The Kurdish Language

Abstract

Kurds call their language Kurdî (كوردی) in Kurdish. This chapter first provides some historical and sociocultural information about the language such as the family of languages it belongs to, its variety groups, and its current status and vitality. This will be followed by a linguistic description of Central Kurdish (Sorani, henceforth CK), for it is beyond the scope of this chapter to cover the linguistic properties of all Kurdish variety groups. We will focus on CK because it is the variety that is spoken by the vast majority of Kurds in Iraq where Kurdish has an official status. Some basic vocabulary and expressions in both Central and Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji, henceforth NK) will be presented followed by a sample text in CK. The chapter concludes with a list of books and resources on the language.

Keywords

• Kurdish
• Centeral Kurdish
• Northern Kurdish
• The Grammar of Kurdish

Zimanê Kurdî

Abstract

Kurd ji bo zimanê xwe di zimanê kurdî de bêjeya “Kurdî” (كوردی) bi kar tînin. Ev beş di serî de hin agahîyên dîrokî û sosyo-çandî yên derbarê vî zimanî de dide; wek malbata zimanî ya vî zimanî, zaravayên wî, û statu û rewşa jîndarîya wî. Pey van agahîyan, lewra di derî çarçoveya vê xebatê de ye ku li ser terîfên zimannasî yên hemû zaravayên vî zimanî bê sekinîn, wê tenê terîfeke zimannasî ya Kurdîya Navendî (Soranî, vê şûnda KN) bê dayîn. Li Iraqê KN xwedîyê statuyeke fermî ye û dîsa çima KN ew zarava ye ku ji hêla pirî Kurdên Iraqê ve tê axaftin, loma jî em ê li ser KN bisekinin. Hin bêje û gotinên bingehîn yên Kurdîya Navendî û Kurdîya Bakur (Kurmancî, vê şûnda KBK) wê bê dayîn û paşê wê metneke mînak ya KNê jî li dawîyê bê zêdekirin. Ev beş wê bi lîsteyeke pirtûk û çavakanîyên li ser ziman ve bê qedandin.

Keywords

• Kurd
• Kurdîya Navendî
• Kurdîya Bakur
• Gramera Kurdî

References

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