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
31 core words in Zaza
Water
aw
/aw/
Fire
adır
/aˈdɯɾ/
Sun
tîj
/tiːʒ/
Moon
aşmî
/aʃˈmiː/
Star
astare
/asˈtaːre/
Mother
maye
/ˈmajɛ/
Father
pî
/piː/
I
ez
/ɛz/
You
ti
/ti/
Name
name
/ˈnaːme/
Eye
çim
/tʃim/
Hand
dest
/dɛst/
Heart
zerre
/ˈzɛrːe/
Love
hes
/hɛs/
Tree
dare
/ˈdaɾɛ/
House
keye
/ˈkɛjɛ/
Dog
kuçeg
/kuˈtʃɛɡ/
Cat
pisîk
/piˈsiːk/
Eat
werdiş
/ˈweɾdiʃ/
Drink
şimitiş
/ʃiˈmitiʃ/
One
yew
/jɛw/
Two
di
/dɪ/
Hello
silam
/siˈlam/
Thank you
sıpas
/sɯˈpas/
Good
rind
/ɾind/
Cuckoo
Phepug
/pʰɛˈpuɡ/
Computer
komputer
/kompuˈteɾ/
Words compared
Compared with related Iranian (Zaza-Gorani) languages
| Meaning | Zaza | Kurdish | Kurdish (Sorani) | Balochi | Parthian | Southern Kurdish | Macedonian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aw /aw/ | av /ɑːv/ | ئاو /ɑːw/ | آپ /aːp/ | āb /aːb/ | ئاو /ɑːw/ | вода /ˈvɔda/ |
| Fire | adır /aˈdɯɾ/ | agir /ɑɡɪɾ/ | ئاگر /ɑːɡɪɾ/ | آس /aːs/ | ādar /aːdar/ | ئاگر /ɑːɡɪɾ/ | оган /ˈɔɡan/ |
| Sun | tîj /tiːʒ/ | roj /ɾoːʒ/ | خۆر /xoːɾ/ | روچ /roːtʃ/ | xwar /xwar/ | رۆژ /ɾoʒ/ | сонце /ˈsɔntsɛ/ |
| Moon | aşmî /aʃˈmiː/ | heyv /hejv/ | مانگ /mɑːŋɡ/ | ماہ /maːh/ | māh /maːh/ | ماهنگ /mɑːhænɡ/ | месечина /mɛˈsɛtʃina/ |
| Star | astare /asˈtaːre/ | stêrk /stɛːɾk/ | ئەستێرە /ʔæsteːɾæ/ | استار /estaːr/ | astārag /asˈtaːraɡ/ | ئەستارە /æstaːɾæ/ | ѕвезда /ˈdzvɛzda/ |
| Mother | maye /ˈmajɛ/ | dê /dɛː/ | دایک /dɑːjɪk/ | ماس /maːs/ | mād /maːd/ | دالگ /dɑːlɡ/ | мајка /ˈmajka/ |
| Father | pî /piː/ | bav /bɑːv/ | باوک /bɑːwk/ | پت /pit/ | pid /pid/ | باوگ /bɑːwɡ/ | татко /ˈtatkɔ/ |
| I | ez /ɛz/ | ez /ɛz/ | من /mɪn/ | من /man/ | az /az/ | من /mɪn/ | јас /jas/ |
| You | ti /ti/ | tu /tu/ | تۆ /to/ | تؤ /taw/ | tu /tuː/ | تۆ /to/ | ти /ti/ |
| Name | name /ˈnaːme/ | nav /nav/ | ناو /naw/ | نام /naːm/ | nām /naːm/ | ناو /naw/ | име /ˈime/ |
| Eye | çim /tʃim/ | çav /tʃɑːv/ | چاو /tʃɑːw/ | چم /tʃam/ | čašm /tʃaʃm/ | چەو /tʃæw/ | око /ˈɔkɔ/ |
| Hand | dest /dɛst/ | dest /dɛst/ | دەست /dɛst/ | دست /dast/ | dast /dast/ | دەس /dæs/ | рака /ˈraka/ |
| Heart | zerre /ˈzɛrːe/ | dil /dɪl/ | دڵ /dɪɫ/ | دل /dɪl/ | zyrd /zird/ | دڵ /dɪɫ/ | срце /ˈsərtsɛ/ |
| Love | hes /hɛs/ | evîn /ɛviːn/ | خۆشەویستی /xoʃɛwiːstiː/ | مہر /mehr/ | friyādan /frijaːdan/ | عەشق /æʃq/ | љубов /ˈʎubɔv/ |
| Tree | dare /ˈdaɾɛ/ | dar /dɑːɾ/ | دار /dɑːɾ/ | درچک /daraːtʃk/ | dār /daːr/ | دار /dɑːɾ/ | дрво /ˈdərvɔ/ |
| House | keye /ˈkɛjɛ/ | mal /mɑːl/ | ماڵ /mɑːɫ/ | لۆگ /loːɡ/ | xānag /xaːnaɡ/ | ماڵ /mɑːɫ/ | куќа /ˈkutɕa/ |
| Dog | kuçeg /kuˈtʃɛɡ/ | kûçik /kuːtʃɪk/ | سەگ /sɛɡ/ | کچک /kutʃək/ | spag /spaɡ/ | سگ /sæɡ/ | куче /ˈkutʃɛ/ |
| Cat | pisîk /piˈsiːk/ | pisîk /pɪsiːk/ | پشیلە /pʃiːlɛ/ | پشی /piʃiː/ | — /—/ | پشی /pʃiː/ | мачка /ˈmatʃka/ |
| Eat | werdiş /ˈweɾdiʃ/ | xwarin /xwɑːɾɪn/ | خواردن /xwɑːɾdɪn/ | وارگ /waːraɡ/ | xward- /xward/ | خواردن /xwɑːɾdən/ | јаде /ˈjadɛ/ |
| Drink | şimitiş /ʃiˈmitiʃ/ | vexwarin /vɛxwɑːɾɪn/ | خواردنەوە /xwɑːɾdɪnɛwɛ/ | نوشاگ /noʃaːɡ/ | pī- /piː/ | خواردنەوە /xwɑːɾdɪnˈæwæ/ | пие /ˈpiɛ/ |
| One | yew /jɛw/ | yek /jɛk/ | یەک /jɛk/ | یک /jak/ | ēw /eːw/ | یەک /jæk/ | еден /ˈɛdɛn/ |
| Two | di /dɪ/ | du /du/ | دوو /duː/ | دو /do/ | dō /doː/ | دوو /duː/ | два /dva/ |
| Hello | silam /siˈlam/ | silav /sɪlɑːv/ | سڵاو /sɫɑːw/ | وش آتکی /waʃ ɑːtkaj/ | drōd /droːd/ | سڵاو /sɫɑːw/ | здраво /ˈzdravɔ/ |
| Thank you | sıpas /sɯˈpas/ | spas /spɑːs/ | سوپاس /supɑːs/ | مہربانی /mehrabaːniː/ | spās /spaːs/ | سپاس /spɑːs/ | благодарам /blaˈɡɔdaram/ |
| Good | rind /ɾind/ | baş /bɑːʃ/ | باش /bɑːʃ/ | شر /ʃər/ | nēw /neːw/ | خاس /xɑːs/ | добар /ˈdɔbar/ |
| Cuckoo | Phepug /pʰɛˈpuɡ/ | pepûk /pɛˈpuːk/ | پەپووک /pɛˈpuːk/ | — | — | — | кукавица /kuˈkavitsa/ |
| Computer | komputer /kompuˈteɾ/ | komputer /komputɛɾ/ | کۆمپیوتەر /kompjuteɾ/ | — | — | — | компјутер /kɔmˈpjutɛr/ |
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