Western Iranian languages

Western Iranian
Western Iranian
Geographic; distribution	Southwest Asia, Central Asia, Caucasus, and western South Asia
Linguistic classification	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Iranian Western Iranian; ; ;
Subdivisions	Northwestern Iranian; Southwestern Iranian;
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)
- Semnani
  - Semnani
  - Sangisari
  - Lasgerdi-Sorkhei (incl. Aftari)
- 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
- Kurdic (acc. Anonby)^[4]^[5]
  - Kurdish
    - Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji)
    - Central Kurdish (Sorani)
    - Southern Kurdish
    - Laki
    - Kurdali
  - Zaza–Gorani
    - Zazaki
    - Gorani (incl. Hawrami, Sarli, Shabaki, Bajalani)
- Balochi (incl. Koroshi)
- Khuri (Kavir)
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
- Persian (dialects: Iranian Persian & Judeo-Persian, Dari (incl. Madaglashti), Tajik & Judeo-Bukharic, Hazaragi, Aimaq, Sistani, Pahlavani Persian†)
- Persid
  - Shushtari–Dezfuli
  - Luri (incl. Bakhtiari)
  - Kuhmareyi (incl. Davani)
  - (see also Persid dialects of Khuzestan)
- Bashkardi (Southern Bashkardi)
- Garmsiri (Northern Bashkardi, Bandari, Minabi/Minowi–Hormozi: Hormozgan)^[7]
- 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.)

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,^[8] whereas the Semnani languages were likely descended from Parthian.^[9]

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
^ 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.