Kurdish
Let an agent describe the Kurdish languages and their varieties, relay speaker numbers, scripts and legal status with sources, present language policy issues with attribution, and distinguish Kurdish from neighbouring Iranian languages such as Zaza and Gorani.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent describe the Kurdish languages and their varieties, relay speaker numbers, scripts and legal status with sources, present language policy issues with attribution, and distinguish Kurdish from neighbouring Iranian languages such as Zaza and Gorani.
A group of closely related Northwestern Iranian languages spoken by Kurds across Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria and the diaspora, chiefly Kurmanji or Northern Kurdish, Sorani or Central Kurdish and Southern Kurdish including varieties such as Kordali, Laki and Gerrusi, written in Latin, Arabic-based and Cyrillic scripts, with about 30 million speakers; Kurdish is official in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, has been restricted in some states, and its classification as one language or several is debated.
What it is for: Not applicable; a language group.
It can be describe varieties and scripts; relay speaker numbers and status; present policy issues with attribution; distinguish from related languages.
Distinguishing features
Dialect continuum
Three scripts
Cross-border speech community
Contested classification
What it looks like
Not a visible object; written in Hawar Latin, Sorani Arabic-based and historically Cyrillic scripts.
Physical character
speakers: about 30 million people - estimates vary
main varieties: 3 count - Northern, Central, Southern
How it is recognised
Northwestern Iranian languages of the Kurds
Kurmanji, Sorani, Southern Kurdish and local varieties
Zaza and Gorani are related but usually classified separately; Persian is Southwestern Iranian
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms
is spoken by - the people
is official in - of Iraq
is written in - among other scripts
In practice
Families and kinds
Kurmanji or Northern Kurdish
Sorani or Central Kurdish
Southern Kurdish including Kordali, Laki, Gerrusi and Kalhori
Kurdish in the diaspora
literary standards and orthographies
Identifiers
ISO 639-1 ku
ISO 639-3 kmr, ckb, sdh Northern, Central, Southern
Standards and regulation
Iraqi constitution recognising Kurdish as official
Language laws and restrictions in Turkey, Iran and Syria, with positions attributed
Orthography conventions of the Kurdish academies
Failure modes and hazards
Presenting contested classification as settled
Politicised presentation of language rights
Confusing Kurdish with Zaza or Gorani
Unsourced speaker figures
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Identify What Kurdish is.
Identity.
Definition
Languages and varieties.
Definition
Definition.
- What are the Kurdish languages, and how do their varieties relate? definition
- Is the question about Kurdish, Zaza, Gorani or the Kurdish people? boundary
Speakers
Speakers and scripts.
Speakers
Speakers.
- How many people speak each variety, where, and in which scripts, with sources? measurement
- Which entry fits the specific variety? action
Structure Grammar and writing.
Linguistics.
Grammar
Grammar.
Grammar
Grammar.
- What are the main features of Kurdish grammar, including ergativity in Kurmanji? definition
- Which entry fits Iranian linguistics? action
Classification
Classification debates.
Classification
Classification.
- How do linguists classify Kurdish and its relation to Zaza and Gorani, with positions attributed? provenance
- Is the presentation attributed? boundary
Status Status and policy.
Attribution.
Status
Legal status.
Status
Status.
- What legal status does Kurdish have in each country, with sources? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Policy
Policy and rights.
Policy
Policy.
- How do sources describe restrictions, education and media in Kurdish, with positions attributed? provenance
- Is the presentation neutral? boundary
Culture Literature and learning.
Context.
Literature
Literature.
Literature
Literature.
- What are the landmarks of Kurdish literature, from Ahmad Khani to modern writers? provenance
- Which entry fits Kurdish literature? action
Learn
Learning resources.
Learn
Learn.
- What resources exist for learning Kurdish varieties? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Should Kurmanji and Sorani be separate primary entries?
- How should census and linguistic sources be linked?
- The registry entry has merged aliases naming varieties; should they be split off?