Feryad Fazil Omar. Kurdische Grammatik (Zentralkurdisch/Soranî)
Feryad Fazil Omar. Kurdische Grammatik (Zentralkurdisch/Soranî). Berlin : Institut für Kurdische Studien, 2021, 362 p.
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1This grammar of Central Kurdish (Sorani) is a worthy testimony to the author’s longstanding devotion to the study and teaching of the Kurdish language and literature. Accordingly, it is meant as a reference grammar and is based on the written language of Central Kurdish.
2In order to facilitate its use, a Latin transcription is always given. For both scripts, the author applies a morphologically driven orthography (cf. the German Stammprinzip), e.g. r̠û ‘face’ + glide + def.sg -eke → r̠ûweke resulting in three waws in Arabic script: ڕوووه كه. The shwa vowel is only written in Latin script as <i> and correctly described as labile. Script and pronunciation are explained on three pages followed by two pages on syllable structures, but phonological processes such as the common monophthongization of <wê> to /ø/ or the palatalizing effect of palatal vowels on preceding stops, e.g. <gwê> as /ɟø/ are not discussed.
3The main part of this book (171 pages) is devoted to morphology. The author always provides complete paradigms, illustrated with numerous examples. Grammatical terminology and linguistic explanations are kept to a minimum. Terms like ‘transitivity’ are explained as simply as possible, while irregularities or phenomena that are not addressed in the explanation will become clear by the many examples (e.g. the special alignment of modal expressions, p.142–154, or absolute adpositions, which are called ‘preverbs’, p.31, 86, 133–134). This makes this grammar easy to use for the general public and for beginners in Iranic studies.
4Similar to a textbook, the author gives long lists of adverbials, conjunctions, and adpositions (the enclitic preposition =e as in hat=e derewe ‘(s)he came out’ is not recognised as such, though, pp.135–137), which are all exemplified by a sentence, as well as information on fractions or calendric expressions. Explanations reflect the German → Kurdish perspective, e.g., how to express German attributive constructions in Kurdish. The author’s long teaching experience is no doubt the reason for detailed descriptions considering phonetic and formal variation (e.g. effects of enclitics on the word-final sound, the topic of comparisons including ‘as ADJ as’, or placement of cross-reference markers in the verbal complex). Note that the Ezāfe in =e, which the author links to definiteness, is explained in the chapter on adjectives.
5Explanations are synchronic. This results in an inadequate description of causatives, viz. the statement that the suffix -din or -andin [sic!] would be added to the intransitive infinitive, e.g. giryan ‘to cry’ → giryandin ‘to make cry’ (p.166). However, the suffix is -and (with infinitive suffix -in), which is attached to the present stem (e.g. giry-). This does not make a difference in the case of regular verbs, but can be seen in instances such as infinitive xewtin ‘to sleep’, present stem xew- → xewandin ‘to make sleep’ or bizûtin ‘to move’ (intr.), present stem bizû- → bizwandin ‘to move’ (tr.).
6The chapter on Syntax (16 pages) addresses interrogative clauses, subordination (relative, conditional and optative clauses in particular), and word order variation in declaratives. The author notes that interrogative pronouns are placed in situ (pp.37, 191), and while relativizers are called ‘pronouns’, he correctly illustrates the use of enclitic pronouns resuming the antecedent (which shows that the relativizer is a subordinator only, p.193). Detailed information on the placement of the “Konjunktion” =îş ‘also, even, and’ is given on p.199–200.
7The chapter on word formation (19 pages) also includes univerbation with prepositions be and bê to form adjectives, ‘diminutive’ adjectives, and information on the linking elements -aw- and -e-.
8The book closes with lists of verbs with examples (13 pages), paradigms of transitive and intransitive verbs with different stem ending as well as various compound verbs (58 pages), a subject index, a German/Kurdish and Kurdish/German glossary, the list of abbreviations, and an extremely selective bibliography.
9While this grammar may not offer new analyses of disputed or yet unexplained aspects of Central Kurdish, it gives a comprehensive overview of all main aspects, and scholars will be able to retrieve more information by means of the numerous examples.
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Thomas Jügel, « Feryad Fazil Omar. Kurdische Grammatik (Zentralkurdisch/Soranî) », Abstracta Iranica [En ligne], Volume 45 | 2023, document 7, mis en ligne le 30 novembre 2023, consulté le 24 mars 2025. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/abstractairanica/56558 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/abstractairanica.56558
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