Kurdish Language

Kurdish is a language belonging to the Indo-European language family, specifically the western Iranian branch. It is spoken by Kurds living in the Middle East: northern Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran and northern Syria, as well as diaspora communities in Europe and elsewhere.

Kurdish is not a single unified language uniform across all regions; it is divided into several major dialects, some of which are not mutually intelligible. For this reason, some linguists refer to it as a 'language group' rather than a single language.

Major Dialects

The two most widely spoken dialects are Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish) and Sorani (Central Kurdish). Kurmanji is generally spoken in Turkey, Syria, and parts of Iraq and Iran, and is typically written in a modified Latin script. Sorani is spoken in northern Iraq and western Iran, and is written in an adapted Arabic script to suit Kurdish phonetics. There are also other dialects such as Southern Kurdish, and related varieties such as Zazaki and Gorani, which some scholars treat as separate languages.

Writing and Grammar

Kurdish uses two major writing systems: the Latin alphabet (typically for Kurmanji) and a modified Arabic script (typically for Sorani). In earlier Soviet periods, Cyrillic was used. Kurdish grammar exhibits typical Iranian features: verbs conjugate according to person and tense, and Kurmanji retains gender distinction (masculine and feminine) that Sorani has largely lost.

Legal Status and Use

In Iraq, Kurdish is one of the official languages at the national level and is used in the administration of the Kurdistan Region, education, and media. In other countries, the situation varies: there have been periods when restrictions were placed on printing and media use of the language, though these have gradually changed in recent decades. Television, radio, and internet media have played a significant role in bringing the various dialects into closer contact.