Unveiling The Kurdish language:10 Fun Facts

The Kurdish language is an ancient and rich linguistic treasure that carries a vibrant cultural heritage. Spoken predominantly by the Kurds, an ethnic group settled in Kurdistan which is geo-cultural region the Middle East, the Kurdish language has a unique history and a distinct set of characteristics. Its diverse dialects, ancient origins, and rich literary tradition contribute to its uniqueness and importance. Throughout history, Kurdish language and culture have faced significant challenges and suppression. In various countries, governments have imposed restrictions to assimilate Kurds into the dominant culture, leading to the marginalization of the Kurdish language and attempts to suppress its use. For the Kurdish people, the language holds immense cultural and political significance. It has been a powerful tool for expressing Kurdish identity, preserving cultural heritage, and resisting cultural assimilation.The language has played a crucial role in shaping the Kurdish national movement.

In this blog, we will explore ten intriguing facts about the Kurdish language, shedding light on its significance and beauty.

1. Indo-European background

Kurdish belongs to the Indo-European language family, which also includes English, Spanish, Hindi, and many other widely spoken languages. This linguistic connection suggests a historical link between the Kurdish people and other ethnic groups speaking Indo-European languages. Due to having a common background, There are many Kurdish words which have the same meanings, pronunciations in other Indo-European languages. For example:

The Kurdish word of “Jîn” [woman] Means the same “zhena” in Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish. The Kurdish word of “Pê/Pî”[foot] has the same meaning with “El pie” in Spanish language. Some numbers in Kurdish and Russian has exactly the same pronunciation, for the example:

Sed[One hundred] in Kurdish, sto in Russian. Pênc[five] in Kurdish, pyat in Russian and peinj in Polish.

Another clear example which shows that deep connection between Kurdish and other Indo-European languages is having grammatical cases which are common in most Indo-European languages.

2. Ancient Origins:

The Kurdish language has roots dating back to ancient times. Linguistic experts trace its origins to the ancient median language spoken in the region around 2,000 years ago. This ancestral connection highlights the language’s deep historical significance. Due to having many common words with Sumerians, some other Linguistic experts suggest that The Kurdish language traces back to the ancient Sumerian languages.

3. Rich Vocabulary and dialects:

The Kurdish language consists of several dialects, the most prominent of which are Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish) which is spoken in all parts of Greater Kurdistan and it’s spoken by almost 70% of Kurds, Sorani (Central Kurdish), and Pehlewani (Southern Kurdish). These dialects exhibit variations in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, reflecting the geographical and historical diversity of the Kurdish regions. Each dialect has many sub-dialects which change from town to town and village to village. According to new researchs Kurdish language is one of richest languages languages in The world. Kurdish dictionary contains 735,320 key words from a few Kurdish dialects. In all the dialects the Kurdish language contains a total of 1,2 million words containing 1.6 million words with all conventions and phrases. Each word in other languages, has dozens equivalents in Kurdish. For example:

For the English word “How” Kurdish has more than seven words, such as, çon, çewa, kitov, çitov, kto, çto, ku,. To speak, Axaftin, Qesekird, peyivîn, Awxutin.

4. Rich Oral Tradition:

The Kurds has a strong oral tradition, and the language has been passed down through generations via storytelling, folk songs, and poetry. This oral tradition has played a crucial role in preserving the language’s unique expressions, idioms, and cultural narratives.

5. Influence on Other Languages

Despite of the fact that Kurdish has always been banned, and discriminated throughout its history. But surprisingly Kurdish language has influenced other neighbouring language, for example, Iraqi dialects of Arabic language has absorbed many words and linguistic elements from from Kurdish. Another example is Turkish, despite being dominant language for centuries, Yet It has absorbed hundreds of words from Kurdish. Linguistic experts believe that there are at least five hundred Turkish words of Kurdish origin.

6. Linguistic Significance:

The language has a vast body of literature encompassing poetry, epic narratives, and historical texts. Prominent Kurdish poets like Ahmedi khani and Ali Hariri have made valuable contributions to Kurdish literature. Additionally, Kurdish language research, academic institutions, and media outlets play a crucial role in fostering language preservation and development.

7. Recognition

Kurdish has gained varying degrees of recognition in different countries. Iraqi constitution officially recognizes Kurdish as a an official language of state alongside with Arabic. It’s the official language of Iraqi Kurdistan as well. It has an offical status in Western Kurdistan(Rojava). And It’s recognized as a regional language in Iran and Armenia. Although It has been banned by The Turkish state for ninety years, but nowdays In Turkey, where a significant Kurdish population resides, the language has experienced a gradual increase in recognition and cultural rights in recent years.

8. Revitalization

In recent decades, there has been a significant push for the revitalization of Kurdish as a means to preserve its cultural heritage. Educational institutions have been established both in the homeland of Iraqi Kurdistan and in the diaspora, offering opportunities for Kurdish language learning and academic study. Thousands of media outlets have been supported and established to revive, purify Kurdish and promote mutual understanding between speakers of different Kurdish dialects in Iraqi Kurdistan. Alongside The attempts by Kurdish scholars, and government to keep the language alive, Google translate added Kurmanji Kurdish to its program in 2016, and Sorani Kurdish in 2022. Facebook has added Kurmanji kurdish to its platform since 2012.

9. Writing Systems:

Kurdish has been written using various scripts throughout history. Currently, two main writing systems are in use: the Latin alphabet for Kurmanji and the Arabic script for Sorani. In recent years, efforts have been made to standardize the Kurdish alphabet and promote literacy among Kurdish speakers.

10. Expression Resistance:

Language plays a central role in fostering cultural identity. For Kurds, preserving and promoting their language is a way to maintain and strengthen their unique heritage, history, and sense of self. Therefore The Kurds believe that speaking their language is the best tool to persevere their ethnic identity.