Kurdish alphabets#Soviet Latin alphabet
{{Short description|Multiple alphabets of Kurdish language}}
File:Kurdistan_newspaper_1898.jpg newspaper established in 1898, prior to latinization, was written in the Kurmanji dialect using Arabic script.]]
Kurdish is written using either of two alphabets: the Latin-based Bedirxan or Hawar alphabet, introduced by Celadet Alî Bedirxan in 1932 and popularized through the Hawar magazine, and the Kurdo-Arabic alphabet.{{Cite journal |last=Aydin |first=Tahirhan |date=2018-12-30 |title=Sefheî Sibyan a Mela Mehmûdê Bazidî |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/nubihar/issue/45498/491218 |journal=Nubihar Akademi |language=en |volume=3 |issue=10 |pages=104 |issn=2147-883X}}{{Cite journal |last=Thackston |first=W. M. |date=2006 |title=—Sorani Kurdish— A Reference Grammar with Selected Readings |url=https://kurdishcentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Thackstons-Grammar.pdf |journal=Harvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences |pages=4}} The Kurdistan Region has agreed upon a standard for Central Kurdish, implemented in Unicode for computation purposes.{{Cite web |title=Kurdistan Regional Government |url=http://cabinet.gov.krd/a/print.aspx?l=13&smap=010000&a=52717 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122085437/http://previous.cabinet.gov.krd/a/d.aspx?l=13&smap=010000&a=52717 |archive-date=2020-11-22 |access-date=2016-03-01 |website=cabinet.gov.krd |language=ku}}
The Hawar alphabet is primarily used in Syria and Turkey, while the Kurdo-Arabic alphabet is commonly used in Iraq and Iran. The Hawar alphabet is also used to some extent in Iraqi Kurdistan.{{cite thesis |last=Syan |first=Karwan Ali Qadir |date=2017|title=Media in an emergent democracy: the development of online journalism in the Kurdistan region of Iraq |degree=PhD |publisher=University of Bradford}}{{Cite web |title=Language in Erbil {{!}} Erbil Lifestyle |url=https://erbillifestyle.com/language-in-erbil/ |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=erbillifestyle.com}} Two additional alphabets, based on the Armenian and Cyrillic scripts, were once used by Kurds in the Soviet Union, most notably in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and Kurdistansky Uyezd.
{{anchor|Bedirxan alphabet}} Hawar alphabet
Usually it is the northern languages spoken by Kurds, Zazaki and Kurmanji, that are written in the extended Latin alphabet consisting of the 26 letters of the ISO basic Latin Alphabet with 5 letters with diacritics, for a total of 31 letters (each having an uppercase and a lowercase form):
| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align: center; font-size: 90%; width: 100%;"
|+ style="font-size: 110%;" |Hawar alphabet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20
|21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" colspan="31" |Majuscule forms (also called uppercase or capital letters) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A | B | C | Ç | D | E | Ê | F | G | H | I | Î | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | Ş | T
|U | Û | V | W | X | Y | Z | |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" colspan="31" |Minuscule forms (also called lowercase or small letters) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| a | b | c | ç | d | e | ê | f | g | h | i | î | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | ş | t
|u | û | v | w | x | y | z | |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" colspan="31" |IPA Values | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| /aː/ | /b/ | /dʒ/ | /tʃ/ | /d/ | /ɛ/ | /eː/ | /f/ | /g/ | /h/ | /ɪ/ | /iː/ | /ʒ/ | /k/ | /l/ | /m/ | /n/ | /o/ | /p/ | /q/ | /ɾ/ | /s/ | /ʃ/ | /t/ | /ʉ/ | /u/ | /v/ | /w/ | /x/ | /j/ | /z/ |
{{Kurds}}
In this alphabet the short vowels are E, I and U while the long vowels are A, Ê, Î, O and Û (see the IPA equivalents in the Help:IPA/Kurdish table).
When presenting the alphabet in his magazine Hawar, Celadet Alî Bedirxan proposed using diacritics on {{angbr|ḧ ẍ}} to distinguish the Arabic {{lang|ckb|غ}} and {{lang|ckb|ح}} sounds (see [http://www.nefel.com/epirtuk/pdf/celadet_ali_bedir_xan_elfabeugramer_02.pdf?NR:122] page 12, 13). These are not considered letters, but are used to disambiguate loanwords that would otherwise be conflated.
Turkey does not recognize this alphabet. Using the letters Q, W, and X, which did not exist in the Turkish alphabet until 2013, led to a trial in 2000 and 2003 (see [https://web.archive.org/web/20090729192111/http://www.ihf-hr.org/viewbinary/viewdocument.php?download=1&doc_id=6391], p. 8, and [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310203511/http://www.rsf.org/rsf/uk/html/mo/cplp/cp/000300.html]). Since September 2003, many Kurds applied to the courts seeking to change their names to Kurdish ones written with these letters, but failed.{{cite web|url=http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/minorities/docs/CLA3a.doc |title=Submission to the Sub-Commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights: Working Group of Minorities; Tenth Session, Agenda Item 3 (a) |first=Saniye |last=Karakaş |author2=Diyarbakır Branch of the Contemporary Lawyers Association |publisher=United Nations Commission on Human Rights |date=March 2004 |access-date=2006-11-07 |format=MS Word |archive-format=MS Word |quote=Kurds have been officially allowed since September 2003 to take Kurdish names, but cannot use the letters x, w, or q, which are common in Kurdish but do not exist in Turkey's version of the Latin alphabet. ... Those letters, however, are used in Turkey in the names of companies, TV and radio channels, and trademarks. For example Turkish Army has company under the name of AXA OYAK and there is SHOW TV television channel in Turkey. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628171743/http://www.unhchr.ch/minorities/statements10/CLA3a.doc |archive-date=2007-06-28 |url-status=dead }}
The Turkish government finally legalized the letters Q, W, and X as part of the Turkish alphabet in 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2013/10/24/turkey_prime_minister_erdogan_s_democratizaton_package_legalizes_letters.html |title=Turkey legalizes the letters Q, W, and X. Yay Alphabet! |author=Mark Liberman |work=Slate |date=2013-10-24 |access-date=2013-10-25 }}
=History=
The Kurdish Latin alphabet was elaborated mainly by Celadet Bedirxan who initially had sought the cooperation of Tewfîq Wehbî, who in 1931 lived in Iraq. But after not having received any responses by Wehbî for several months, he and his brother Kamuran Alî Bedirxan decided to launch the "Hawar" alphabet in 1932.{{Cite book|last=Gorgas|first=Jordi Tejel|title=Le mouvement kurde de Turquie en exil: continuités et discontinuités du nationalisme kurde sous le mandat français en Syrie et au Liban (1925-1946)|date=2007|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-3-03911-209-8|pages=303|language=fr}} Celadet Bedirxan aimed to create an alphabet that did not use two letters for representing one sound. As the Kurds in Turkey already learned the Turkish Latin alphabet, he created an alphabet which would specifically be accessible for the Kurds in Turkey.Gorgas, Jordi Tejel (2007), p.305 Some scholars have suggested making minor additions to Bedirxan's alphabet to make it more user-friendly.{{Cite web|title=Kirmaşanî Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide |url=https://www.academia.edu/12911202 |via=Academia.edu |access-date=2023-08-13 |last1=Bahadur |first1=Muhamadreza }}
Kurdo-Arabic alphabet
{{Arabic-script sidebar|Kurdish}}
File:Venn diagram showing Kurdish, Persian and Arabic letters.svg
Many Kurdish varieties, mainly Sorani, are written using a modified Perso-Arabic script with 33 letters introduced by Sa'id Kaban Sedqi. Unlike the Persian alphabet, which is an abjad, Central Kurdish is almost a true alphabet in which vowels are given the same treatment as consonants. Written Central Kurdish also relies on vowel and consonant context to differentiate between the phonemes u/w and î/y instead of using separate letters. It does show the two pharyngeal consonants, as well as a voiced velar fricative, used in Kurdish.
A new sort order for the alphabet was proposed some time ago by the Kurdish Academy as the new standard,{{in lang|ku}} [https://www.kurdish-academy.com/index.php/gak/item/140 گۆڤاری ئەکادیمیای کوردی، ژمارە (١٦)ی ساڵی ٢٠١٠ (The 2010 Journal of Kurdish Academy, Issue 16)], 14-16 all of which are letters accepted included in the Central Kurdish Unicode Keyboard:{{Cite web |url=http://unicode.ekrg.org/ku_unicodes.html |title=Kurdish Keyboard |author=Unicode Team of KRG-IT |website=unicode.ekrg.org |access-date=2016-03-01 }}
| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align: center; font-size: 120%; width: 100%;" | ||||||||||||||||
| {{lang|ckb|ع}}
| {{lang|ckb|ش}} | {{lang|ckb|س}} | {{lang|ckb|ژ}} | {{lang|ckb|ز}} | {{lang|ckb|ڕ}} | {{lang|ckb|ر}} | {{lang|ckb|د}} | {{lang|ckb|خ}} | {{lang|ckb|ح}} | {{lang|ckb|چ}} | {{lang|ckb|ج}} | {{lang|ckb|ت}} | {{lang|ckb|پ}} | {{lang|ckb|ب}} | {{lang|ckb|ا}} | {{lang|ckb|ئـ}} | ||||||||||||||||
| 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| {{IPAblink|ʕ}}
|{{IPAblink|ʃ}} |{{IPAblink|s}} |{{IPAblink|ʒ}} |{{IPAblink|z}} |{{IPAblink|r}} |{{IPAblink|ɾ}} |{{IPAblink|d}} |{{IPAblink|x}} |{{IPAblink|ħ}} |{{IPAblink|t͡ʃ}} |{{IPAblink|d͡ʒ}} |{{IPAblink|t}} |{{IPAblink|p}} |{{IPAblink|b}} |{{IPAblink|ä|aː}} |{{IPAblink|ʔ}} | ||||||||||||||||
| {{lang|ckb|ێ}}
| {{lang|ckb|ی}} | {{lang|ckb|ۆ}} | {{lang|ckb|وو}} | {{lang|ckb|و}} | {{lang|ckb|ە}} | {{lang|ckb|ھ}} | {{lang|ckb|ن}} | {{lang|ckb|م}} | {{lang|ckb|ڵ}} | {{lang|ckb|ل}} | {{lang|ckb|گ}} | {{lang|ckb|ک}} | {{lang|ckb|ق}} | {{lang|ckb|ڤ}} | {{lang|ckb|ف}} | {{lang|ckb|غ}} | ||||||||||||||||
| 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
| {{IPAblink|eː}}
|{{IPAblink|j}}, {{IPAblink|iː}} |{{IPAblink|oː}} |{{IPAblink|uː}} |{{IPAblink|w}}, {{IPAblink|ʊ}} |{{IPAblink|ɛ}} |{{IPAblink|h}} |{{IPAblink|n}} |{{IPAblink|m}} |{{IPAblink|ɫ}} |{{IPAblink|l}} |{{IPAblink|g}} |{{IPAblink|k}} |{{IPAblink|q}} |{{IPAblink|v}} |{{IPAblink|f}} |{{IPAblink|ɣ}} |
The alphabet is represented by 34 letters including {{lang|ckb|وو}} which is given its own position. Kurds in Iraq and Iran use this alphabet. Although the Kurdistan Region's standardization uses {{lang|ckb|ک}} (Unicode 06A9) instead of {{lang|ckb|ك}} (Unicode 0643) for letter kaf (22 in above table) as listed in the Unicode table on the official home page, the latter glyph is still in use by various individuals and organizations.
= Vowels =
Central Kurdish has eight vowels, all of them except {{IPAslink|ɪ}} are represented by letters:{{Cite web |url=http://yageyziman.com/Renusi_Kurdi.htm |title=ڕێنووس |website=yageyziman.com |access-date=2016-03-01 }}
| class="wikitable"
!# ! Letter ! IPA ! Example |
| 1
| {{lang|ckb|ا}} | {{lang|ckb|با}} {{IPA|/baː/}} "wind" |
| 2
| {{lang|ckb|ە}} | {{lang|ckb|مەزن}} {{IPA|/mɛzɪn/}} "great" |
| 3
| {{lang|ckb|و}} | {{lang|ckb|کورد}} {{IPA|/kʊɾd/}} "Kurd" |
| 4
| {{lang|ckb|ۆ}} | Close-mid back rounded vowel, o | {{lang|ckb|تۆ}} {{IPA|/toː/}} "you" |
| 5
| {{lang|ckb|وو}} | {{lang|ckb|گەردوون}} {{IPA|/gɛrduːn/}} "cosmos" |
| 6
| {{lang|ckb|ی}} | {{lang|ckb|شین}} {{IPA|/ʃiːn/}} "blue" |
| 7
| {{lang|ckb|ێ}} | Close-mid front unrounded vowel | {{lang|ckb|دێ}} {{IPA|/deː/}} "village" |
Similar to some letters in English, both {{lang|ckb|و}} (u) and {{lang|ckb|ی}} (î) can become consonants. In the words {{lang|ckb|وان}}{{Efn|{{IPA|ku|wɑːn}}}} (Wan) and {{lang|ckb|یاری}}{{Efn|{{IPA|ku|jɑɾiː}}}} (play), {{lang|ckb|و}} and {{lang|ckb|ی}} are consonants. Central Kurdish stipulates that syllables must be formed with at least one vowel, whilst a maximum of two vowels is permitted.
Historical alphabets
=Purported old Kurdish script=
In the Arabic book Shawq al-Mustaham, attributed to the 9th-century author Ibn Wahshiyya, the author refers to the existence of a Kurdish alphabet and to scientific and artistic works written in Kurdish. The works attributed to Ibn Wahshiyya are the subject of debate and not considered totally reliable, and this particular book is regarded as "a later pseudepigraph which used the names made famous by Ibn Wahshiyya". There is no other source that confirms this reference to written Kurdish at this early date.{{cite book |last=Öpengin |first=Ergin |chapter=The History of Kurdish and the Development of Literary Kurmanji |date=22 April 2021 |title=The Cambridge History of the Kurds |pages=611–612 |editor-last=Bozarslan |editor-first=Hamit |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-history-of-the-kurds/history-of-kurdish-and-the-development-of-literary-kurmanji/1F01E2A1CDB41F3137A2FA3AD9BC384A |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781108623711.025 |isbn=978-1-108-62371-1 |editor2-last=Gunes |editor2-first=Cengiz |editor3-last=Yadirgi |editor3-first=Veli}}
=Cyrillic alphabet=
A third system, used for the few Kurmanji-speaking Kurds in the former Soviet Union—especially in Armenia—used a unique variant of the Cyrillic alphabet, consisting of 40 letters.{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/romanization/kurdish.pdf|title=Kurdish Romanization Table (2012)|publisher=Library of Congress|website=loc.gov}} It was designed in 1946 by Heciyê Cindî.{{cite book| author = Һʼ. Щнди | title = Әлифба | edition = 3000 экз| location = Ереван| year = 1974 | publisher = Луйс| page = 96 }}
| class="Unicode" style="font-size:1.4em; border-color:black; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF"
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|А а}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Б б}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|В в}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Г г}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Гʼ гʼ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Д д}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Е е}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Ә ә}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Әʼ әʼ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Ж ж}} |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|З з}}
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|И и}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Й й}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|К к}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Кʼ кʼ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Л л}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|М м}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Н н}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|О о}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Ӧ ӧ}} |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|П п}}
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Пʼ пʼ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Р р}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Рʼ рʼ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|С с}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Т т}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Тʼ тʼ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|У у}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Ф ф}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Х х}} |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Һ һ}}
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Һʼ һʼ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Ч ч}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Чʼ чʼ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Ш ш}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Щ щ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Ь ь}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Э э}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Ԛ ԛ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{lang|ku-Cyrl|Ԝ ԝ}} |
=Armenian alphabet=
From 1921 to 1929, a modified version of the Armenian alphabet was used for Kurmanji, in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.{{in lang|ru}} [http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/81/1008155/1008155a1.htm Курдский язык (Kurdish language)], Кругосвет (Krugosvet){{Cite web|title=Kurdish language, alphabets and pronunciation|url=https://omniglot.com/writing/kurdish.htm|access-date=2021-04-23|website=omniglot.com}}
It was then replaced with a Yañalif-like Latin alphabet during the campaigns for Latinisation in the Soviet Union.
= Soviet Latin alphabet =
File:Soviet kurdi latin alphabet (1929).jpg
In 1928, Kurdish languages in all of the Soviet Union, including the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, were switched to a Latin alphabet containing some Cyrillic characters.
1929 it was reformed and was replaced by the following alphabet:{{in lang|ru}} Культура и письменность Востока (Eastern Culture and Literature). 1928, №2.
| class="Unicode" style="font-size:1.4em; border-color:black; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF"
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | A a | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | B b | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | C c | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ꞓ ꞓ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ç ç | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | D d | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | E e | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ə ə |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ə́ ə́
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | F f | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | G g | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ƣ ƣ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | H h | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ħ ħ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | I i | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | J j |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | K k
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ⱪ ⱪ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | L l | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | M m | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | N n | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | O o | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ɵ ɵ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | P p |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ҏ ҏ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Q q | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | R r | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | S s | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ş ş | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | T t | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ţ ţ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | U u |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | V v
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | W w | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | X x | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Y y | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Z z | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ƶ ƶ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ь ь |
The Soviet Latin alphabet is no longer used.
= {{vanchor|Yezidi script}}{{anchor|Yezidi}} =
{{see also|Yezidi (Unicode block)}}
{{Infobox writing system
| name = Yezidi
| qid = Q72401962
| altname =
| sample = Shukla Khatuna Fekhra.svg
| caption = The name of 'Khatuna Fekhra', a Yazidi female saint, in Yazidi script
| type =
| typedesc =
| languages = Northern Kurdish
| published =
| time = 13th century — present
| fam1 =
| fam2 =
| sisters =
| children =
| imagesize = 250px
| unicode = U+10E80..U+10EBF
| iso15924 = Yezi
| iso15924 note =
| footnotes =
| note = none
}}
The Yezidi script is written from right to left and was used to write in Kurdish, specifically in the Kurmanji dialect (also called Northern Kurdish). The script has a long history, according to some data, it can be dated back to 13th-14th centuries, however, some scholars trace the creation of this script to 17th-18th centuries. The author of the script is unknown, but it was used for two manuscripts, Meṣḥefa Reş and Kitêba Cilwe, first published by Anastase-Marie al-Karmali in 1911.
It is believed that historically, there existed two sacred Yezidi manuscripts known as Meshefa Reş and Kitêba Cilwe, but the originals were lost. Later copies of these manuscripts were found, written in a special Yezidi alphabet, however, their contents was distorted. As a result, while the Yazidi clergy do recognize the Yezidi alphabet, they do not consider the content of these two manuscripts to be sources of the Yezidi religion.{{Iranica|yazidis-i-general-1|YAZIDIS i. GENERAL}}{{Cite journal |last=Omarkhali |first=Khanna |title=Kitāb al-Jilwa |journal=Encyclopedia of Islam, Third Edition |doi=10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_35639}}
In 2013, the Spiritual Council of Yazidis in Georgia decided to revive the Yezidi script and use it for writing prayers, religious books, on the organization letterhead and in the Yazidi heraldry.Rovenchak, A., Pirbari, D., & Karaca, E. (2019). [https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2019/19051r-yezidi.pdf L2/19-051R Proposal for encoding the Yezidi script in the SMP of the UCS].Rovenchak, A. (2019). [https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2019/19164-yezidi-uum.pdf Information on Yezidi UUM and hamza]. Today, it is used by the Yazidi clergymen in the Yazidi temple of Sultan Ezid at Tbilisi, where the names of the Yazidi saints are written on walls in this alphabet. Furthermore, Dua'yêd Êzdiyan, a book containing a collection of Yazidi prayers, was written and published in the Yezidi alphabet. {{Unicode chart Yezidi}}
Comparison of Kurdish alphabets
{{See also|Help:IPA/Kurdish|label 1=IPA for Kurdish}}
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| colspan=2 | Latin
! rowspan=2 | Cyrillic ! colspan=4 | Arabic ! rowspan=2 | Yezidi ! rowspan=2 | IPA |
|---|
| Hawar
!Soviet !(isolated) ! (final) ! (medial) ! (initial) |
| align="center"
| A, a |A, a | А, а | {{script/Arabic|ا}} |colspan=2|{{script/Arabic|ـا}} | — | {{script/Yezidi|𐺀}} | {{IPAblink|ä|aː}} |
| align="center"
| B, b |B, b | Б, б | {{script/Arabic|ب}} | {{script/Arabic|ـب}} | {{script/Arabic|ـبـ}} | {{script/Arabic|بـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺁}} | {{IPAblink|b}} |
| align="center"
| C, c |Ç, ç | Щ, щ | {{script/Arabic|ج}} | {{script/Arabic|ـج}} | {{script/Arabic|ـجـ}} | {{script/Arabic|جـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺆}} | {{IPAblink|d͡ʒ}} |
| align="center"
| Ç, ç |C, c | Ч, ч | {{script/Arabic|چ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـچ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـچـ}} | {{script/Arabic|چـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺇}} | {{IPAblink|t͡ʃ}} |
| align="center"
|Ꞓ, ꞓ | Чʼ, чʼ |colspan=4| — | {{script/Yezidi|𐺈}} |
| align="center"
| D, d |D, d | Д, д | {{script/Arabic|د}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـد}} | {{script/Arabic|د}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺋}} | {{IPAblink|d}} |
| align="center"
| E, e |Ə, ə | Ә, ә | {{script/Arabic|ە}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـە}} | {{script/Arabic|ە}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺦}} | {{IPAblink|ɛ}} |
| align="center"
| Ê, ê |E, e | (Э, э);{{Efn|At the beginning of a word.{{Cite web |title=Different Kurdish Scripts' Comparison |url=http://www.skytower.org/~ernstjtremel/downloadableKurdishFiles/Different_Kurdish_Scripts_Comparison.pdf}}}} (E, e) | {{script/Arabic|ێ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـێ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـێـ}} | {{script/Arabic|ێـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺩}} | {{IPAblink|eː}} |
| align="center"
| F, f |F, f | Ф, ф | {{script/Arabic|ف}} | {{script/Arabic|ـف}} | {{script/Arabic|ـفـ}} | {{script/Arabic|فـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺙}} | {{IPAblink|f}} |
| align="center"
| G, g |G, g | Г, г | {{script/Arabic|گ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـگ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـگـ}} | {{script/Arabic|گـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺟}} | {{IPAblink|ɡ}} |
| align="center"
| H, h |H, h | Һ, һ | {{script/Arabic|ھ}} | colspan="1" | — | {{script/Arabic|ـھـ}} | {{script/Arabic|ھ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺧}} | {{IPAblink|h}} |
| align="center"
|Ħ, ħ | Һʼ, һʼ | {{script/Arabic|ح}} | {{script/Arabic|ـح}} | {{script/Arabic|ـحـ}} | {{script/Arabic|حـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺉}} | {{IPAblink|ħ}} |
| align="center"
| I, i |Ь, ь | Ь, ь |colspan=4| — | — | {{IPAblink|ɘ}}, {{IPAblink|ɘ̝}},{{Citation |title=i |date=2023-07-13 |url=https://ku.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=i&oldid=5188746 |work=Wîkîferheng |access-date=2023-08-13 |language=ku}} {{IPAblink|ɪ}} |
| align="center"
| Î, î |I, i | И, и | {{script/Arabic|ی}} | {{script/Arabic|ـی}} | {{script/Arabic|ـیـ}} | {{script/Arabic|یـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺨}} | {{IPAblink|iː}} |
| align="center"
| J, j |Ƶ, ƶ | Ж, ж | {{script/Arabic|ژ}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـژ}} | {{script/Arabic|ژ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺐}} | {{IPAblink|ʒ}} |
| align="center"
| K, k |K, k | К, к | {{script/Arabic|ک}} | {{script/Arabic|ـک}} | {{script/Arabic|ـکـ}} | {{script/Arabic|کـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺝}} | {{IPAblink|k}} |
| align="center"
|Ⱪ, ⱪ |Кʼ, кʼ |colspan=4| — |— |[ |
| align="center"
| L, l |L, l | Л, л | {{script/Arabic|ل}} | {{script/Arabic|ـل}} | {{script/Arabic|ـلـ}} | {{script/Arabic|ڵاـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺠}} | {{IPAblink|l}} |
| align="center"
|L, l | Лʼ, лʼ | {{script/Arabic|ڵ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـڵ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـڵـ}} | colspan="1" | — | {{script/Yezidi|𐺰}} | {{IPAblink|ɫ|ɫ}} |
| align="center"
| M, m |M, m | М, м | {{script/Arabic|م}} | {{script/Arabic|ـم}} | {{script/Arabic|ـمـ}} | {{script/Arabic|مـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺡}} |{{IPAblink|m}} |
| align="center"
| N, n |N, n | Н, н | {{script/Arabic|ن}} | {{script/Arabic|ـن}} | {{script/Arabic|ـنـ}} | {{script/Arabic|نـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺢}} |{{IPAblink|n}} |
| align="center"
| O, o |O, o | О, о | {{script/Arabic|ۆ}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـۆ}} | {{script/Arabic|ۆ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺥}} | {{IPAblink|o}}, {{IPAblink|o̟ː}}, {{IPAblink|o̽ː}},{{Citation |title=o |date=2023-07-06 |url=https://ku.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=o&oldid=5161006 |work=Wîkîferheng |access-date=2023-08-11 |language=ku}} {{IPAblink|oː}} |
| align="center"
|— |Ɵ, ɵ{{Efn|Argues for the distinction of the letters. As can be used in the spelling of "Xoşe" instead of "Xweşe", for example. Soviet Latin: Xөşә.}} |— |colspan=4| — |— |{{IPAblink|o̽ː}} |
| align="center"
| P, p |P, p | П, п | {{script/Arabic|پ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـپ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـپـ}} | {{script/Arabic|پـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺂}} |
| align="center"
|Ҏ, ҏ | Пʼ, пʼ |colspan=4| — | {{script/Yezidi|𐺃}} | {{IPAblink|pˤ}} |
| align="center"
| Q, q |Q, q | Ԛ, ԛ | {{script/Arabic|ق}} | {{script/Arabic|ـق}} | {{script/Arabic|ـقـ}} | {{script/Arabic|قـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺜}} | {{IPAblink|q}} |
| align="center"
| R, r |R, r | Р, р | {{script/Arabic|ر}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـر}} | colspan="1" | — | {{script/Yezidi|𐺍}} | {{IPAblink|ɾ}} |
| align="center"
|R, r | Рʼ, рʼ | {{script/Arabic|ڕ}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـڕ}} | {{script/Arabic|ڕ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺎}} | {{IPAblink|r}} |
| align="center"
| S, s |S, s | С, с | {{script/Arabic|س}} | {{script/Arabic|ـس}} | {{script/Arabic|ـسـ}} | {{script/Arabic|سـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺑}} | {{IPAblink|s}} |
| align="center"
| Ş, ş |Ş, ş | Ш, ш | {{script/Arabic|ش}} | {{script/Arabic|ـش}} | {{script/Arabic|ـشـ}} | {{script/Arabic|شـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺒}} | {{IPAblink|ʃ}} |
| align="center"
| T, t |T, t | Т, т | {{script/Arabic|ت}} | {{script/Arabic|ـت}} | {{script/Arabic|ـتـ}} | {{script/Arabic|تـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺕}} | {{IPAblink|t}} |
| align="center"
|Ţ, ţ |Тʼ, тʼ |colspan=4| — |— |[ |
| align="center"
| U, u |U, u | Ӧ, ӧ | {{script/Arabic|و}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـو}} | {{script/Arabic|و}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺣}} | {{IPAblink|u}} |
| align="center"
| Û, û |Y, y | У, у | {{script/Arabic|وو}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـوو}} | — | {{script/Yezidi|𐺣𐺣}} | {{IPAblink|uː}}, {{IPAblink|ʉː|errortext=}},{{Citation |title=û |date=2024-02-22 |work=Wîkîferheng |url=https://ku.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=%C3%BB&oldid=5994597 |access-date=2024-02-22 |language=ku}} {{IPAblink|yː|errortext=}} |
| align="center"
| V, v |V, v | В, в | {{script/Arabic|ڤ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـڤ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـڤـ}} | {{script/Arabic|ڤـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺚 𐺛}} | {{IPAblink|v}} |
| align="center"
| W, w |W, w | Ԝ, ԝ | {{script/Arabic|و}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـو}} | {{script/Arabic|و}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺤}} | {{IPAblink|w}} |
| align="center"
| X, x |X, x | Х, х | {{script/Arabic|خ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـخ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـخـ}} | {{script/Arabic|خـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺊}} | {{IPAblink|x}} |
| align="center"
| X, x |Ƣ, ƣ | Гʼ, гʼ | {{script/Arabic|غ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـغ}} | {{script/Arabic|ـغـ}} | {{script/Arabic|غـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺘}} | {{IPAblink|ɣ}} |
| align="center"
| — |Ə́, ə́ | Әʼ, әʼ | {{script/Arabic|ع}} | {{script/Arabic|ـع}} | {{script/Arabic|ـعـ}} | {{script/Arabic|عـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺗}} | {{IPAblink|ʕ}} |
| align="center"
| Y, y |J, j | Й, й | {{script/Arabic|ی}} | {{script/Arabic|ـی}} | {{script/Arabic|ـیـ}} | {{script/Arabic|یـ}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺨}} | {{IPAblink|j}} |
| align="center"
| Z, z |Z, z | З, з | {{script/Arabic|ز}} |colspan=2| {{script/Arabic|ـز}} | {{script/Arabic|ز}} | {{script/Yezidi|𐺏}} | {{IPAblink|z}} |
See also
{{Portal|Kurdistan|Language}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://kurdishacademy.org/?q=node/145 KAL – A table of the various Kurdish alphabets]
- Omniglot: [http://www.omniglot.com/writing/kurdish.htm Kurdish language, alphabet and pronunciation]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060207195256/http://kurditgroup.org/downloads.php?cid=2 Kurdish Unicode Fonts]
{{Arabic alphabets}}
{{Kurdish language}}
{{Cyrillic navbox}}
{{Language orthographies}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kurdish Alphabet}}