Dialects of Central Iran
Encyclopedia
Central Iranian, or Central Iran, is a group of Western Iranian languages
spoken in villages and towns of central Iran
, mostly in Markazi
and Isfahan provinces. They are typically considered "dialects" of Persian, and many are giving way to Persian among the younger generations.
* Recognized as distinct languages by Ethnologue 16, along with Northwestern Fars, Parsi, Parsi-Dari.
Western Iranian languages
The Western Iranian languages are a subgroup of the Iranian languages, attested from the time of Old Persian .The two sub-branches are:*Northwestern Iranian languages*Southwestern Iranian languages...
spoken in villages and towns of central Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, mostly in Markazi
Markazi Province
Markazi Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. The word markazi means central in Persian. Markazi lies in western Iran. Its capital is Arak. Its population is estimated at 1.35 million...
and Isfahan provinces. They are typically considered "dialects" of Persian, and many are giving way to Persian among the younger generations.
Listing
They include the following subgroups (according to Lecoq 1989):- Tafresh: Ashtiani*, Amora’i, Kahaki, VafsiVafsi languageVafsi, is an Iranian language spoken in the Vafs village and surrounding area in the Markazi province of Iran. Vafsi belongs to a branch of Iranian languages called the Central Dialects...
*, Judeo-Hamadani, Judeo-Borujerdi, Alviri, Vidari - Northwestern: Mahallati, Vanishani, KhunsariKhunsari languageKhunsari dialect is a Central dialect within the South Median branch of Northwestern Iranian languages, spoken in Khansar, a town in the west of Isfahan Province of Iran. Some of the oldest isoglosses include the development of Aryan palatals to fricatives: OIr...
(Khwanshari)*, Judeo-GolpayganiJudeo-Golpaygani languageJudæo-Golpaygani was a language spoken by the Jewish community living in Golpaygan, in western Isfahan, western Iran. The first records of Jewish communities in this region date to approximately 750 BC....
, Judeo-Khunsari - Northeastern: Arani, Bidgoli, Delijani, Nashalji, AbuzaydabadiAbuzaydabadi languageAbuzaydabadi is the language of people in Abuzaydabad, a city in central Iran. The language is called [Abuzaydabadi] by Persians, and it is called Bizovoy or Bizovoyja in Abuzaydabadi language itself....
, Qohrudi, Badrudi, Kamu’i, Jowshaqani, Meyma’i, Abyana’i, Farizandi, Yarandi (Yarani), Soi (Sohi)*, Badi, Natanzi*, Kasha’i, Tari, Taqi, Judeo-Kashani - Southwestern: Kafroni, Gazi*, Sedehi, Ardestani, Nohuji, Sajzi, Jarquya’i, Rudashti, Kafrudi, Judeo-Esfahani
- Southeastern: DariDari (Zoroastrian)Dari is a Northwestern Iranian ethnolect spoken as a first language by an estimated 8,000 to 15,000 Zoroastrians in and around the cities of Yazd and Kerman in central Iran...
(Yazdi)*, Kermani, Nayini (Na’ini)*, Zefra’i, Anaraki, Varzenei, Judeo-Yazdi, Judeo-Kermani, Tudeshki, Keyjani, Abchuya’i - Kavir: Khuri, Farvi, Farroki, Mehrjani
- Sivandi: SivandiSivandi languageSivandi is an Iranian language spoken in Fars Province, Iran by around 7000 people.- External links :...
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Further reading
- Bailey H. W.Harold Walter BaileySir Harold Walter Bailey , who published as H. W. Bailey, was an eminent English scholar of Khotanese, Sanskrit, and the comparative study of Iranian languages....
Iranian Studies IV // Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, 1933–1935, vol. 7. - Borjian, Habib, "Geography of the Median Central Dialects of Isfahan", in Encyclopædia Iranica, vol. XIV, fasc. 1, pp. 84–93.
- Morgenstierne G.Georg MorgenstierneGeorg Morgenstierne was a Norwegian professor of linguistics with the University of Oslo . He specialized in Indo-Iranian languages.- Studies :...
, Neu-iranische Sprachen // Handbuch der Orientalistik. Iranistik. Linguistik. Leiden; Köln, 1958, Abt. I, Bd. 4, Abschn. 1. - Расторгуева В. С., Мошкало В. В. Диалекты Центрального Ирана // Основы иранского языкознания. Новоиранские языки: Северо-западная группа. М., 1997.
- Stilo, Don. "Isfahan. Provincial Dialects", in Encyclopædia Iranica, vol. XIV, fasc. 1, pp. 93 ff.
- Windfuhr, Gernot. "Central Dialects", in Encyclopædia Iranica.