| Bruce ( @ 2006-01-18 12:32:00 |
Kurdish 101
When I was in 'The East of Turkey' I talked to many Kurds about their language. I asked them what this word or that word was in Kurdish. In fact, when we arrived in Dogubeyazit an old man was so excited to tell us that everything here was Kurdish, that he proceeded to translate some basic words from Turkish to Kurdish for us. So I compiled my notes and then when I got back to Ankara I got my friend Dino to cross-check my findings with 'academic Kurdish'. The Kurdish found in the city of Sanli Urfa is particularly mongrel, this being a crossroads city between Kurd, Arab, and Turk.
So here we go:
V is pronounced like W, just as in Latin.
X is pronounced as a clearing of the throat, something like the Dutch G or Hebraic H.
H is rolled, sortof like a cat hissing.
I've transliterated some things a bit, unfortunately, because my keyboard doesn't have 'sh', 'ch', 'umlaut u', or 'e with ^' symbols. E^ I've translated as 'Au'.
Basics:
Kurdish - Bikurdi
I know a little Kurdish - Ez hinek dizanim bikurdi
Thanks - Sau (or) Spasticum
Yes - Ari, Belau
No - Neh, Na
Nice to meet you - Me bey xerdi
Goodbye - Rojbash
Goodmorning - (also)Rojbash
Goodevening - Auvarbash
Goodnight - Shevbash
Good - Bash
Well - Xosh
Very good - Pirbash
Smart - Baqil (which is also the last name of my friend, Dino)
Very tasty - Arunda
(Go to) Bathroom - (Chu Xyu) Byusho
What is this? - Vi eh chi eh?
Food - Shiv
Bread - Nan
Water - Af
Earth - Ert, Erd
Moon - Kiv
Sun - Roj
Lightning - Brusk
Numbers:
1 - Yek
2 - Dyu
3 - Se
4 - Char
5 - Pench
6 - Shesh
7 - Heft
8 - Hasht
9 - Neh
10 - Deh
11 - Dehyuyek
12 - Dehyudyu
20 - Bist
30 - Si
40 - Chel, Chil
50 - Penche
60 - Shesht
70 - Hefte
80 - Hashte
90 - Nod
100 - Sed
1,000 - Hezar
1,000,000 - Milyon
Geography:
Mountain - Giya
Our mountains - Giyaon me
City - Bajar
Village - Gund
Villagers - Gundi
River - Chem
Euphrates River - Chemau Firat
Lake - Gol (same as Turkish)
Sea - Bahr
Lake Van/Van sea - Gola Vaneh/Bahr Van
Colors:
Colored - Rengin
Red - Sor
Yellow - Zer
Gold - Zir
Blue - Heyshun
Green - Kesk
Black - Resh
White - Spi, Gewr
Purple - Espirto, Leylaki
Orange - Portakal (same as in Turkish)
Brown (lit. Coffee colored) - Kahverengi (also in Turkish)
Grey - Jun
Pink - Pembe (as in Turkish)
People:
Girl - Kechik
Men - Peya
People - Vana
One man - Vya
One Woman - Vena
(National) People - Gel
American people - Gelau Ameriki
Me - Me
You - Tyu
Brother - Brau
My Brother - Brau muh
Nose - Boz
Tongue - Zeman
Mouth - Dev
Lip - Lip
Animals:
Snake - Mar
Bear - Heyrch
Fish - Masi
Wolf - Gur
Beast - Jenavur
Spirit beast - Jin Jenavur
Bird - Deyr
Cat - Pisik
Dog - Kuchik
(And the most important one) Macking:
I like you very much - Ez ji te pir hizdikim
Come, I kiss you - Veri te majkim
I love you - Ez a shuhkay bejna te me
Very beautiful - Pir rindiki
When I was in 'The East of Turkey' I talked to many Kurds about their language. I asked them what this word or that word was in Kurdish. In fact, when we arrived in Dogubeyazit an old man was so excited to tell us that everything here was Kurdish, that he proceeded to translate some basic words from Turkish to Kurdish for us. So I compiled my notes and then when I got back to Ankara I got my friend Dino to cross-check my findings with 'academic Kurdish'. The Kurdish found in the city of Sanli Urfa is particularly mongrel, this being a crossroads city between Kurd, Arab, and Turk.
So here we go:
V is pronounced like W, just as in Latin.
X is pronounced as a clearing of the throat, something like the Dutch G or Hebraic H.
H is rolled, sortof like a cat hissing.
I've transliterated some things a bit, unfortunately, because my keyboard doesn't have 'sh', 'ch', 'umlaut u', or 'e with ^' symbols. E^ I've translated as 'Au'.
Basics:
Kurdish - Bikurdi
I know a little Kurdish - Ez hinek dizanim bikurdi
Thanks - Sau (or) Spasticum
Yes - Ari, Belau
No - Neh, Na
Nice to meet you - Me bey xerdi
Goodbye - Rojbash
Goodmorning - (also)Rojbash
Goodevening - Auvarbash
Goodnight - Shevbash
Good - Bash
Well - Xosh
Very good - Pirbash
Smart - Baqil (which is also the last name of my friend, Dino)
Very tasty - Arunda
(Go to) Bathroom - (Chu Xyu) Byusho
What is this? - Vi eh chi eh?
Food - Shiv
Bread - Nan
Water - Af
Earth - Ert, Erd
Moon - Kiv
Sun - Roj
Lightning - Brusk
Numbers:
1 - Yek
2 - Dyu
3 - Se
4 - Char
5 - Pench
6 - Shesh
7 - Heft
8 - Hasht
9 - Neh
10 - Deh
11 - Dehyuyek
12 - Dehyudyu
20 - Bist
30 - Si
40 - Chel, Chil
50 - Penche
60 - Shesht
70 - Hefte
80 - Hashte
90 - Nod
100 - Sed
1,000 - Hezar
1,000,000 - Milyon
Geography:
Mountain - Giya
Our mountains - Giyaon me
City - Bajar
Village - Gund
Villagers - Gundi
River - Chem
Euphrates River - Chemau Firat
Lake - Gol (same as Turkish)
Sea - Bahr
Lake Van/Van sea - Gola Vaneh/Bahr Van
Colors:
Colored - Rengin
Red - Sor
Yellow - Zer
Gold - Zir
Blue - Heyshun
Green - Kesk
Black - Resh
White - Spi, Gewr
Purple - Espirto, Leylaki
Orange - Portakal (same as in Turkish)
Brown (lit. Coffee colored) - Kahverengi (also in Turkish)
Grey - Jun
Pink - Pembe (as in Turkish)
People:
Girl - Kechik
Men - Peya
People - Vana
One man - Vya
One Woman - Vena
(National) People - Gel
American people - Gelau Ameriki
Me - Me
You - Tyu
Brother - Brau
My Brother - Brau muh
Nose - Boz
Tongue - Zeman
Mouth - Dev
Lip - Lip
Animals:
Snake - Mar
Bear - Heyrch
Fish - Masi
Wolf - Gur
Beast - Jenavur
Spirit beast - Jin Jenavur
Bird - Deyr
Cat - Pisik
Dog - Kuchik
(And the most important one) Macking:
I like you very much - Ez ji te pir hizdikim
Come, I kiss you - Veri te majkim
I love you - Ez a shuhkay bejna te me
Very beautiful - Pir rindiki