Zazakî
Zaza
Iranian (Zaza-Gorani)
Zaza (Zazakî) is a Northwestern Iranian language spoken primarily by Zaza Kurds of eastern Turkey (Tunceli, Bingöl, Elazığ, Diyarbakır). Although often grouped with Kurdish for political reasons, linguistically it is distinct from Kurmanji and Sorani Kurdish, sharing more features with Caspian Iranian languages such as Gilaki and with the medieval Iranian languages of the Caucasus. Zazas form a distinct Alevi-majority cultural community within the larger Kurdish movement.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Zaza
Water
aw
/aw/
Fire
adır
/aˈdɯɾ/
Sun
tîj
/tiːʒ/
Moon
aşmî
/aʃˈmiː/
Mother
maye
/ˈmajɛ/
Father
pî
/piː/
Eat
werdiş
/ˈweɾdiʃ/
Drink
şimitiş
/ʃiˈmitiʃ/
Love
hes
/hɛs/
Heart
zerre
/ˈzɛrːe/
Tree
dare
/ˈdaɾɛ/
House
keye
/ˈkɛjɛ/
Dog
kuçeg
/kuˈt͡ʃɛɡ/
Cat
pisîk
/piˈsiːk/
Hand
dest
/dɛst/
Eye
çim
/t͡ʃim/
Hello
silam
/siˈlam/
Thank you
sıpas
/sɯˈpas/
One
yew
/jɛw/
Good
rind
/ɾind/
Words compared
Compared with related Iranian (Zaza-Gorani) languages
| Meaning | Zaza | Kurdish | Balochi | Kurdish (Sorani) | Macedonian | Parthian | Mirandese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aw /aw/ | av /ɑːv/ | آپ /aːp/ | ئاو /ɑːw/ | вода /ˈvɔda/ | āb /aːb/ | auga /ˈawɣa/ |
| Fire | adır /aˈdɯɾ/ | agir /ɑɡɪɾ/ | آس /aːs/ | ئاگر /ɑːɡɪɾ/ | оган /ˈɔɡan/ | ādar /aːdar/ | fuogo /ˈfwoɣu/ |
| Sun | tîj /tiːʒ/ | roj /ɾoːʒ/ | روچ /roːtʃ/ | خۆر /xoːɾ/ | сонце /ˈsɔnt͡sɛ/ | xwar /xwar/ | sol /sɔl/ |
| Moon | aşmî /aʃˈmiː/ | heyv /hejv/ | ماہ /maːh/ | مانگ /mɑːŋɡ/ | месечина /mɛˈsɛt͡ʃina/ | māh /maːh/ | luna /ˈluna/ |
| Mother | maye /ˈmajɛ/ | dê /dɛː/ | ماس /maːs/ | دایک /dɑːjɪk/ | мајка /ˈmajka/ | mād /maːd/ | mai /maj/ |
| Father | pî /piː/ | bav /bɑːv/ | پت /pit/ | باوک /bɑːwɪk/ | татко /ˈtatkɔ/ | pid /pid/ | pai /paj/ |
| Eat | werdiş /ˈweɾdiʃ/ | xwarin /xwɑːɾɪn/ | وارگ /waːraɡ/ | خواردن /xwɑːɾdɪn/ | јаде /ˈjadɛ/ | xward- /xward/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ |
| Drink | şimitiş /ʃiˈmitiʃ/ | vexwarin /vɛxwɑːɾɪn/ | نوشاگ /noʃaːɡ/ | خواردنەوە /xwɑːɾdɪnɛwɛ/ | пие /ˈpiɛ/ | pī- /piː/ | bubir /buˈβiɾ/ |
| Love | hes /hɛs/ | evîn /ɛviːn/ | مہر /mehr/ | خۆشەویستی /xoʃɛwiːstiː/ | љубов /ˈʎubɔv/ | friyādan /frijaːdan/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ |
| Heart | zerre /ˈzɛrːe/ | dil /dɪl/ | دل /dɪl/ | دڵ /dɪɫ/ | срце /ˈsərt͡sɛ/ | zyrd /zird/ | coraçon /koɾaˈt͡soŋ/ |
| Tree | dare /ˈdaɾɛ/ | dar /dɑːɾ/ | درچک /daraːtʃk/ | دار /dɑːɾ/ | дрво /ˈdərvɔ/ | dār /daːr/ | arble /ˈaɾβle/ |
| House | keye /ˈkɛjɛ/ | mal /mɑːl/ | لۆگ /loːɡ/ | ماڵ /mɑːɫ/ | куќа /ˈkut͡ɕa/ | xānag /xaːnaɡ/ | casa /ˈkaza/ |
| Dog | kuçeg /kuˈt͡ʃɛɡ/ | kûçik /kuːtʃɪk/ | کچک /kut͡ʃək/ | سەگ /sɛɡ/ | куче /ˈkut͡ʃɛ/ | spag /spaɡ/ | perro /ˈperu/ |
| Cat | pisîk /piˈsiːk/ | pisîk /pɪsiːk/ | پشی /piʃiː/ | پشیلە /pʃiːlɛ/ | мачка /ˈmat͡ʃka/ | — /—/ | gato /ˈɡatu/ |
| Hand | dest /dɛst/ | dest /dɛst/ | دست /dast/ | دەست /dɛst/ | рака /ˈraka/ | dast /dast/ | mano /ˈmano/ |
| Eye | çim /t͡ʃim/ | çav /tʃɑːv/ | چم /tʃam/ | چاو /tʃɑːw/ | око /ˈɔkɔ/ | čašm /tʃaʃm/ | uolho /ˈuoʎu/ |
| Hello | silam /siˈlam/ | silav /sɪlɑːv/ | وش آتکی /waʃ ɑːtkaj/ | سڵاو /sɫɑːw/ | здраво /ˈzdravɔ/ | drōd /droːd/ | olá /oˈla/ |
| Thank you | sıpas /sɯˈpas/ | spas /spɑːs/ | مہربانی /mehrabaːniː/ | سوپاس /supɑːs/ | благодарам /blaˈɡɔdaram/ | spās /spaːs/ | oubrigado /owβɾiˈɣadu/ |
| One | yew /jɛw/ | yek /jɛk/ | یک /jak/ | یەک /jɛk/ | еден /ˈɛdɛn/ | ēw /eːw/ | un /uŋ/ |
| Good | rind /ɾind/ | baş /bɑːʃ/ | شر /ʃər/ | باش /bɑːʃ/ | добар /ˈdɔbar/ | nēw /neːw/ | buono /ˈbwonu/ |
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