Western Iranian languages

Branch of the Iranian languages

Western Iranian

Geographic
distribution| Southwest Asia, Central Asia, Caucasus, and western South Asia
Linguistic classification| Indo-European

* Indo-Iranian
* Iranian
* Western Iranian

Subdivisions|

* Northwestern Iranian
* Southwestern Iranian

Language codes
Glottolog| `nort3177` (Northwestern Iranian)
sout3157 (Southwestern Iranian)
Distribution of the Iranian languages in and around the Iranian plateau. Western Iranian languages are indicated in the key.

The Western Iranian languages or Western Iranic languages are a branch of the Iranian languages, attested from the time of Old Persian (6th century BC) and Median.

## Languages

[edit]

The traditional Northwestern branch is a convention for non-Southwestern languages, rather than a genetic group. The languages are as follows:[1][2][3]

### Old Iranian period

[edit]

* Northwest: Median†, etc.
* Southwest: Old Persian†, etc.

### Middle Iranian period

[edit]

* Northwest: Parthian†, etc.
* Southwest: Middle Persian†, etc

### Modern period (Neo-Iranian)

[edit]

* Northwestern Iranian
* Caspian
* Gorgani†
* Daylami†
* Gilaki (incl. Rudbari)
* Mazandarani (incl. Tabari, Shahmirzadi)
* Semnani
* Semnani
* Sangisari
* Lasgerdi-Sorkhei (incl. Aftari)
* Adharic (Azaric)
* Old Adhari†
* Tatic
* Talysh (north-central)
* Gozarkhani (Alamuti)
* North: Harzandi, Karingani (Kalasuri, Khoynarudi)
* Kho'ini
* South
* Alviri-Vidari (Alviri, Vidari)
* Ashtiani (Amora’i, Kahaki, Tafreshi), Vafsi
* Razajerdi, Eshtehardi, Takestani (Ramandi, Kharaqani)
* Central
* Khalkhalic: Kajali, Koresh-e Rostam (Karani), Shahrudi (incl. southern Talysh)
* Maraghei
* Upper Taromi, Kabatei
* Kurdic (acc. Anonby)[4][5]
* Kurdish
* Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji)
* Central Kurdish (Sorani)
* Southern Kurdish
* Laki
* Kurdali
* Zaza–Gorani
* Zazaki
* Gorani (incl. Hawrami, Sarli, Shabaki, Bajalani)
* Balochi (incl. Koroshi)
* Khuri (Kavir)
* Central Plateau[6]
* Sivandi
* Judeo-Hamadani, Judeo-Borujerdi
* NW = Khunsari (Judeo-Khunsari, Judeo-Khomeini, Vanishani, Mahallati, Vanishani, Judeo-Golpaygani, etc.)
* NE = Kashanic: Soi (incl. Abuzaydabadi), Natanzi
* SW = Gazi (many dialects)
* Southeastern: Zoroastrian Dari (Zoroastrian Yazdi, Judeo-Kermani), Nayini

* Southwestern Iranian
* Persian (dialects: Iranian Persian & Judeo-Persian, Dari (incl. Madaglashti), Tajik & Judeo-Bukharic, Hazaragi, Aimaq, Sistani, Pahlavani Persian†)
* Persid
* Shushtari–Dezfuli
* Luri (incl. Bakhtiari)
* Kuhmareyi (incl. Davani)
* (see also Persid dialects of Khuzestan)
* Bashkardi (Southern Bashkardi)
* Garmsiri (Northern Bashkardi, Bandari, Minabi/Minowi–Hormozi: Hormozgan)[7]
* Kumzari
* Achomi (Larestani)
* Caucasian Tat (SW Tat): Tat, Judeo-Tat
* Fars (numerous SW Fars dialects: Heshnizi, Gavbandi, Dashtini, Kangani, Jami, Bardesuni (Bardestani), Khenesiri, Bordekhuni, Dashtiyati (Dashti), Tangesiri (incl. Delvari), Khormuji, Khayizi, Ahrami, Bushehri, Bandar Rig (Fars of Bandar Rig), Genaveyi, Deylami (Liravi)†, Dashtesuni (Dashtestani), Judeo-Shirazi, etc.)

There is also a recently described, and as yet unclassified, Batu'i language that is presumably Western Iranian.[1] Extinct Deilami is sometimes classified in the Caspian branch. An Iranian Khalaj language has been claimed, but does not exist; the Khalaj speak a Turkic language.

Many of the languages and dialects spoken in Markazi and Isfahan provinces are giving way to Persian in the younger generations.[6]

It is to note that the Caspian languages (incl. Adharic), the central dialects, and the Zaza-Gorani languages are likely descended from a later form of Median with varying amounts of Parthian substrata,[8] whereas the Semnani languages were likely descended from Parthian.[9]

## See also

[edit]

* Eastern Iranian languages

## References

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1. ^ a b Erik Anonby, Mortaza Taheri-Ardali & Amos Hayes (2019) The Atlas of the Languages of Iran (ALI). Iranian Studies 52. A Working Classification
2. ^ Gernot Windfuhr, 2009, "Dialectology and Topics", The Aryanic Languages, Routledge, pp. 12–15.
3. ^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Northwestern Aryan". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Southwestern Aryan". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
4. ^ Anonby, Erik John (2021), "Atlas of the Languages of Iran A working classification", Languages of Iran, retrieved 25 May 2019
5. ^ "Western Iranian Languages, Development of the Persian Language". Destination Iran. 2024-06-16.
6. ^ a b Central dialects, Gernot Windfuhr, Encyclopedia Iranica
7. ^ Borjian, Habib, “Kerman Languages”, Encyclopaedia Iranica. Volume 16, Issue 3, 2017, pp. 301–315. [1]
8. ^ Borjian, Habib (2019) Journal of Persianate Studies 2, Median Succumbs to Persian after Three Millennia of Coexistence: Language Shift in the Central Iranian Plateau, p. 70
9. ^ Pierre Lecoq. 1989. "Les dialectes caspiens et les dialectes du nord-ouest de l'Iran," Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum. Ed. Rüdiger Schmitt. Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, p. 297

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Pierre Lecoq. 1989. "Les dialectes caspiens et les dialectes du nord-ouest de l'Iran," Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum, ed. Rüdiger Schmitt. Wiesbaden: L. Reichert Verlag, 1989; p. 99.

## Further reading

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* Attarzadeh, Muhammad; Rouhparvar, Rahimeh (2024). "Linguistic Study of Some Properties and Phonological Processes of Jooshani Dialect of Persian". Dialectologia et Geolinguistica. 32 (1): 99–122. doi:10.1515/dialect-2024-0007.
* Kontovas, Nicholas. "Contact and the diversity of noun-noun subordination strategies among Western Iranic languages."
* Hanaway Jr, William L. "Gernot L. Windfuhr. Persian and West Iranic: History and State of Research: Part One: Persian Grammar. The Hague: Mouton, 1979.[Trends in Linguistics: State-of-the-Art Reports, No. 12." Review of Middle East Studies 16.1 (1982): 56-58.

* v
* t
* e

Iranian languages

History|

* Proto-Iranian
* Old Iranian
* Middle Iranian
* New Iranian

Eastern|

| Pamir|

* Ishkashimi
* Khufi
* Munji
* Rushani
* Sanglechi
* Shughni
* Bartangi
* Khufi
* Oroshori
* Sarikoli
* Vanji
* Wakhi
* Yazghulami
* Yidgha

|

Others|

* Avestan
* Bactrian
* Khwarezmian
* Parachi
* Pashto
* Central
* Northern
* Southern
* Wanetsi
* Ormuri
* Sarghulami
* Scythian
* Alanian
* Ossetian
* Digor
* Iron
* Jassic
* Saka
* Sogdian
* Yaghnobi

Western|

| North|

* Ashtiani
* Balochi
* Makrani
* Daylami
* Fars
* Gilaki
* Gorani
* Gorgani
* Karingani
* Kurdish
* Kurmanji
* Sorani
* Xwarin
* Kordali
* Laki
* Mazanderani
* Tabaroid
* Median
* Old Azeri
* Parthian
* Semnani
* Lasgerdi
* Sangsari
* Semnani proper
* Sorkhei
* Talysh
* Tati
* Tatoid
* Zaza
* Zoroastrian Dari

|

South|

* Achomi
* Bashkardi
* Garmsiri
* Kuhmareyi
* Kumzari
* Luri
* Bakhtiari
* Pahlavani
* Persian
* Caucasian Tat
* Dari
* Hazaragi
* Tajik
* Old Persian
* Middle Persian

Others|

* Badeshi (unknown further classification)

* Italics indicate extinct or historical languages.
* Languages between parentheses are varieties of the language on their left.

* v
* t
* e

Persian language

History|

* Proto-Indo-European (c. 3000 BCE)
* Proto-Indo-Iranian (c. 2000 BCE)
* Proto-Iranian (c. 1500 BCE)
* Old Persian (c. 525 – 300 BCE)
* Middle Persian (c. 300 BCE – 800 CE)
* New Persian (from 800)

Language families|

* Indo-Iranian languages
* Iranian languages
* Western Iranian languages

Dialects and varieties|

* Standard Persian
* Iranian
* Afghan
* Tajik
* Hazaragi
* Aimaq
* Kuwaiti Persian
* Tat
* Judeo-Persian
* Judeo-Tat (Juhuri)
* Bukhori
* Sistani
* Dehwari

Language features|

* Vocabulary
* Nouns
* Verbs
* Phonology

Grammar|

* Persian grammar
* Ezāfe
* Tajik grammar

Writing system|

* Old Persian cuneiform
* Pahlavi scripts
* Persian alphabet
* Persian calligraphy
* Tajik alphabet
* Romanized Persian alphabet
* Persian Braille

Literature|

* Persian literature
* Middle Persian literature
* Tajik literature

Organizations|

* Academy of Persian Language and Literature
* Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan
* Rudaki Institute of Language and Literature

Other topics|

* List of English words of Persian origin
* List of French loanwords in Persian
* List of countries and territories where Persian is an official language
* Persian language in South Asia

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