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Kurdish Languages, Dialects & Ancient Linguistic Roots
A chronological journey from the ancient Zagros language world and Old Iranian speech communities to the modern Kurdish dialect continuum, including Kurmanji, Sorani, Southern Kurdish, Laki, Zazaki, Gorani, Hawrami and local sub-dialects.
How this timeline is organised
This page moves chronologically: first the pre-Iranian and ancient Zagros language layers, then the Old Iranian period of the Medes and Achaemenids, then Middle Iranian languages such as Parthian and Middle Persian, and finally the modern Kurdish and Kurdish-linked language branches. Each entry has a short summary and a placeholder “Read Full Article” button that can be linked later.
Pre-Iranian Zagros & Mesopotamian Language Layers
These languages and peoples belong to the ancient mountain and Mesopotamian world before Kurdish existed as a recognisable language. They are useful for deep historical context, but should be labelled carefully.
Lullubian
An ancient highland people of the Zagros region. Their language is poorly known and should be treated as part of the pre-Iranian mountain background, not as Kurdish.
Read Full ArticleGutian
The Gutians were associated with the Zagros and Mesopotamian records. Their language remains uncertain and is best described as an ancient regional layer rather than Kurdish.
Read Full ArticleHurrian
Hurrian was a major ancient Near Eastern language spoken across northern Mesopotamia and nearby regions. It was not Iranian or Kurdish, but it shaped the wider historical environment.
Read Full ArticleKassite
The Kassites ruled Babylonia and were connected with the Zagros world. Their language is fragmentary and not classed as Kurdish, but belongs to the ancient regional background.
Read Full ArticleMannaean
Mannaea was located around northwestern Iran and the Zagros frontier. Its language is uncertain, and it is best treated as a neighbouring ancient layer before clear Iranian dominance.
Read Full ArticleOld Iranian Languages & the Median Question
The Old Iranian period is where the linguistic story becomes more directly relevant to Kurdish origins. Median is especially important, but direct descent should be stated cautiously because the language is not preserved in full texts.
Proto-Iranian
The reconstructed ancestor of Iranian languages. Kurdish, Persian, Balochi, Pashto, Ossetian and other Iranian languages all belong to this wider family tree.
Read Full ArticleAvestan
An ancient Iranian language preserved through Zoroastrian religious texts. It is not Kurdish, but it is vital for comparing early Iranian vocabulary and grammar.
Read Full ArticleMedian
The language of the ancient Medes of northwestern Iran and the Zagros. It is often discussed in relation to Kurdish origins, but no full Median texts survive.
Read Full ArticleOld Persian
The imperial language of the Achaemenid rulers. It was Southwestern Iranian rather than Kurdish, but it gives important evidence for the wider Iranian world of the time.
Read Full ArticleScythian / Saka
Eastern Iranian languages associated with steppe and Central Asian peoples. They were not Kurdish, but they belong to the broader Iranian language family.
Read Full ArticleMiddle Iranian Languages Before Modern Kurdish
Between the ancient and medieval periods, Iranian languages changed dramatically. Parthian, Middle Persian and neighbouring Northwestern Iranian varieties provide the background from which later Kurdish-related speech communities emerged.
Parthian
A major Northwestern Iranian language of the Arsacid period. It is not Kurdish, but it is important for understanding the northwestern Iranian linguistic zone.
Read Full ArticleMiddle Persian / Pahlavi
The language of the Sasanian Empire. It was Southwestern Iranian, but its political, religious and literary influence affected many neighbouring Iranian communities.
Read Full ArticleOld Azari / Adhari
A Northwestern Iranian language once spoken in parts of Azerbaijan before Turkic became dominant. It was not Kurdish, but it helps explain the older Iranian map of the region.
Read Full ArticleEarly Kurdish Vernaculars
By the medieval period, Kurdish speech communities become increasingly visible in historical sources, though Kurdish did not emerge from one single documented moment.
Read Full ArticleLiterary Kurdish & Regional Standards
Kurdish identity and literature developed through several regional languages and written traditions. Gorani/Hawrami, Kurmanji and Sorani each played different roles in religion, poetry, administration and identity.
Gorani Literary Tradition
Gorani became a major literary and religious language among Kurdish communities, especially in Hawraman and Yarsani/Kaka’i contexts.
Read Full ArticleClassical Kurmanji
Kurmanji became a major literary Kurdish variety, especially through poets and scholars in northern Kurdistan and surrounding regions.
Read Full ArticleClassical Sorani
Sorani rose strongly as a written and literary standard, especially around the Baban principality and the Sulaymaniyah cultural sphere.
Read Full ArticleNorthern Kurdish / Kurmanji Dialects
Northern Kurdish, commonly called Kurmanji, is one of the largest Kurdish branches. It covers Turkey, Syria, northern Iraq, parts of Iran, the Caucasus and Khorasan.
Northern Kurdish / Kurmanji
The largest northern branch of Kurdish, written today mainly in the Latin-based Hawar alphabet in Turkey and Syria, and also used across the diaspora.
Read Full ArticleBadini / Behdini
A major Kurmanji variety spoken around Duhok, Amedi and the Bahdinan region of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Read Full ArticleBotanî
The Cizre/Botan variety, historically important because it strongly influenced standard written Kurmanji.
Read Full ArticleHekarî / Hakari
A Kurmanji variety associated with the Hakkari mountain region and the borderlands between Turkey, Iraq and Iran.
Read Full ArticleSerhedî
Spoken in northeastern Turkey, especially around Ağrı, Erzurum, Kars and neighbouring areas.
Read Full ArticleTorî
A Kurmanji variety associated with Mardin and the Tur Abdin region, shaped by intense contact with Arabic, Syriac and Turkish-speaking communities.
Read Full ArticleXorasanî / Khorasani Kurdish
An isolated Kurmanji-related Kurdish pocket in northeastern Iran, linked to historical Kurdish settlement in Khorasan.
Read Full ArticleMarash / Western Kurmanji
A western Kurmanji variety spoken around Maraş, Antep and nearby areas of southern Turkey.
Read Full ArticleBayezidî / Bazîdî
A Kurmanji variety connected with the Bayezid/Doğubayazıt region and related northeastern Anatolian Kurdish speech.
Read Full ArticleVanî
A regional Kurmanji variety associated with Van and its surrounding Kurdish-speaking communities.
Read Full ArticleBitlisî
A Kurmanji dialect associated with Bitlis and nearby areas, forming part of the eastern Anatolian Kurdish continuum.
Read Full ArticleMuşî
A regional Kurmanji form spoken around Muş, sitting between other eastern Anatolian Kurdish varieties.
Read Full ArticleAmedî / Diyarbakır Kurmanji
A prominent Kurmanji variety from the Diyarbakır/Amed region, central to modern Kurdish cultural and political life.
Read Full ArticleAfrînî
A Syrian Kurdish Kurmanji variety associated with Afrin and western Kurdish communities in Syria.
Read Full ArticleKobanî Kurmanji
A Syrian Kurmanji variety associated with Kobani and surrounding Kurdish-speaking communities.
Read Full ArticleErevanî / Caucasus Kurmanji
Kurmanji varieties historically spoken by Kurdish communities in Armenia, Georgia and the wider Caucasus.
Read Full ArticleŞikakî
A Kurmanji-linked tribal and regional speech variety associated with Kurdish communities around northwestern Iran and eastern Anatolia.
Read Full ArticleBarwarî
A Kurmanji variety from the Barwar region, often linked with the wider Bahdinan-speaking zone.
Read Full ArticleAkrêyî
A local Kurmanji variety associated with Akre and nearby areas in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Read Full ArticleEzdiki / Yazidi Kurdish
Usually Kurmanji-based speech associated with Yazidi communities. It is often better treated as a community variety or religious-literary register rather than a separate language.
Read Full ArticleCentral Kurdish / Sorani Dialects
Central Kurdish, usually called Sorani, is one of the major modern Kurdish written standards, especially in Iraqi Kurdistan and western Iran.
Central Kurdish / Sorani
A major Kurdish branch and written standard, commonly written in a modified Perso-Arabic script.
Read Full ArticleBabanî
The Sulaymaniyah/Baban variety, historically central to the development of standard Sorani writing.
Read Full ArticleMukriyanî
A Central Kurdish variety spoken around Mahabad, Piranshahr and the wider Mukriyan region of Iranian Kurdistan.
Read Full ArticleArdalanî / Sine’î
A Sorani-related variety associated with Sanandaj/Sine and the Ardalan region of Iranian Kurdistan.
Read Full ArticleHewlêrî / Erbil Kurdish
A Central Kurdish variety spoken in and around Erbil/Hewlêr, with its own pronunciation and local vocabulary.
Read Full ArticleJafî
A major tribal and regional Central Kurdish variety associated with the Jaf confederation and areas of Iraq and Iran.
Read Full ArticlePişderî / Pizhdari
A Central Kurdish variety associated with the Pishdar region, close to the Iraqi-Iranian Kurdish borderlands.
Read Full ArticleRewandizî / Rwandzî
A Sorani variety connected with Rawanduz and the mountainous northeast of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Read Full ArticleKoyî / Koya Kurdish
A local Central Kurdish variety associated with Koya/Koy Sanjaq and the surrounding region.
Read Full ArticleQeredaxî / Qaradaghi
A Central Kurdish variety associated with Qaradagh/Qeredagh and neighbouring parts of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Read Full ArticleGermiyanî / Garmiyani
A Central Kurdish regional variety spoken in the Germiyan/Garmian zone, often around Kalar and nearby districts.
Read Full ArticleKirkukî
A Central Kurdish urban and regional variety associated with Kirkuk and its multilingual environment.
Read Full ArticleHalabjayî
A Sorani variety associated with Halabja and the surrounding area near the Iranian border.
Read Full ArticleWarmawa
A local Central Kurdish variety often listed among regional Sorani-area speech forms.
Read Full ArticleBingird
A lesser-known Central Kurdish local variety, useful for documenting the smaller branches of the Sorani continuum.
Read Full ArticleSouthern Kurdish / Xwarîn / Pehlewani Dialects
Southern Kurdish is mainly spoken in western Iran and eastern Iraq, especially around Kermanshah, Ilam, Khanaqin, Mandali and nearby regions.
Southern Kurdish / Xwarîn
A major Kurdish branch covering many varieties in Kermanshah, Ilam, eastern Iraq and surrounding areas.
Read Full ArticleKalhorî / Kelhurrî
One of the best-known Southern Kurdish varieties, especially prominent in and around Kermanshah.
Read Full ArticleFeylî / Fayli
A Southern Kurdish identity and speech zone associated with communities along the Iran-Iraq borderlands.
Read Full ArticleIlami
A regional Southern Kurdish variety spoken in Ilam province and nearby border regions.
Read Full ArticleKermanshahî
The urban and regional Kurdish speech of Kermanshah, influenced by contact with Persian and neighbouring Kurdish varieties.
Read Full ArticleGerrûsî / Bicarî
A Kurdish variety associated with Bijar/Garrus in western Iran, often placed in the southern or transitional Kurdish zone.
Read Full ArticleKolyayî
A Southern Kurdish variety spoken in northeastern Kermanshah province and nearby areas.
Read Full ArticleMalekshahî
A Southern Kurdish variety associated with the Malekshahi community and Ilam-Kermanshah borderlands.
Read Full ArticleSanjabî
A tribal and regional Southern Kurdish variety associated with the Sanjabi Kurds of western Iran.
Read Full ArticleZangana / Zengene
A Kurdish tribal and regional speech label connected with communities in the Kermanshah-Iraq frontier zone.
Read Full ArticleKordalî / Kurdalî / Palai
A Southern Kurdish-related variety often discussed near the boundary of Kurdish and neighbouring Iranian speech forms.
Read Full ArticleBadre’î / Badra’i
A local Southern Kurdish variety associated with Badra and surrounding areas near the Iran-Iraq border.
Read Full ArticleKakavandî
A Kurdish tribal and regional variety linked with communities in the Kermanshah-Lorestan zone.
Read Full ArticleQasr-e Shirin Kurdish
A borderland Southern Kurdish variety associated with Qasr-e Shirin and nearby Kurdish-speaking communities.
Read Full ArticleMandali Kurdish
A Southern Kurdish/Feyli-linked variety associated with Mandali and eastern Iraqi Kurdish communities.
Read Full ArticleXanaqînî / Khanaqini
A Kurdish borderland variety around Khanaqin, where Southern Kurdish, Feyli and Central Kurdish influences meet.
Read Full ArticleLaki / Lekî Varieties
Laki is often treated as a distinct Kurdish-related language or a fourth Kurdish branch, though its exact classification is debated because it sits near Kurdish and Luri-speaking regions.
Laki / Lekî
A major debated Kurdish-related language variety spoken between Lorestan, Kermanshah and nearby regions.
Read Full ArticleDelfanî
A Laki variety associated with Delfan and Nurabad areas, important for documenting Laki’s local diversity.
Read Full ArticleSelsele / Aleshtar Laki
A regional Laki variety spoken around Selsele and Aleshtar in Lorestan.
Read Full ArticleKuhdashtî
A Laki-linked local variety associated with Kuhdasht and neighbouring parts of Lorestan.
Read Full ArticleHarsinî
A Laki variety associated with Harsin and the Kermanshah-Lorestan transition zone.
Read Full ArticleZazaki / Dimilkî / Kirmanjkî Varieties
Zazaki is spoken by many communities who identify as Kurdish, but linguists often classify it separately from Kurdish proper. For a Kurdish history site, it is best included with careful wording.
Zazaki / Zaza
A Northwestern Iranian language spoken mainly in eastern Turkey by many communities connected to Kurdish identity and history.
Read Full ArticleNorthern Zazaki / Kirmanjkî
A Zazaki variety associated with Dersim/Tunceli, Erzincan and neighbouring regions.
Read Full ArticleCentral Zazaki
A Zazaki variety spoken around Palu, Bingöl, Elazığ and surrounding areas.
Read Full ArticleSouthern Zazaki / Dimilkî
A southern Zazaki variety associated with Siverek, Diyarbakır, Çermik and nearby regions.
Read Full ArticleKirdkî
A name often used for Zazaki/Kirmanjki varieties, especially in some speaker communities.
Read Full ArticleDersimkî
A Dersim-associated Zazaki variety with strong cultural significance in Alevi Kurdish history.
Read Full ArticleÇewlîgî / Bingöl Zazaki
A Zazaki variety associated with Bingöl/Çewlîg and nearby areas.
Read Full ArticleSiverekî
A southern Zazaki variety connected with Siverek and the surrounding Kurdish-speaking environment.
Read Full ArticleVarto Zazaki
A Zazaki variety associated with Varto and neighbouring eastern Anatolian communities.
Read Full ArticleGorani / Gurani / Hawrami Varieties
Gorani and Hawrami have deep importance in Kurdish religious, literary and cultural history, though many linguists distinguish them from Kurdish proper.
Gorani / Gurani
A Northwestern Iranian language group deeply connected to Kurdish religious and literary history, especially among Yarsani/Kaka’i traditions.
Read Full ArticleHewramî / Hawrami
The best-known Gorani-related variety, spoken in Hawraman/Avroman across the Iran-Iraq borderlands.
Read Full ArticleHewramî-Takht / Taxt
A Hawrami variety associated with the Hawraman Takht area, known for its strong cultural identity.
Read Full ArticleHewramî-Luhon / Luhoni
A Hawrami local variety from the Luhon/Lahon zone, part of the wider Hawraman speech continuum.
Read Full ArticleShabakî
A Kurdish-linked speech variety used by the Shabak community in the Nineveh Plains of Iraq.
Read Full ArticleBajalani
An endangered Gorani-related variety historically spoken near Mosul, Khanaqin and nearby areas.
Read Full ArticleSarlî / Sarli
A lesser-known Gorani-related variety spoken by small communities in northern Iraq.
Read Full ArticleKandulaî / Kandulai
A Gorani-related variety associated with Kandula/Kandule and nearby parts of western Iran.
Read Full ArticleGawrajûyî
A local Gorani-related variety connected with the wider Gawraju/Gurani-speaking zone.
Read Full ArticleGahvareyî
A Gorani-related variety associated with Gahvareh/Gahvare and the western Iranian Kurdish cultural zone.
Read Full ArticleZardayanî
A smaller Gorani-related variety, useful for mapping the finer local branches of the Gorani-speaking world.
Read Full ArticleKaka’i / Yarsani Speech Varieties
Kaka’i/Yarsani communities have historically used Gorani, Hawrami and Kurdish varieties in religious and everyday life.
Read Full ArticleNeighbouring Iranian Languages Often Confused With Kurdish
These languages are related to Kurdish through the wider Iranian family, but should not be listed as Kurdish dialects unless discussing contact, geography or shared history.
Luri / Lori
A neighbouring Western Iranian language group spoken in western Iran. It is related to Kurdish but should not be labelled as Kurdish proper.
Read Full ArticleBakhtiari
A Southwestern Iranian language variety connected with the Bakhtiari people. It belongs near Luri/Persian rather than Kurdish proper.
Read Full ArticleBalochi
A Northwestern Iranian language with distant relation to Kurdish, but not a Kurdish dialect.
Read Full ArticlePersian / Farsi
A Southwestern Iranian language. Persian has influenced Kurdish heavily through literature, administration and state history, but it is not Kurdish.
Read Full ArticleTalyshi
A Northwestern Iranian language of the Caspian region. It is related within the Iranian family but is not Kurdish.
Read Full Article