Western Iranian languages

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

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 (Persian)
Glottolog	west2794

Languages

Map of modern Iranian languages. The Western Iranian languages are shaded yellow/green.

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

Old Iranian

• Southwest: Old Persian†
• Northwest: Median†

Middle Iranian

• Southwest: Middle Persian†
• Northwest: Parthian†

Neo-Iranian

• Northwestern I
  • Kurdish languages
    • Kurmanji
    • Sorani
    • Southern Kurdish
    • Laki
  • Zaza–Gorani languages
    • Zaza language (dialects: Kirmanjki, Dimli)
    • Gorani language (dialects: Hawrami, Bajelan)
    • Shabaki language
• Northwestern II
  • Balochi: Balochi, ?Koroshi
  • Khuri (Kavir)
  • Tatic
    • Talysh
    • Tati/Azari: Old Azeri†, Harzandi, Karingani, Kho'ini, Khalkhal, Upper Taromi, Rudbari, Southern Tati, Eshtehardi, dialects N/NE of Qazvin
    • ? (Talysh? Tati?): Gozarkhani, Kajali, Koresh-e Rostam, Maraghei, Razajerdi, Shahrudi
    • Tafresh (transitional): Ashtiani (Amora’i, Kahaki), Vafsi, Alviri-Vidari (Alviri, Vidari), ?Judeo-Hamadani
    • Central / Central Plateau (Kermanic)[3]
      • Northwestern: Khunsari, Mahallati, Vanishani, Judeo-Golpaygani
      • Southwestern: Gazi, Sedehi, Ardestani, Nohuji, Sajzi, Jarquya’i, Rudashti, Kafrudi, Kafruni, Judeo-Esfahani
      • Northeastern: Arani, Bidgoli, Delijani, Nashalji, Abuzaydabadi, Qohrudi, Badrudi, Kamu’i, Jowshaqani, Meyma’i, Abyana’i, Soi, Badi, Natanzi, Kasha’i, Tari, Tarqi, Judeo-Kashani
      • Southeastern: Zoroastrian Dari, Nayini, Zefra’i, Varzenei, Tudeshki, Keyjani, Abchuya’i

• Semnani:[4] Semnani, Sangisari, Lasgerdi-Sorkhei (incl. Aftari)
• Caspian: Gilaki (incl. Taleqani), Mazandarani, Gorgani†, ?Deilami
• Southwestern (cf. dialects of Fars)
  • Persian (dialects: Iranian Persian, Dari Persian (Madaglashti), Tajik Persian, Hazaragi Persian, Aimaq, Sistani, Pahlavani Persian†, Dzhidi Persian (Judeo-Persian), Judeo-Bukharic, Muslim/Christian Tat, Judeo-Tat,
  • Persid
    • Khuzestani/Shushtari and Dezfuli
    • Luri (dialects: Luri, Mamasani, Kohkiluyeh, Bakhtiari)
    • Sivandi
    • Northwestern Fars
    • Kuhmareyi (incl. Davani)
  • Achomi–Gulf
    • Achomi (Larestani), Judeo-Shirazi
    • Gulf: Bashkardi, Kumzari, Bandari, Minabi
    • Garmsiri Group of Kerman[5]

An Iranian Khalaj language has been claimed, but does not exist; the Khalaj speak a Turkic language.

The dialects of Central Iran are a geographic rather than genetic grouping. They are spoken mostly in Markazi and Isfahan provinces. Many of them are giving way to Persian in the younger generations.[3]

See also

• Eastern Iranian languages

References

1. Gernot Windfuhr, 2009, "Dialectology and Topics", The Iranian Languages, Routledge, pp. 12–15.
2. Languages preceded by question marks, and many of the varieties of Persian, are from other sources. The dialects of the Central Plateau are from the source provided there.
3. Central dialects, Gernot Windfuhr, Encyclopedia Iranica
4. Glottolog changed the designation of this language family from "Semnanic" (https://glottolog.org/files/glottolog-2.7/semn1240.htmt) to "Komisenian"(https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/komi1276). This designation has been also adopted by Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Komisenian_languages)
5. Borjian, Habib, “Kerman Languages”, Encyclopaedia Iranica. Volume 16, Issue 3, 2017, pp. 301-315.

Bibliography

• Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum, ed. Rüdiger Schmitt. Wiesbaden: L. Reichert Verlag, 1989; p. 99.

Further reading

• "Contact and the diversity of noun-noun subordination strategies among Western Iranic languages" (PDF). Nicholas Kontovas, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
• Hanaway Jr, William L. "Persian and West Iranic: History and State of Research: Part One: Persian Grammar.[Trends in Linguistics: State-of-the-Art Reports, No. 12]." (1982): 56-58.