Lurish

Lurish is a term used in some contexts to refer to the Luri language or to the Lur people, an Iranian ethnolinguistic group native to western Iran. The usage varies by source, and Luri sometimes appears in older or informal literature as Lurish.

Geography and demography: Lurish-speaking communities are concentrated in western Iran, especially Lorestan, Ilam, Khuzestan, and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Provinces. Smaller communities exist in other provinces, and there is a substantial diaspora in major cities such as Tehran. Estimates place the Lurish-speaking population in the millions.

Language and dialects: Luri languages form a branch of Southwestern Iranian within the Western Iranian group. They include Northern Luri and Southern Luri varieties, with varying degrees of mutual intelligibility. Most speakers are bilingual in Persian. In Iran, Luri is typically written using the Persian script, though no single standardized orthography is universally adopted.

Culture and history: Historically, many Luri communities were semi-nomadic herders and farmers. Lurish culture is known for distinctive music, poetry, and crafts; social life has often centered on tribal or clan affiliations, especially in rural areas. In the modern state of Iran, Lurish-speaking communities are integrated into national institutions while retaining regional identities.

Note on terminology: The label Lurish is used variably in sources; in many scholarly contexts Luri or Luri languages is preferred for the broader language group.