Sorani

Sorani, also called Central Kurdish, is one of the two major standard varieties of the Kurdish language. It is primarily spoken in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and in western Iran, with communities in Turkey, Syria, and among Kurdish diaspora around the world. Unlike Kurmanji, the other major Kurdish standard, Sorani has developed its own literary tradition and standard orthography.

Classification and status: Many linguists treat Sorani as a distinct language within the Kurdish language group. It serves as the main literary and media standard in Iraqi Kurdistan Region and is widely used in education, journalism, and literature in Kurdish-speaking areas of Iran as well.

Script and orthography: Sorani is written in a Perso-Arabic script, with additional letters such as پ, ژ, گ, and ڕ to represent sounds not found in Persian. There are standardized orthographies used by publishers and schools, though regional variations remain.

Geographic distribution and speakers: Major urban centers include Sulaimaniyah and Erbil in Iraq, and parts of Kurdistan Province in Iran. The language is maintained by a large urban and rural population and by speakers in the Kurdish diaspora in Europe and North America.

Linguistic features and literature: Sorani typically uses a subject–verb–object or verb-final structure and relies on analytic constructions. It has a rich modern literary tradition, with poets, novelists, journalists, and filmmakers contributing to Kurdish culture.