Western Iranian languages
| Western Iranian | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution  | Southwest Asia, Central Asia, Caucasus, and western South Asia | 
| Linguistic classification | Indo-European
  | 
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | nort3177  (Northwestern Iranian)sout3157 (Southwestern Iranian)  | 

The Western Iranian languages or Western Iranic languages are a branch of the Iranian languages, attested from the time of Old Persian (6th century BC) and Median.
Languages
The traditional Northwestern branch is a convention for non-Southwestern languages, rather than a genetic group. The languages are as follows:[1][2][3]
Old Iranian period
- Northwest: Median†, etc.
 - Southwest: Old Persian†, etc.
 
Middle Iranian period
- Northwest: Parthian†, etc.
 - Southwest: Middle Persian†, etc
 
Modern period (Neo-Iranian)
- Northwestern Iranian 
- Caspian 
- Gorgani†
 - Daylami†
 - Gilaki (incl. Rudbari)
 - Mazandarani (incl. Tabari, Shahmirzadi, Ilikaei, katuli)
 
 - Semnani
 - Adharic (Azaric) 
- Old Adhari† 
- Tatic 
- Talysh (north-central)
 - Gozarkhani (Alamuti)
 - North: Harzandi, Karingani (Kalasuri, Khoynarudi)
 - Kho'ini
 - South 
- Alviri-Vidari (Alviri, Vidari)
 - Ashtiani (Amora’i, Kahaki, Tafreshi), Vafsi
 - Razajerdi, Eshtehardi, Takestani (Ramandi, Kharaqani)
 
 - Central 
- Khalkhalic: Kajali, Koresh-e Rostam (Karani), Shahrudi (incl. southern Talysh)
 - Maraghei
 - Upper Taromi, Kabatei
 
 
 
 - Tatic 
 
 - Old Adhari† 
 - Kurdic (acc. Anonby)[4][5] 
- Kurdish 
- Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji)
 - Central Kurdish (Sorani)
 - Southern Kurdish
 - Laki
 - Kurdali
 
 - Zaza–Gorani
 
 - Kurdish 
 - Balochi 
- Western Balochi (Rakhshani)
 - Southern Balochi (Makrani)
 - Eastern Balochi
 - Koroshi
 
 - Khuri (Kavir)
 
 - Caspian 
 
- Central Plateau[6] 
- Sivandi
 - Judeo-Hamadani, Judeo-Borujerdi
 - NW = Khunsari (Judeo-Khunsari, Judeo-Khomeini, Vanishani, Mahallati, Vanishani, Judeo-Golpaygani, etc.)
 - NE = Kashanic: Soi (incl. Abuzaydabadi), Natanzi
 - SW = Gazi (many dialects)
 - Southeastern: Zoroastrian Dari (Zoroastrian Yazdi, Judeo-Kermani), Nayini
 
 
- Southwestern Iranian 
- Persid/Persic[7] 
- Persian (dialects: Iranian Persian & Judeo-Persian, Dari (incl. Madaglashti), Tajik & Judeo-Bukharic, Hazaragi, Aimaq, Sistani, Pahlavani Persian†)
 - Luri (incl. Bakhtiari)
 - Shushtari–Dezfuli
 - Kuhmareyi (incl. Davani)
 - (see also Persid dialects of Khuzestan)
 
 - Bashkardi (Southern Bashkardi)
 - Garmsiri (Bandari) (Northern Bashkardi, Bandari, Minabi/Minowi–Hormozi: Hormozgan)[8]
 - Kumzari
 - Achomi (Larestani)
 - Caucasian Tat (SW Tat): Tat, Judeo-Tat
 - Fars (numerous SW Fars dialects: Heshnizi, Gavbandi, Dashtini, Kangani, Jami, Bardesuni (Bardestani), Khenesiri, Bordekhuni, Dashtiyati (Dashti), Tangesiri (incl. Delvari), Khormuji, Khayizi, Ahrami, Bushehri, Bandar Rig (Fars of Bandar Rig), Genaveyi, Deylami (Liravi)†, Dashtesuni (Dashtestani), Judeo-Shirazi, etc.)
 
 - Persid/Persic[7] 
 
There is also a recently described, and as yet unclassified, Batu'i language that is presumably Western Iranian.[1] Extinct Deilami is sometimes classified in the Caspian branch. An Iranian Khalaj language has been claimed, but does not exist; the Khalaj speak a Turkic language.
Many of the languages and dialects spoken in Markazi and Isfahan provinces are giving way to Persian in the younger generations.[6]
It is to note that the Caspian languages (incl. Adharic), the central dialects, and the Zaza-Gorani languages are likely descended from a later form of Median with varying amounts of Parthian substrata,[9] whereas the Semnani languages were likely descended from Parthian.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b Erik Anonby, Mortaza Taheri-Ardali & Amos Hayes (2019) The Atlas of the Languages of Iran (ALI). Iranian Studies 52. A Working Classification
 - ^ Gernot Windfuhr, 2009, "Dialectology and Topics", The Aryanic Languages, Routledge, pp. 12–15.
 - ^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Northwestern Aryan". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Southwestern Aryan". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. - ^ Anonby, Erik John (2021), "Atlas of the Languages of Iran A working classification", Languages of Iran, retrieved 25 May 2019
 - ^ "Western Iranian Languages, Development of the Persian Language". Destination Iran. 2024-06-16.
 - ^ a b Central dialects, Gernot Windfuhr, Encyclopedia Iranica
 - ^ Vahman, F., (TRANS.), & Asatrian, G., (TRANS.) (1995). Poetry of the Baxtiaris, Love Poems, Wedding Songs, Lullabies, Laments. pp. 8-13. Hans Reitzels Forlag.
 - ^ Borjian, Habib, “Kerman Languages”, Encyclopaedia Iranica. Volume 16, Issue 3, 2017, pp. 301–315. [1]
 - ^ Borjian, Habib (2019) Journal of Persianate Studies 2, Median Succumbs to Persian after Three Millennia of Coexistence: Language Shift in the Central Iranian Plateau, p. 70
 - ^ Pierre Lecoq. 1989. "Les dialectes caspiens et les dialectes du nord-ouest de l'Iran," Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum. Ed. Rüdiger Schmitt. Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, p. 297
 
Bibliography
- Pierre Lecoq. 1989. "Les dialectes caspiens et les dialectes du nord-ouest de l'Iran," Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum, ed. Rüdiger Schmitt. Wiesbaden: L. Reichert Verlag, 1989; p. 99.
 
Further reading
- Attarzadeh, Muhammad; Rouhparvar, Rahimeh (2024). "Linguistic Study of Some Properties and Phonological Processes of Jooshani Dialect of Persian". Dialectologia et Geolinguistica. 32 (1): 99–122. doi:10.1515/dialect-2024-0007.
 - Kontovas, Nicholas. "Contact and the diversity of noun-noun subordination strategies among Western Iranic languages."
 - Hanaway Jr, William L. "Gernot L. Windfuhr. Persian and West Iranic: History and State of Research: Part One: Persian Grammar. The Hague: Mouton, 1979.[Trends in Linguistics: State-of-the-Art Reports, No. 12." Review of Middle East Studies 16.1 (1982): 56-58.