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Kurdish language Zaza (Dersim dialect)
Zazaki (or Kirmanjki, Kirdki, Dimilki) is an Indo-European language spoken primarily in eastern Turkey. According to Ethnologue, the language is a part of the northwestern group of the Iranian section of the Indo-European family. Zazaki shares many features, structures, and vocabulary with Gorani, Talyshi and other Caspian languages, and Kurdish languages.According to Ethnologue (which cites [Paul 1998]), the number of speakers is between 1.5 and 2.5 million (including all dialects). According to Asatrian (1995): "The total population of Dimlīs (Zazas) at present is unknown, but it can be estimated at 3-4 million".
According to Nevins, the number of Zazaki speakers is between 2 and 4 million.
Northern Zazaki: It is spoken in Tunceli, Erzincan, Erzurum, Sivas, Gumushane, Mus (Varto), Kayseri (Sariz) provinces.
Its sub-dialects are: West-Dersim - East-Dersim - Varto
Border dialects like Sarız, Koçgiri (Giniyan-idiom)
Central Zazaki: It is spoken in Elazığ, Bingöl, Solhan, Girvas and Diyarbakır provinces.
Its sub-dialects are: Bingol - Palu
Border dialects like Hani, - Kulp, - Lice, - Ergani, - Piran
Southern Zazaki: It is spoken Şanlıurfa (Siverek), Diyarbakır (Cermik, Egil), Adiyaman, Malatya provinces.
Its sub-dialects are: Siverek - Cermik, - Gerger
Border dialects like Mutki and Aksaray
The use of the Latin alphabet to write Zazaki became popular only in the diaspora in Sweden, France and Germany at the beginning of the 1980s. This was followed by the publication of magazines and books in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul. The efforts of Zaza intellectuals to advance the comprehensibility of their native language by alphabetizing were not fruitless; the number of publications in Zaza has multiplied. This rediscovery of the native culture by Zaza intellectuals not only caused a renaissance of Zaza language and culture, it also triggered feelings among younger generations of Zazas (who, however, rarely speak Zazaki as a mother tongue) in favor of this modern Western use of Zazaki, rekindling their interest in their ancestral language.
The Zaza alphabet contains 32 letters:
A, B, C, Ç, D, E, Ê, F, G, Ğ, H, I, İ, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, Ş, T, U, Ü, V, W, X, Y, Z
a, b, c, ç, d, e, ê, f, g, ğ, h, i, î, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, ş, t, u, ü, v, w, x, y, z
A: The "A" in Bar
B: The "B" in Ball or Book
C: Before "A", "E", "I", "O" or "U", the "Ds" in Lids, before "Ê", "İ", or "Ü" the "J" in Job
Ç: Before "A", "E", "I", "O" or "U", the "Ts" in Fits, before "Ê", "İ", or "Ü" the "Ch" in Check
D: The "D" Door or Desk
E: The "A" in Accept and "e" in Test
Ê: the "e" in Hell or "Ai" in Air
F: The "F" in Far
G: The "G" in Grass
Ğ: The "r" in the Parisian French Rouge
H: The "H" in Hot
I: The "I" in Fin
İ: The "Ee" in Flee and Seek
J: The "s" in Pleasure or Persian
K: The "C" in Cop or "K" in Kangaroo
L: The "L" in Love
M: The "M" in Men
N: The "N" in Never
O: The "O" in Old or Fort
P: The "P" in Police
Q: The "Q" in Iraq
R: The "R" in the Spanish Rapido
S: The "S" in Star
Ş: The "Sh" in Shoes
T: The "T" in Tower
U: The "Oo" in Tool
Û: The "Ü" in the German Über
V: The "V" in Vehicle or Valve
W: The "W" in Water or Wood
X: The "Ch" in the Scots Loch.
Y: The "Y" in Yes
Z: The "Z" in Zero
Forums » Kurdish Language Zaza(Dersim Dialects » Zaza dialects