Domari

A language of Iran

ISO 639-3

Alternate Names

Gypsy, Luti, Mehtar, Middle Eastern Romani, Tsigene

Population

1,340,000 in Iran (2000). Population total all countries: 3,952,810.

Location

Kurbat and Luti in west; Mehtar and Ghorbat in Fars and Kohgiluyeh va Boyerahmad Province; Karachi in north. Also in Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Palestine, Russian Federation, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Uzbekistan.

Language Maps

India, Map 4

Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification

Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Dom

Dialects

Karachi, Koli, Kurbati (Ghorbati), Luli, Maznoug, Nawar, Qinati, Yürük. Dialects in Iran may be highly divergent from one another. Not intelligible to Romani speakers.

Language Use

Vigorous. Home and in communication with other gypsies. All ages. Also use Iranian Persian [pes], Northern Luri [lrc], Bakhtiâri [bqi], Southern Luri [luz], or Qashqai [qxq].

Language Development

Grammar.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Domari

Writing

Unwritten.

Other Comments

Influenced by Arabic, as well as languages of host ethnic groups with which any Domari group is associated. Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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Afghanistan

Language nameDomari

Location

Scattered.

Alternate Names

Ghorbati

Dialects

Churi-Wali.

Status

6a (Vigorous).

Language Use

Home and in communication with other speakers.

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: Below 5%.

Other Comments

Muslim.

View other languages of Afghanistan

Egypt

Language nameDomari

Population

2,280,000 in Egypt (2006). Muslim Gypsies in Egypt: 1,080,000.

Location

Ghagar mainly in Dakahlia Governorate, north of Cairo.

Dialects

Helebi, Nawar (Ghagar).

Status

8a (Moribund).

Language Use

Many now speak Arabic.

Other Comments

Muslim.

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India

Language nameDomari

Population

202,000 in India (2000).

Location

Bihar, Saran and Champaran districts; Assam; West Bengal; Uttar Pradesh; Punjab; Madhya Pradesh; Jammu and Kashmir; Odisha.

Alternate Names

Dom, Domra Magu Hiya

Dialects

Domaki, Wogri-Boli.

Status

6a (Vigorous).

Language Use

A Gypsy language partly used for ingroup identification.

Other Comments

Efforts made to hide meaning of words from outsiders. Similar to Bhojpuri [bho]. Hindu.

View other languages of India

Iraq

Language nameDomari

Population

22,900 in Iraq (2000).

Alternate Names

Middle Eastern Romani

Status

8a (Moribund).

Other Comments

Muslim.

View other languages of Iraq

Israel

Language nameDomari

Population

2,000 in Israel (1997 Y. Matras). Palestine.

Location

Mainly Jerusalem (old city), Bir Zeit near Ramallah, and Gaza.

Alternate Names

Nawari, Near-Eastern Gypsy

Dialects

Nawari.

Status

6a (Vigorous).

Language Use

All ages. Also use South Levantine Spoken Arabic [ajp].

Other Comments

Many loanwords from Arabic [arb], Kurdish, and other Iranian languages. Muslim.

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Jordan

Language nameDomari

Population

4,910 in Jordan (2000).

Alternate Names

Barake, Gypsy, Kurbat, Middle Eastern Romani, Nawar, Tsigene

Dialects

Barake, Kurbat, Nawar.

Status

8a (Moribund).

Other Comments

Arabic influence. Muslim.

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Libya

Language nameDomari

Population

33,000 in Libya (2006).

Dialects

Helebi.

Status

6a (Vigorous).

Other Comments

Muslim.

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Palestinian Territory

Language nameDomari

Population

2,000 in Palestine (1997). Israel.

Location

Gaza and Bir Zeit near Ramallah.

Alternate Names

Nawari, Near-Eastern Gypsy

Dialects

Nawari.

Status

6a (Vigorous).

Language Use

All ages. Also use South Levantine Spoken Arabic [ajp].

Other Comments

Many loanwords from Arabic [arb], Kurdish, and some other Iranian languages. Muslim.

View other languages of Palestinian Territory

Russia

Language nameDomari

Population

500 in Russian Federation (2006).

Location

Karachi in the Caucasus.

Dialects

Karachi, Luli, Maznoug.

Status

6a (Vigorous).

Other Comments

Muslim.

View other languages of Russia

Sudan

Language nameDomari

Location

Scattered in urban centers.

Status

6b (Threatened).

Language Use

Also use Sudanese Spoken Arabic [apd].

Other Comments

Main clans in Sudan: Halabi and Ghajar.

View other languages of Sudan

Syria

Language nameDomari

Population

37,000 in Syria (2005).

Location

Nawar dialect: Palestine, Syria, and Egypt; Kurbat dialect: Syria and western Iran; Helebi: Egypt and Libya; Karachi dialect: north Turkey, Russian Federation Caucasus, and north Iran; Domaki and Wogri-Boli: India; Barake dialect: Syria; Luli and Maznoug: Uzbekistan; other groups in Iran; Churi-Wali dialect: Afghanistan.

Alternate Names

Barake, Gypsy, Kurbat, Middle Eastern Romani, Nawar, Tsigene

Dialects

Barake, Beirut, Kurbati, Nablos, Nawar.

Status

8a (Moribund).

Other Comments

Arabic influence. Muslim.

View other languages of Syria

Turkey

Language nameDomari

Population

28,500 in Turkey (Gunnemark and Kenrick 1985).

Location

Mainly west; some east.

Alternate Names

Gypsy, Middle Eastern Romani, Tsigene

Dialects

Beludji, Karachi, Marashi.

Status

6a (Vigorous).

Other Comments

500,000 Gypsies in Turkey speak Domari or varieties of Romani (Gunnemark and Kenrick 1985). Muslim.

View other languages of Turkey

Ethnologue

Domari

A language of Iran

Also spoken in:

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Domari

A language of Iran

Also spoken in: