Kuhmareyi language
Kuhmareyi | |
---|---|
Southwestern Fars | |
Native to | Iran |
Native speakers | 100,000 (2012)[1] |
Indo-European
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | fay |
Kuhmareyi is one of the languages of southwestern Fars. It is a cluster of disparate dialects; the one illustrated here is the Davani dialect (Davani: devani;[2] Persian: دوانی, UniPers: Davâni) of the village of Davan, 12 kilometers north of Kazerun city in southern Iran. Davani had an estimated 1,000 speakers in 2004.[3]
Phonology
The transcription used here is only an approximation.[4]
Vowels
short: â, a, e, i, o, u
long: â:, ā, ē, ī, ō, ū
Consonants
- voiced dental fricative: ð, generally after vowels, like in, 'bað' (bad).
- voiced velar fricative: γ, like in "γal'ati" (shroud).
- alveolar trill: like in 'borrâ' (flail).
- palatalization: inclination for 'g' and 'k' before front vowels, like in 'bega' (say).
- voiceless alveolar affricate: ts, like in 'tse' (what), and voiced dz, like in andzi (fig).
Grammar
Verbs
Davani is ergative in past transitive constructions. For example (Persian transliterations are in UniPers):
English: Hasan saw Ali in the garden.
Persian: Hasan, Ali-râ tuye bâq did.
Davani: hasan-eš ali-a tu bâγ di.
Infinitive markers include -san, -tan, -dan, -ðan.
Nouns
The suffix -aku makes nouns definite. For example:
bard "stone" → bard-aku "the stone"
The plural is marked by the suffix -gal. -u is exceptionally used for "man". For example:
sēv "apple" → sēv-gal "apples"
merd "man" → merd-u "men"
Pronouns
Person | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
1st | ma | mu |
2nd | to | shumu |
3rd | u oy |
unā ushu |
Vocabulary
English | Davani | Persian (Unipers) |
---|---|---|
beautiful | ju, jônek | zibâ, xoščehre |
blood | xin | xun |
bread | nu, nen | nân |
bring | avâðan | âvardan |
brother | borâk, borâ | barâdar |
come | ameðan, aneðan | âmadan |
cry | gerīðan | geristan |
dark | târīk | târik |
daughter | dōt, dōðar | doxtar |
day | ru, rez | ruz |
do | kētan | kardan |
door | dar | dar |
die | mordan | mordan |
donkey | xar | xar |
egg | xoy | toxme morq |
earth | zimi | zamin |
eye | čiš | čašm |
father | bu, bâva, bova | pedar |
fear | ters | tars |
fiancé | numzâð | nâmzad |
fine | xoš | xoš |
finger | pinja, piling | angošt |
fire | tiš | âtaš, âzar |
fish | meyi | mâhi |
food / eat | xorâk/ xâtan | qazâ, xorâk / xordan |
go | šeðan | raftan |
god | xoðâ | xodâ |
good | xūv | xub |
great | got, γoč | bozorg, gonde, gat |
hand | das | dast |
English | Davani | Persian (Unipers) |
---|---|---|
head | tek, kalla, ser | sar, kalle |
heart | del | del |
horse | asp | asb, astar |
house | xuna | xâne |
language/tongue | zavu | zabân |
laugh | xanda kētan | xandidan |
man | merd | mard |
moon | mā | mâh |
mother | deyi, dey | mâdar, mâmân |
mouth | kap, kač | dahân |
name | num | nâm |
night | šô | šab |
open | vâkētan | bâz kardan |
peace | sōl | âshti, ârâmeš, ârâmi |
place | jo | jâ |
read | xondan | xândan |
say | gâ:tan | goftan, gap zadan |
scratch | kerniðan | xârândan |
sister | xāk, xā | xâhar |
small | xujak, kem, xordek, rēz, vahila | kucak, kam, xord, riz |
son | pos, keraku | pesar, pur, bacce |
tall | boland | boland, bârez, derâz |
three | so | se |
water | ô | âb, ow |
weave | vâtseriðan | bâftan |
when | ki | key |
wind | bâð | bâd |
woman | zan | zan |
yesterday | dig | diruz |
Example sentences
English | Davani | Persian | Unipers |
---|---|---|---|
What is this? | i tsi-yen? | این چیست؟ | In cist? |
Where is Ali? | ali an kâ? | علی کجاست؟ | Ali kojâst? |
This horse is white. | i asp-e espe-hâ. | .این اسب سفید است | In asb sefid ast. |
Go (and) chain Rostam's hand (and) bring him here, so that I give you the crown and the kingdom. | beða dass-e rostam huven-eš bâ injo ke-t ma tâj šâi hâðe. | .برو دست رستم را ببند، اینجا بیاور تا من تاج شاهی را به تو بدهم | Boro daste Rostam râ beband, injâ beyâvar, tâ man tâje šâhi râ be to bedaham. |
They say he works 10 hours a day. | mege-yen rez-i dā sât kâr mēku. | .میگویند روزی ده ساعت کار میکند | Miguyand ruzi dah sâat kâr mikonad. |
I have two small brothers and sisters. | dikko-m borô xey-e xord-ek he. | .دو برادر و خواهر کوچک دارم | Do barâdar va xâhare kucak dâram. |
If you will go just once to their village, you won't forget the hospitality of its people. | agar hami akeš-a šesse-bi-ya velât-ešu hargese-tu meymu dâri-šu az yâð nemēšu. | .اگر تنها یکبار به ده آنها رفته باشی، مهماننوازی مردم آنجا را هرگز از یاد نخواهی برد | Agar tanhâ yekbâr be dehe ânhâ rafte bâši, mehmânnavâziye mardome ânjâ râ hargez az yâd naxâhid bord. |
Who called me? | ke-š čer-om ze? | چه کسی مرا صدا زد؟ | Cekasi marâ sedâ zad? |
See also
- Lari dialect
- Dialects of Fars
- Persian dialects and varieties
- Southwestern Iranian languages
- Iranian languages
References
- ^ Kuhmareyi at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
- ^ Encyclopedia Iranica article on Davani
- ^ a b Salami, A., 1383 AP / 2004 AD. Ganjineye guyeššenâsiye Fârs (The treasury of the dialectology of Fars). First Volume, The academy of Persian language and literature. [1] ISBN 964-7531-32-X (in Persian)
- ^ Mahamedi, H., 1982. The story of Rostam and Esfandiyâr in an Iranian dialect,Journal of the American Oriental Studies, 102.3, 451-459.
Further reading
- Morgenstierne, G., 1960. Stray notes on Persian dialects, II, Fârs Dialects-Davâni. Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap, XIX, 123–129.
- Hasamzada-Haqiqi, C., 1970. Guyeše Davâni (Davani Dialect), in Proceedings of the First Congress of Iranian Studies. Tehran University, 77–98.
- Mahamedi, H., 1979. On the verbal system in three Iranian dialects of Fârs, in Studia Iranica, VIII, 2, 277–297.
- Salami, A., 1381 AP / 2002 AD. Farhange guyeše Davâni (The Dictionary of Davani dialect). The academy of Persian language and literature. [2] ISBN 964-7531-03-6 (in Persian).