Shabaki language

Shabaki
Shabaki
Spoken in Iraq
Region Mosul
Native speakers 10,000-20,000  (date missing)
Language family
Language codes
ISO 639-3 sdb

Shabaki is an Indo-Iranian language of the Zaza–Gorani group spoken by the Shabak people and ethnic Kurds[1][2] in Mosul, Iraq. The number of speakers of Shabaki was estimated in 1989 to be between 10,000 and 20,000.[3][4]

Similarities with other languages

As Shabaki belongs the Zaza–Gorani group it is most similar to languages such as Gorani (Hewrami) dialects and Zazaki. As Zaza–Gorani belongs to the Northwestern Iranian branch, it also shares specific Sorani Kurdish features:

Shabaki Zazaki Sorani Kurdish Hewrami English
cham çım caw cem eye
ziwan zıwan ziman ziwan tongue

Pronouns

Shabaki Zazaki Sorani Kurdish Hewrami English
amn-am ez min emin, min I, me, mine, my
atu to, tu tu, to eto, to thou, thee, thine
aw, îna a, o ew ew s/he, his, hers, him, her
hima-alama-gisht ma ême ma we, our
ishma shima êwe shima you, your
ishan inu, inan Ewan Ade they, them, their

References

  1. ^ Abd al-Jabbar, Falih. Ayatollahs, sufis and ideologues: state, religion and social movements in Iraq. University of Virginia 2008.
  2. ^ Sykes, Mark. The Caliphs' last heritage: a short history of the Turkish Empire
  3. ^ Ethnologue report for Shabaki
  4. ^ Omniglot Shabaki page