Kurdish, Central

A language of Iraq

Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta’mim (Kirkuk), and Diyala governorates; Salah ad Din governorate: east of Tuz Khurmatu; all areas are south of Great Zab river; diaspora communities elsewhere.

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Iran

Language NameKurdish, Central

User Population

557,000 in Iran (2019).

Location

West Azerbaijan and Kordestan provinces; also Hamadan, Kermanshah, and Zanjan provinces; Mahabad area (Mukri dialect); Sanandaj (Sine) area (Sanandaji dialect).

Alternate Names

Kordi, Korkora, Kurdi, Kurdy, Sine’i, Sorani, Wawa

Dialects

Mukriyani (Kordi, Mokri, Mukri), Jafi, Pijdari, Ardelani (Sanandaji, Sina’i, Sine’i, Sineyi).

Language Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto provincial working language in northwest.

Language Use

Mukri dialect also used as literary language similar to Central Kurdish (Sorani) literary language used in Iraqi Kurdistan (Hajo 1994). Used as L2 by Gurani [hac], Hulaulá [huy].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: High in Persian [pes]. Taught as subject in secondary schools in Saqqez. Taught as subject at 2 universities.

Other Comments

90% in cities or villages, 10% nomadic. Kordi may also refer to Northern Kurdish varieties (such as in Khorasan Province), and Southern Kurdish [sdh] varieties, such as Kermanshahi [sdh]. Muslim.

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Kuwait

Language NameKurdish, Central

User Population

6,300 in Kuwait (2020 Joshua Project).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Sweden

Language NameKurdish, Central

User Population

2,750 in Sweden (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Kurdish, Central

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A language of Iraq

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