KURDISH LINGUA FRANCA: “A LANGUAGE IS A LANGUAGE IS A LANGUAGE” (Gertrude Stein)
The introduction of a Standard Kurdish
By Scherco R. Baban
A while ago, the Kurdistan Region´s president, Mesûd Barzanî announced measures to found a standard Kurdish (Lingua Franca). This news delighted many of us Kurds who wish to see a unified written system for our language.
In my opinion, the use of the Latin-based System as a unified written system for all our dialects is the best solution. The Latin alphabet is simpler than the Perso-Arabic and more adequate for the purpose of communicating via the internet and other modern communication tools. This is very important to promote the use of the Kurdish language for the benefit of young Kurds both in Kurdistan and those who live abroad.
Comparing to the existing Perso-Arabic model, the Latin alphabet has greater flexibility in writing of any Kurdish dialect and it could be used with most modern communication tools. This unified writing system makes publications and media in the Kurdistan Region useful in other parts of Kurdistan and any part of the world.
To promote our Kurdish language among our people we have really to have an easy and simple alphabet. A unified writing system for all dialects of Kurdish is imperative and the Latin-based alphabet is the answer.
I think it is important that our people can even learn this new system by themselves. Because of our political and geographical reality, schools and courses are not always available for all Kurds. Social tools on the web and cable TVs could be very effective in promoting it! I would like to use this article to ask any Kurdish computer geek to a design a ‘learning Kurdish Latin Alphabet APP’ to be used in new-generation mobile phones. Let´s make this the ‘cool’ language among our young people. Let´s make it ‘cool’ to be a Kurd and talk and write in Kurdish. Let’s make our youngsters to be proud and have more or at least the same national pride as our hostile neighbors.
In my opinion we need pride to maintain our culture and heritage. Inner pride, inner strength and confidence are the most important tool to achieve that. Pride is a weapon!
English, Chinese and Arabic and many other languages do not have the easiest alphabet or orthography. But they have large states to promote them! Because of this reality we need a simple system to be implied not only by our intellectuals or educated people but most importantly by the vast MAJORITY. We need to make Written Kurdish the language of the majority and not the language of the few!
Standard Language or Lingua Franca
I heard that an academy was set up to evolve a so-called standard language, a Lingua Franca. In my opinion that we should not bother so much about that for now as it would even spark some regional or tribal sensibility and this is the least thing we need.
What we need is the Kurdistan Regional Givernment (KRG) to implement the use of the Bedirxan system as soon as possible. People in South Kurdistan would start understand Kurdish dialects of North and Western Kurdistan better and the people of the North would get access to Southern Kurdish literature.
The second step (where the Academy is indeed needed) is to unify the terminology concepts that Kurds use in the different parts of Kurdish territories, such as in science, law, politics, or even daily concepts.
How to say terminology in Kurdish? Is it terminoloji or terminologi?
How to say mobile phone in Kurdish? Is ‘Mobayel’ the right way to say it, or should we stop using the British English pronunciations?
What is the name of the first Soviet leader? Is he Lenin or “Linin” as they use to proununciate it in Southern Kurdistan because of the Arabic influence and as we know the Arabic language doesn’t have the letter E. ( Many of our ex-communists and politicians used to read books and other materials in Persian and Arabic).
Shouldn´t Korek Tilikom change its name to Korek Telekom?
Isn’t Europa more proper than Ewrupa?
When we manage to use the terminologies in the same way among all Kurds then it will be very easy to create our Lingua Franca. Actually it will be created or evolved by its own. It will just be like an assisted natural evolution of our language. All we need to do is to assist by some guidelines that`s all! It will be the language of the people by the people.
Linguistics scholars and philology teachers will just assist the language into its natural evolution with some guidelines and correct use of grammar and CORRECT introduction of foreign words into Kurdish… So the loanwords need to naturalize and comply with common global Kurdish spelling rules whilst few local exceptional pronunciations are justified.
As I said before, the users of the Bedir Xan Latin System in North and western Kurdistan, could gain easy access to publication on the Internet and electronic mail, published in the Kurdistan Region as well as the capability of making their publications and books readable in the Kurdistan Region.
By this way, even if we do not achieve the actual union yet, a psychological union is much more effective than armed struggle! Our psychological union and independence is key to the actual independence! Just like when sportsmen have their inner game before the actual game.
I think we need to make this reform now and not tomorrow and to begin promoting it among our people we can start with the social tools on the web such as Facebook and others and the Kurdish NGOs, and the Institute Kurd de Paris and other institutions. The KRG should introduce the reform right away into schools. In my opinion we need a 10-year introduction period when both alphabets are taught and gradually the Latin system would become the main writing system. The Person-Arabic Alphabet should remain available for a longer period in the governmental institutions for the elders.
A few things to remember:
We should write foreign scientific words like or near their original writing when there is no original Kurdish words: arkeologî, mobîl, bîologî, dîgîtal, psikologî, stasion, demokratî telekom, Europa.
We must write the name of people who use a version of Latin alphabet as their original.
For names of Peoples who don’t use the Latin form – like Chinese, Russian or Arabs – we could use the English variation or any already-established form to write it.
Unified Writing, Different Pronunciations!
A unified way of writing should allow a different ways of pronunciation. W should be read as a (V) and (U) and even (B). For example, when writing the word “eye” in Kurdish which is ÇAW in South Kurdmancî and ÇAV in North Kurdmancî, a common way of writing should be ÇAW.
It should be written kirdin ( to do) but it could be read kirin or kirdin. The alphabet “D” is not pronounced in many Kurdish dialects, such as the Silêmanî dialect, but it should be written anyway!
Again, unified script different pronunciation!
A Kurdish Academy of Language when formed must have representatives of all dialects and parts of Kurdistan -not just South and North Kurdmancî, but also Zazakî and Goranî etc. – and keep the political parties far away please! Lately, and especially in the Silêmanî region, I have noticed that there is a removal of Arabic loan words in our language, just to let the Persian loan words sneak in. Please try to find words from the Zaza regions, North Kurdistan, Hewraman region or even distant regions like Ezidi Kurds in Sinjar, Georgia and Armenia.
Please keep the Kurdish language Kurdish!
When introducing Kurdish names into English we must use the Kurdish way of pronunciation. Examples:
Silêmani, not Sulaimaniyah
Hewler, not Arbil or Erbil
Akre, not Aqrah
Efrin, not Afrin
Koye, not Koya or Koysanjaq
Not trying to stop the use of non-Kurdish names in English for Kurdish places invites people to think that these places have a non-Kurdish history or origin. Beware!
In Turkey it´s forbidden to write Constantinople, Smyrna and Ikonia instead of Istanbul, Izmir and Konya. So why should we let this happen when, contrary to some claims, our cities and places are really ours?
Let us work together and make this dream about a unified Kurdish alphabet come true!
Scherco R. Baban is a nuerolinguist (NLP) and a Hispanist (specializing in Hispanic studies, that is Spanish language, literature, linguistics, history, and civilization). He started his studies in Uppsala, Sweden and completed them in Spain and Latin America.