Kurdish, Northern

A language of Turkey

Location

Widespread, especially east and southeast.

Also spoken in:

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Armenia

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

31,000 in Armenia (2013 UNSD).

Location

Aragatsotn province: Talin town; Ararat Province: Artashat and Masis towns; Armavir province: Echmiadzin; Gegharkunik province: southeastern coast, Lake Sevan; Kotayk province: Abovian area; Shirak and Lori provinces; other main towns and cities.

Alternate Names

Ezdiki, Kurmanji

Language Status

4 (Educational).

Language Use

Positive attitudes.

Language Development

Well-developed literary standard and much literature. Taught as subject in some primary schools, where Kurdish speakers are the majority.

Other Comments

Majority are Yezidi.

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Australia

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

6,200 in Australia (2016 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Azerbaijan

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

6,500 in Azerbaijan (Leclerc 2017b).

Location

Scattered in the Agstafa, Kalbacar, Lachin, Qubadli, and Zangilan districts; many displaced.

Alternate Names

Kurdî, Kurmancî, Kurmanji, Red Kurmanji

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Other Comments

Muslim.

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Bahrain

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

79,100 in Bahrain (2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Belgium

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

19,700 in Belgium (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Canada

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

11,700 in Canada (2016 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Denmark

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

20,000 in Denmark (2007).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Finland

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

14,100 in Finland (2018 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Georgia

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

20,600 in Georgia (Leclerc 2015).

Location

Kvemo Kartli and Mtskheta-Mtianeti regions; T’bilisi area.

Alternate Names

Ezdiki, Kurdî, Kurmancî, Kurmanji

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Yezidi.

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Germany

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

228,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Alternate Names

Ezdiki

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Greece

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

21,000 in Greece (Leclerc 2020a), based on ethnicity.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Iran

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

485,000 in Iran (2019).

Location

North Khorasan province: Quchan and Bojnurd towns; Mazandaran province: Kalardast region; West Azerbaijan, Golestan, Razavi Khorasan, and Qazvin provinces; east of the Caspian Sea, north and west of Lake Urmia (Khorasani Kurmanji dialect).

Alternate Names

Eastern Kurmanji, Kordi, Kordi Kormanji, Kurdi, Kurmancî, Kurmanji

Dialects

Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), Khorassani Kurmanji.

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Other Comments

Muslim.

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Iraq

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

4,040,000 in Iraq (2020).

Location

Arbil, Dahuk, and Ninawa governorates: north of Great Zab river. Great Zab river area (Surchi dialect).

Alternate Names

Badinani, Badînî, Bahdini, Behdînî, Ezdiki, Kirmanciya Jori, Kurmanji

Dialects

Akre, Amadiye, Barwari Jor, Gulli, Sheikhan, Surchi, Zakho. Surchi dialect shares elements of both Northern and Central Kurdish.

Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory national language (2005, Constitution, Article 4(1)).

Language Use

Positive attitudes. Used as L2 by Bajelani [bjm], Chaldean Neo-Aramaic [cld], Shabak [sdb], Western Armenian [hyw].

Language Development

Taught in all primary and secondary schools in Kurdish Autonomous Region.

Other Comments

Many displaced since late 1980s. Yezidis call their language ‘Ezdiki’ and are recognized as a distinct ethnic group in Iraq. Muslim, Yezidi.

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Italy

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

3,500 in Italy (2001). Ethnic population: 11,500 (2000).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Kazakhstan

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

34,000 in Kazakhstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 38,300 (2009 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Kyrgyzstan

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

12,700 in Kyrgyzstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 13,200 (2009 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Lebanon

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

23,000 in Lebanon (2020). Ethnic population: 70,000 (2020 H. Salimi).

Location

Beqaa province: Bekah Valley; Beyrouth, Liban-Nord (Tripoli), and Liban-Sud (Sidon) provinces: scattered urban areas.

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Language Use

All also use North Levantine Spoken Arabic [apc].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 40%.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

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Netherlands

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

74,700 in Netherlands (2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Norway

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

5,830 in Norway (2021 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Russian Federation

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

34,700 in Russian Federation (2010 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Spain

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

1,320 in Spain (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Sweden

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

10,800 in Sweden (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Switzerland

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

35,100 in Switzerland (2000).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Syria

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

1,370,000 in Syria (2019).

Location

Al Hasakah governorate: Al Hasakah city northwest border; Halab governorate: north of Euphrates reservoir; Ar Raqqah governorate: area surrounding capital.

Alternate Names

Ezdiki, Kurdî, Kurmancî, Kurmanji

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Language Use

Also use North Levantine Spoken Arabic [apc]. Used as L2 by Domari [rmt].

Other Comments

Muslim, Yezidi.

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Turkmenistan

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

49,000 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b), based on ethnicity.

Location

Ahal province: mainly Ashgabat area.

Alternate Names

Khorasani, Khorasani Kurmanji, Kurmancî, Kurmanji

Language Status

6a* (Vigorous).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Muslim.

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Ukraine

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

1,170 in Ukraine (2001 census). Ethnic population: 2,090 (2001 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United Kingdom

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

48,200 in United Kingdom (2011 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United States

Language NameKurdish, Northern

User Population

17,000 in United States (2015 census). Census does not distinguish between Northern Kurdish [kmr], Central Kurdish [ckb], and Southern Kurdish [sdh].

Language Status

Unestablished.

Language Use

Many also use English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Kurdish, Northern

Primary tabs

A language of Turkey

Also spoken in:

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