Gilaki language
| Gilaki | |
|---|---|
| گیلکی Giləki | |
| Native to | Iran, province of Gilan |
| Region | southwest coast of the Caspian Sea |
Native speakers | (3.3 million cited 1993)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | glk |
| Glottolog | gila1241 |
| Linguasphere | 58-AAC-eb |
The Gilaki language is a Caspian language, and a member of the northwestern Iranian language branch, spoken in Iran's Gīlān Province.[2][3] Gilaki is closely related to Mazandarani and the two dialects have similar vocabularies. The Gilaki and Mazandarani languages (but not other Iranian languages) share certain typological features with Caucasian languages,[4][5] reflecting the history, ethnic identity, and close relatedness to the Caucasus region and Caucasian peoples of the Gilaki people and Mazandarani people.
Internal classification
The language is divided into three dialects: Western Gilaki, Eastern Gilaki, and Galeshi (in the mountains of Gilan). Furthermore, the Gilaki language is closely related to Mazanderani, and the two languages have similar vocabularies. [citation needed]The western and eastern dialects are separated by the Sefid River.[6] According to Ethnologue, there were more than 3 million native speakers of Gilaki in 1993.[7]
Phonology
Gilaki has the same consonants as Persian, but different vowels. Here is a table of correspondences for the Western Gilaki of Rasht (as will be the variety used in the remainder of the article):
| Gilaki | Persian | Example (Gilaki) |
|---|---|---|
| i | e | ki.tab |
| e(ː) | iː, eː/ei | seb |
| ə | æ, e | mən |
| a | aː | zai |
| ɒ (perhaps allophonic) | aː | lɒ.nə |
| o | uː, oː/ɔ | d͡ʒoɾ |
| u | o/uː | ɡul |
The consonants are:
| labial | alveolar | post-alveolar | velar | glottal | |
| voiceless stops | p | t | t͡ʃ | k | ʔ |
| voiced stops | b | d | d͡ʒ | ɡ | |
| voiceless fricatives | f | s | ʃ | x | h |
| voiced fricatives | v | z | ʒ | ɣ | |
| nasals | m | n | |||
| liquids | l, ɾ | ||||
| glides | j |
Typology
The Gilaki and Mazandarani languages (but not other Iranian languages) share certain typological features with Caucasian languages,[4][8] reflecting the history, ethnic identity, and close relatedness to the Caucasus region and Peoples of the Caucasus of the Gilaki people.
Verb system
The verb system of Gilaki is very similar to that of Persian. All infinitives end in -tən/-dən, or in -V:n, where V: is a long vowel (from contraction of an original *-Vdən). The present stem is usually related to the infinitive, and the past stem is just the infinitive without -ən or -n (in the case of vowel stems).
Present tenses
From the infinitive dín, "to see", we get present stem din-.
Present indicative
The present indicative is formed by adding the personal endings to this stem:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| dinəm | diním(i) |
| diní | diníd(i) |
| diné | diníd(i) |
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is formed with the prefix bí-, bú-, or bə- (depending on the vowel in the stem) added to the indicative forms. Final /e/ neutralizes to /ə/ in the 3rd singular and the plural invariably lacks final /i/.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| bídinəm | bídinim |
| bídini | bídinid |
| bídinə | bídinid |
The negative of both the indicative and the subjunctive is formed in the same way, with n- instead of the b- of the subjunctive.
Past tenses
Preterite
From xurdən, "to eat", we get the perfect stem xurd. To this are added unaccented personal endings and the unaccented b- prefix (or accented n- for the negative):
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| buxúrdəm | buxúrdim(i) |
| buxúrdi | buxúrdid(i) |
| buxúrdə | buxúrdid(i) |
Imperfect
The imperfect is formed with what was originally a suffix -i:
| xúrdim | xúrdim(i) |
| xúrdi | xúrdid(i) |
| xúrdi | xúrdid(i) |
Pluperfect
The pluperfect is paraphrastically formed with the verb bon, "to be", and the past participle, which is in turn formed with the perfect stem+ə (which can assimilate to become i or u). The accent can fall on the last syllable of the participle or on the stem itself:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| buxurdə bum | buxurdə bim |
| buxurdə bi | buxurdə bid |
| buxurdə bu | buxurdə bid |
Past subjunctive
A curious innovation of Western Gilaki is the past subjunctive, which is formed with the (artificial) imperfect of bon+past participle:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| bidé bim | bidé bim |
| bidé bi | bidé bid |
| bidé be/bi | bidé bid |
This form is often found in the protasis and apodosis of unreal conditions, e.g., mən agə Əkbəra bidé bim, xušhal bubosti bim, "If I were to see/saw/had seen Akbar, I would be happy".
Progressive
There are two very common paraphrastic constructions for the present and past progressives. From the infinitive šon, "to go", we get:
Present progressive
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| šón darəm | šón darim |
| šón dari | šón darid |
| šón darə | šón darid |
Past progressive
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| šón də/du bum | šón də/di bim |
| šón də/di bi | šón də/di bid |
| šón də/du bu | šón də/di bid |
Compound verbs
There are many compound verbs in Gilaki, whose forms differ slightly from simple verbs. Most notably, bV- is never prefixed onto the stem, and the negative prefix nV- can act like an infix -n-, coming between the prefix and the stem. So from fagiftən, "to get", we get present indicative fagirəm, but present subjunctive fágirəm, and the negative of both, faángirəm or fanígirəm. The same applies to the negative of the past tenses: fángiftəm or fanígiftəm.
Nouns, cases and postpositions
Gilaki employs a combination of quasi-case endings and postpositions to do the work of many particles and prepositions in English and Persian.
Cases
There are essentially three "cases" in Gilaki, the nominative (or, better, unmarked, as it can serve other grammatical functions), the genitive, and the (definite) accusative. The accusative form is often used to express the simple indirect object in addition to the direct object. A noun in the genitive comes before the word it modifies. These "cases" are in origin actually just particles, similar to Persian ra.
Nouns
For the word "per", father, we have:
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | per | perán |
| Acc | pera | perána |
| Gen | perə | peránə |
The genitive can change to -i, especially before some postpositions.
Pronouns
The 1st and 2nd person pronouns have special forms:
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | mən | amán |
| Acc | məra | amána |
| Gen | mi | amí |
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | tu | šumán |
| Acc | təra | šumána |
| Gen | ti | šimí |
The 3rd person (demonstrative) pronouns are regular: /un/, /u.ˈʃan/, /i.ˈʃan/
Postpositions
With the genitive can be combined many postpositions. Examples:
| Gilaki | English |
|---|---|
| re | for |
| həmra/əmra | with |
| ĵa | from, than (in comparisons) |
| mian | in |
| ĵor | above |
| ĵir | under |
| ru | on top of |
The personal pronouns have special forms with "-re": mere, tere, etc.
Adjectives
Gilaki adjectives come before the noun they modify, and may have the genitive "case ending" -ə/-i. They do not agree with the nouns they modify.
- Example for adjectival modification: Western Gilaki: pilla-yi zakan (big children), Surx gul (red flower). Eastern Gilaki: Sərd aw (cold water) (ɑb-e særd in Persian), kul čaqu (dull knife) (čaqu-ye kond in Persian).
Possessive Constructions
- Examples for possessive constructions of nouns in Western Gilaki: məhin zakan (Mæhin's children) (Bæče-ha-ye Mæhin in Persian), Baγi gulan (garden flowers) (Gol-ha-ye Baγ in Persian). In Eastern Gilaki: Xirsi Kuti (bear cub) (Bæč-e Xers in Persian).
Vocabulary
| Gilaki | Zazaki | English | Persian | Persian transcription |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dim | ruy/rı | face | روی/چهره | ruy/čehreh |
| zäy | zay/ tutw | baby/kid | کودک/بچه | kudak/bačeh |
| pile per | peri piller | grandfather | پدربزرگ | pedar bozorg |
| zəmat | name | Massage | ماساژ | māsāzh |
| mərdə per | pere merde | father of the husband | پدرشوهر | pedar šohar |
| kerk/murgh | kerg | hen | مرغ خانگی | morgh xānegi |
| gow | gâ | cow | گاو | gāv |
| buĵor / cuer | cor | up | بالا | bālā |
| roĵä/kiĵi/setarə | astare | star | ستاره | setāreh |
| kor/kiĵä/kilka/läku | kılle/kina/keyna/duxt | girl | دختر | doxtar |
| rey/rikä/ri | re/laj | boy | پسر | pesar |
| putär | morcele | ant | مورچه | murčeh |
| siftäl=garzak | zerqet | bee | زنبور | zanbur |
| piča | psing | cat/pussy cat | گربه/پیشی | gorbeh/piši |
| nesä | siya | shadow | سایه | sāyeh |
| vargadån | Vardan | to hang | آویزان کردن/آویختن | āvixtan/āvizān kardan |
| pilə=pila | pil | great | بزرگ | bozorg |
| zak/zay | zay/tutw | child | بچه | bačeh |
| per | pîyer/per | father | پدر | pedar |
| kåråš=kereš | keresdan | to draw on the ground | کشیدن به دنبال | be donbal kešidan |
| fuduštån | levnayış | to suck | مکیدن | makidan |
| vastån | vaşten | appetite or desire | اشتها و میل | eštehā o meyl |
| šondån | şodan/şıdan | pouring of liquids | ریختن مایعات | rixtan-e māyeāt |
| lisk | reser-lic | lubricious | ليز / سور | liz/sor |
| kərč | kırç | brittle | ترد و شکننده | tord o šekanandeh |
| där | dâr | tree | دار و درخت | dār o deraxt |
| malĵå, čičini | miliçik | sparrow | گنجشک | gonješk |
| bušu | buşu | go | برو | boro |
| fegir | fekir | talk it in your hand | بگیر | begir |
| fegir or fengir | megir | don't take in your hand | نگیر | nagir |
| purd | pırd | bridge | پل | pol |
| si | koy o kerra | mountain and stone | کوه و سنگ | kuh o sang |
| kenes | temas | touch | تماس | tamās |
| morghanə | hâk | egg | تخم مرغ | toxm-e morgh |
| lanti | mar | snake | مار | mār |
| picha | psing | cat | گربه | gorbeh |
| kəlach | qela | crow | کلاغ | kalāgh |
| gərmalət | isot, ferfer | pepper | فلفل | felfel |
| pamador | firang | tomato | گوجه فرنگی | gojeh-ye farangi |
| vatərkəssən | terqnaiden | explode | ترکیدن | terkidan |
| šime šin | kabara şıma | for you | برای شما | barāye šomā |
| mi šin | kabara mı | for me | برای من | barāye man |
| kiškazay | vicek | chicken | جوجه | jujeh |
| vərza | gâ | male cow | گاو نر | gāv-e nar |
| leše | mungâ | bull | گاو ماده | gāv-e māddeh |
| jir / bijir | ceir/cér | down | پائین | pā'in |
| luchan | çemard | roll of the eyes | چشم غره | češm ghoreh |
| bəjar | berzer | rice farm | مزرعه برنج | mazra'e-ye berenj |
| vachukastan | vecyayen | climb | بالا رفتن | bālā raftan |
Comparison of Gilaki, Kurdish and Balochi
| Gilaki | English | Kurdish | Balochi |
|---|---|---|---|
| zay/zak | baby/kid | zarok | Zag |
| ĵor | up | jor/jûr | Borz |
| kiĵa/kilka | girl | keç | |
| daar | tree | dar | Daar |
| bošu | go | biçe | |
| purd | bridge | pird | |
| zama | groom | zawa | |
| kaft | fell | keft/kewt | kapt |
See also
- Mazandarani language, another language in the Caspian subgroup of Northwest Iranian.
Notes
- ^ Gilaki at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Coon, "Iran:Demography and Ethnography" in Encyclopedia of Islam, Volume IV, E.J. Brill, pp. 10,8. Excerpt: "The Lurs speak an aberrant form of Archaic Persian" See maps also on page 10 for distribution of Persian languages and dialect
- ^ Kathryn M. Coughlin, "Muslim cultures today: a reference guide," Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. p. 89: "...Iranians speak Persian or a Persian dialect such as Gilaki or Mazandarani"
- ^ a b Academic American Encyclopedia By Grolier Incorporated, page 294
- ^ The Tati language group in the sociolinguistic context of Northwestern Iran and Transcaucasia By D.Stilo, pages 137-185
- ^ Stilo, Don "A Description of the Northwest Iranian Project at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology"
- ^ "Gilaki: A language of Iran" Ethnologue
- ^ The Tati language group in the sociolinguistic context of Northwestern Iran and Transcaucasia By D.Stilo, pages 137-185
Further reading
- Christensen, Arthur Emanuel. 1930. Dialect Guiläki de Recht [The Gilaki dialect of Rasht]. In Contributions à la dialectologie iranienne. Series: Kgl. danske videnskabernes selskab. Historisk-filologiske meddelelser; 17, 2. (translated into Persian 1995)
- Purriyahi, Masud. 1971. Barresi-ye dastur-e guyesh-e Gilaki-ye Rasht [A Grammatical Study of the Gilaki dialect of Rasht]. Dissertation, Tehran University.
- Sartippur, Jahangir. 1990/1369 A.P. Vižegihā-ye Dasturi va Farhang-e vāžehā-ye Gilaki [Grammatical Characteristics and Glossary of Gilaki]. Rasht: Nashr-e Gilakan. Dictionary.
- Shokri, Giti. 1998. Māzi-ye Naqli dar Guyeshhā-ye Gilaki va Mazandarāni [Present perfect in Gilani and Mazandarāni Dialects]. Nāme-ye Farhangestān 4(4(16)):59–69. (quarterly journal of Iranian Academy of Persian Language and Literature) Article abstract in English.
- Rastorgueva, V., Kerimova, A., Mamedzade, A., Pireiko, L., Edel’man, D. & Lockwood, R. M. 2012. The Gilaki Language. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis.
External links
