Gurani

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A language of Iraq

ISO 639-3
hac
Alternate Names
Gorani, Hawramani, Hawrami, Hewrami, Macho, Macho-Zwani
Population

Speakers in Iran and Iraq: 200,000 to 300,000 (2007 S. Paul). Population total all countries: 200,000.

Location

Near Halabja, east of Silemani (Sulaimaniya), Topzawa near Tawuq, pockets from Mosul to Khanaqin. Also in Iran (Hawrami).

Language Status

7 (Shifting).

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Zaza-Gorani
Dialects

Bajelani, Gorani, Kakai, Shabaki, Zengana. Zaza-Gurani group includes Southern Zazaki [diq] (Zaza) (Turkey), and Gurani [hac], Bajelani [bjm] (Bajalani), Shabak [sdb], and Sarli [sdf] (Iraq); Hawrami [hac] (Iran).

Language Use

Positive attitudes. Some also use Central Kurdish [ckb] (Sorani) or Arabic.

Language Development
Poetry. Dictionary.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Gurani
Writing
Arabic script.
Other Comments

Very old literary tradition since A.D. 1300’s. Muslim, Ahl-e Haqq.

Also spoken in:

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