Kurdish, Central

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A language of Iraq

ISO 639-3
ckb
Alternate Names
Kurdi, Sorani
Population

3,500,000 in Iraq (2009). Population total all countries: 6,750,000.

Location

South of Great Zab river, Silemani (Sulaimaniya), Arbil, Kirkuk, Khanaqin, and Mandali provinces. Diaspora communities elsewhere, including western Europe and the United States. Also in Iran.

Language Maps
Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Kurdistan Region (2005, Constitution, Article 4(1)).

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish
Dialects

Bingird, Garmiyani, Hewleri (Arbili), Kerkuki, Mukri, Pizhdar, Rewandiz, Suleimani (Silemani), Warmawa, Xoshnaw. In Sulaimaniya, Hewleri and Kerkuki dialects seen as mutually intelligible.

Typology

SOV; no grammatical gender or case; noun head initial; tense-split ergative pattern; 9 vowel phonemes, 31 consonant phonemes (McCarus 2009)

Language Use

All domains. Children learn it first. Positive attitudes.

Language Development
Literary standard is based on Sorani (from Suleimaniye) variety. Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. NT: 1994–2011.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kurdish, Central
Writing
Arabic script.
Other Comments

Muslim (Sunni), Christian, Yezidi.

Also spoken in:

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