Acta Iranica-5), Leiden: 457–471
  8. ^ Paul J. White, ed. (2002). Turkey's Alevi Enigma: A Comprehensive Overview. Brill. p. 23. ISBN 978-9004125384.
  9. ^ Gunter, Michael M. (2009). The A to Z of the Kurds. The Scarecrow Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-0810868182.
  10. ^ Kurmanji is the language of almost all the orally transmitted religious traditions of the Yazidis.
  11. ^ YEZIDIS in Armenia. "People Armenia Travel, History, Archeology & Ecology TourArmenia Travel Guide to Armenia". www.tacentral.com.
  12. ^ Arakelova, Victoria (2001). "Healing Practices among the Yezidi Sheikhs of Armenia". Asian Folklore Studies. 60 (2): 319–328. doi:10.2307/1179060. As for their language, the Yezidis themselves, in an attempt to avoid being identified with Kurds, call it Ezdiki.
  13. ^ Asadpour, Hima; Mohammadi, Maryam. "A Comparative Study of Kurdish Phonological Varieties" (PDF). {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ Öpengin, Ergin; Haig, Geoffrey (2014), "Regional variation in Kurmanji: A preliminary classification of dialects", Kurdish Studies, 2, ISSN 2051-4883
  15. ^ for Bahdinan, a historical Kurdish principality, paralleling use of Sorani, also the name of a historical principality, for southern dialects. See BAHDĪNĀN in Encyclopedia Iranica by A. Hassanpour, 1988 (updated 2011): "The majority of the population are Kurds (see figures in Edmonds, [Kurds, Turks and Arabs, London, 1957,] p. 439) and speak Kurmanji, the major Kurdish dialect group, also called Bādīnānī (see, among others, Jardine [Bahdinan Kurmanji: A Grammar of the Kurmanji of the Kurds of Mosul Division and Surrounding Districts, Baghdad, 1922] and Blau [Le Kurde de ʿAmādiya et de Djabal Sindjar: Analyse linguistique, textes folkloriques, glossaires, Paris, 1975])."

External links

Kurdish edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kurmanji&oldid=887830470"