Kurmancî

Kurmancî is the most widely spoken dialect of the Kurdish language. It is an Indo-Iranian language belonging to the Northwestern Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. Kurmancî is primarily spoken by Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, forming a significant portion of the Kurdish diaspora.

The dialect has a rich literary tradition and is the language of many Kurdish cultural expressions. While sharing many similarities with other Kurdish dialects, Kurmancî possesses distinct phonetic, lexical, and grammatical features. It is often written using the Latin alphabet, known as the Hawar alphabet, which was developed in the 1930s. Prior to this, the Sorani alphabet, a modified Arabic script, was also in use for Kurdish writing.

The classification of Kurdish languages and dialects can be complex, with Kurmancî being one of the two major branches, the other being Sorani. Mutual intelligibility between Kurmancî and Sorani speakers can vary, though they are generally considered distinct dialects within the broader Kurdish language. Efforts are ongoing to preserve and promote the use of Kurmancî, particularly in educational and media contexts, as it plays a crucial role in Kurdish cultural identity and heritage.