Kurdish Discussion Group

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miranshaways
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Re: Kurdish Discussion Group

Postby miranshaways » 2017-10-17, 15:52

Hello, for those of you who are interested in learning Sorani Kurdish, you might find this Memrise course I created useful. https://www.memrise.com/course/1250434/ ... ani-audio/

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What variant of Kurdish is the most useful for international communication?

Postby langmon » 2018-11-10, 11:16

There are at least two major variants of Kurdish, one of them being Kurmanji.
Which of all of its variants is the most useful for international communication?
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Re: What variant of Kurdish is the most useful for international communication?

Postby voron » 2018-11-10, 14:36

SomehowGeekyPolyglot wrote:There are at least two major variants of Kurdish, one of them being Kurmanji.
Which of all of its variants is the most useful for international communication?

I am not sure I understand your question. Are you asking which variety of Kurdish will let you speak with Kurds from as many countries as possible? If yes, then it is Kurmanji, because it's spoken in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran. (And, knowing that you are from Germany, I shall also add that there is a sizeable Kurmanji-speaking minority in Germany).

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Re: What variant of Kurdish is the most useful for international communication?

Postby langmon » 2018-11-10, 14:42

voron wrote:
SomehowGeekyPolyglot wrote:There are at least two major variants of Kurdish, one of them being Kurmanji.
Which of all of its variants is the most useful for international communication?

I am not sure I understand your question. Are you asking which variety of Kurdish will let you speak with Kurds from as many countries as possible? If yes, then it is Kurmanji, because it's spoken in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran.

Now that precisely answers the question. :)
And... what about other Kurds who do not speak Kurmanji themselves, are they able to understand most of it, or can there be some big misunderstandings, too?
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Re: What variant of Kurdish is the most useful for international communication?

Postby voron » 2018-11-10, 14:55

SomehowGeekyPolyglot wrote:Now that precisely answers the question. :)

I am glad I was helpful.

And... what about other Kurds who do not speak Kurmanji themselves, are they able to understand most of it

No. Different varieties of Kurdish are in general not mutually intelligible. I personally witnessed situations where speakers of Kurmanji could not understand speakers of Sorani, Zazaki and Badini. Like, they could handle only some very basic conversations, but any non-trivial question would throw them off.

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Re: What variant of Kurdish is the most useful for international communication?

Postby langmon » 2018-11-10, 14:57

voron wrote:No. Different varieties of Kurdish are in general not mutually intelligible. I myself witnessed situations where speakers of Kurmanji could not understand speakers of Sorani, Zazaki and Badini. Like, they could handle only some very basic conversations, but any non-trivial question would throw them off.


But being able to handle some very basic conversations also can be a lot if you'd ask me.

There are some languages that I only know at A1 level for now, but they still might come in handy one day :).
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Re: What variant of Kurdish is the most useful for international communication?

Postby voron » 2018-11-10, 15:06

SomehowGeekyPolyglot wrote:But being able to handle some very basic conversations also can be a lot if you'd ask me.

Well, it's not only the similarities in the languages that help them handle those conversations, but also a common cultural heritage (Ottoman and Islamic). The cultural patterns and the intonations help them guess the nature of the questions. I'd say that a Syrian Arabic speaker and a Kurmanji Kurdish speaker would be able to have the same conversation almost just as smooth.

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Re: Kurdish Discussion Group

Postby langmon » 2018-11-13, 13:58

How do you say this in Kurmanji?

"I am still learning"

"I know some things, but not others"

"Do you understand everything I say, or only parts of it?"

(A literal translation of the Kurmanji examples would be helpful, although not "required". Someone simply is trying to decode some grammar :)).
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Re: Kurdish Discussion Group

Postby voron » 2018-11-15, 12:48

SomehowGeekyPolyglot wrote:"I am still learning"

"I know some things, but not others"

"Do you understand everything I say, or only parts of it?"

Ez hêj fêr dibim.
Hin tiştan dizanim, hinan jî nizanim.
Tu her tiştê ku ez dibêjim fêm diki, anjî bi tenê hin tiştan/peyvan?

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Re: Kurdish Discussion Group

Postby langmon » 2018-11-15, 13:51

voron wrote:
SomehowGeekyPolyglot wrote:"I am still learning"

"I know some things, but not others"

"Do you understand everything I say, or only parts of it?"

Ez hêj fêr dibim.
Hin tiştan dizanim, hinan jî nizanim.
Tu her tiştê ku ez dibêjim fêm diki, anjî bi tenê hin tiştan/peyvan?


Follow-up reply for others learning - not a question :)
Doing some Colorful Interlinking between some English and Kurmanji words.

"I am still learning
Ez hêj fêr dibim."

""I know some things, but [I do] not [know] others.
Hin tiştan dizanim, hinan jî nizanim."

"Do you understand everything I say, or only parts of it?
Tu her tiştê ku ez dibêjim fêm diki, anjî bi tenê hin tiştan/peyvan?"
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