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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Turkey (Asia) > Kurdish, Northern

Kurdish, Northern

A language of Turkey (Asia)

ISO 639-3: kmr

Population	3,950,000 in Turkey (1980). Population total all countries: 9,320,240. Ethnic population: 6,500,000 in Turkey (Johnstone 1993).
Region	Hakkari, Siirt, Mardin, Agri, Diyarbakir, Bitlis, Bingol, Van, Adiyaman, and Mus, most; also Urfa, Kars, Tunceli, Malatya, Erzurum, Marash, Sivas, and other provinces; communities in central Turkey (Cankiri, Cihanbeyli, near Konya); many in large cities in the west, including Istanbul, Adana, Ankara, Izmir. Also in Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation (Europe), Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom, United States.
Alternate names	Kermancî, Kirmancî, Kurdi, Kurdî, Kurmancî, Kurmanji
Dialects	Boti (Botani), Marashi, Ashiti, Bayezidi, Hekari, Shemdinani. Differences among dialects, but all use the same written form.
Classification	Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish A member of macrolanguage Kurdish [kur] (Iraq).
Language use	Language of wider communication. Positive attitude. Few also use Turkish [tur].
Language development	Literacy rate in L2: 28%. Much literature produced, especially in 20th century developed in 1932; originally based on Boti (Botani, Ciziri) variety and more recently influenced by that which is used around Diyarbekir and other areas. There are literary works from 16th and 17th centuries and onward. Newspapers. Radio programs. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1872–2000.
Writing system	Arabic script. Cyrillic script, used in Armenia. Latin script, developed in 1932.
Comments	Muslim (Sunni, Alevi), Yezidi.

Also spoken in:

Afghanistan

Language name	Kurdish, Northern
Population	200,000 in Afghanistan (2004).
Region	Kabul area.
Alternate names	Kurmanji
Comments	Muslim (Sunni), Yezidi.

Armenia

Language name	Kurdish, Northern
Population	100,000 in Armenia (2004).
Alternate names	Êzdîkî, Kurmancî, Kurmanji
Language use	Language of wider communication. Schools, texts. Positive attitude.
Language development	Well-developed literary standard and much literature. Some classes in schools.
Comments	Yezidi.

Azerbaijan

Language name	Kurdish, Northern
Population	20,000 in Azerbaijan (1989 census).
Region	Basargechar, Minkend, Kubatly, Zangelan, especially Kelbajar and Lachin. Many displaced.
Language map	Azerbaijan
Alternate names	Kurdî, Kurmancî, Kurmanji
Comments	Muslim (Sunni).

Georgia

Language name	Kurdish, Northern
Population	40,000 in Georgia (1991).
Region	Tblisi area.
Alternate names	Kurdî, Kurmancî, Kurmanji
Comments	Yezidi.

Iran

Language name	Kurdish, Northern
Population	350,000 in Iran (Stanzer 1988).
Region	North and west of Lake Urmia. Some in Kalardast region, Mazandaran Province. Northern Kurdish variety of Khorasani Kurmanji is east of the Caspian Sea, in north Khorassan Province, Quchan and Bojnurd towns.
Alternate names	Eastern Kurmanji, Kordi, Kurdi, Kurmancî, Kurmanji
Dialects	Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), Khorassani Kurmanji.
Comments	Teaching the Kurmanji dialect is prohibited in Iranian schools. Muslim (Sunni and Shi’a), Yezidi.

Iraq

Language name	Kurdish, Northern
Population	2,800,000 in Iraq (2004).
Region	North of Great Zab River, Dohuk and Mosul provinces. Surchi near Great Zab River.
Language map	Iraq
Alternate names	Badinani, Bahdini, Behdini, Kirmanciya Jori, Kurmanji
Dialects	Surchi, Akre, Amadiye, Barwari Jor, Gulli, Zakho, Sheikhan.
Language use	Language of wider communication. Positive attitude.
Comments	Surchi dialect shares elements of both Northern and Central Kurdish. Many displaced since late 1980s. Muslim (Sunni), Yezidi.

Lebanon

Language name	Kurdish, Northern
Population	75,000 in Lebanon (Meho 2002). Ethnic population: 215,384.
Region	Beirut; Sidon, Tripoli, and Biqa Valley.
Dialects	Mhallami (Mardinli).
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: 40%.
Comments	Muslim (Sunni).

Syria

Language name	Kurdish, Northern
Population	938,000 in Syria (1993).
Region	Northern Syria: Northern Cizire (Qamishlok), Kurd-Dagh (Ciyayê Kurdî, Afrin), Ain-Arab, Allepo, Damascus.
Language map	Jordan and Syria
Alternate names	Kurdi, Kurmancî, Kurmanji
Language use	Language of wider communication. Also use Arabic.
Comments	Agriculturalists. Muslim (Sunni), Yezidi.

Turkmenistan

Language name	Kurdish, Northern
Population	20,000 in Turkmenistan (Bakaev 1962).
Region	Ashkhabad area.
Alternate names	Khorasani, Khorasani Kurmanji, Kurmancî, Kurmanji
Comments	Muslim (Shi’a).

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

FLEISCHMAN, Eric, author. 1982. Proto-Iraqi-Kurdish.

Vernacular Publications

Gundê me xwe ji "grîba çivîkan" diparêze. 2006.

Гӧнде мә бона «ПˀәрсЬма Хwәйпˀәрˀа» мЬqати хwә йә («ГЬрипа Хwәйпˀәрˀа»). 2006.