Research Article

Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect

Volume: 17 Number: 1 May 22, 2026
TR EN

Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect

Abstract

Dimili (Zazaki), a Kurdish dialect spoken only within Turkey, exhibits significant dialect diversity due to geographical and historical factors. One of the less documented dialects is the Modan dialect, spoken in the Mutki/Modan district of Bitlis. This study provides a comprehensive description of the phonological and morphological characteristics of the Modan dialect based on fieldwork with native speakers. Beyond providing a documentary contribution to this previously unidentified dialect, the study aims to situate the Modan dialect within the Dimili dialect continuum. Comparative analysis of prominent phonological correspondences and morphological structures provides evidence that the Modan dialect may occupy a transitional position within the Dimili dialect. This study contributes to the documentation and classification of Dimili dialects, thereby providing a better understanding of microdiversity and internal differences within the Kurdish linguistic ecology. Moreover, it provides an empirical basis for future research in the field of Kurdish and Iranian dialectology and is an important contribution to the preservation of the dialect structure of Dimili.

Keywords

References

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  7. Çelebi, E. (2010). Günümüz Türkçesiyle Evliyâ Çelebi Seyahatnâmesi: Bağdad-Basra-Bitlis-Diyarbakır-Isfahan-Malatya-Mardin-Musul-Tebriz-Van 4. Kitap, 1. Cilt. (S. A. Kahraman, & Y. Dağlı, Dü) İstanbul: Yapı Kredi Yayınları.
  8. Değirmenci, N. (2017). Yeni Farsça ve Zazaca Arasındaki Ortak Sözcükler Etimolojisi. (Doctoral Thesis). İstanbul: İstanbul Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Doğu Dilleri ve Edebiyatları Anabilim Dalı, Fars Dili ve Edebiyatı.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Kurdish Language, Literature and Culture

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

May 22, 2026

Submission Date

June 10, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 15, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 17 Number: 1

APA
Yıldız, P. (2026). Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect. Mukaddime, 17(1), 267-305. https://doi.org/10.19059/mukaddime.1716712
AMA
1.Yıldız P. Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect. Mukaddime. 2026;17(1):267-305. doi:10.19059/mukaddime.1716712
Chicago
Yıldız, Pınar. 2026. “Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect”. Mukaddime 17 (1): 267-305. https://doi.org/10.19059/mukaddime.1716712.
EndNote
Yıldız P (May 1, 2026) Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect. Mukaddime 17 1 267–305.
IEEE
[1]P. Yıldız, “Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect”, Mukaddime, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 267–305, May 2026, doi: 10.19059/mukaddime.1716712.
ISNAD
Yıldız, Pınar. “Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect”. Mukaddime 17/1 (May 1, 2026): 267-305. https://doi.org/10.19059/mukaddime.1716712.
JAMA
1.Yıldız P. Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect. Mukaddime. 2026;17:267–305.
MLA
Yıldız, Pınar. “Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect”. Mukaddime, vol. 17, no. 1, May 2026, pp. 267-05, doi:10.19059/mukaddime.1716712.
Vancouver
1.Pınar Yıldız. Linguistic Variation in Dimili (Zazaki): A Descriptive Study of the Modan Dialect. Mukaddime. 2026 May 1;17(1):267-305. doi:10.19059/mukaddime.1716712