View source for Zaza language

{{Short description|Northwestern Iranian language spoken in Turkey}}
{{Redirect|Dimili|the village in Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India|Dimili, Visakhapatnam district}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
<!-- there is also a village in Srikakulam district -->
{{Infobox language
| name             = Zaza
| states           = [[Turkey]]
| region           = [[Eastern Anatolia region|Eastern Anatolia]], [[Kurdish diaspora]], [[Kurdistan]]
| script           = [[Latin script]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|1.48300|2}} million
| date             = 2019
| ref              = e25
| dia1             = Dersim
| dia2             = Ovacik
| dia3             = Hozat
| dia4             = Varto
| dia5             = Sivereki
| dia6             = Kori
| dia7             = Hazo
| dia8             = Motki (Moti)
| dia9             = Dumbeli
| dia10            = Central Zazaki
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
| fam3             = [[Iranian languages|Iranian]]
| fam4             = [[Western Iranian languages|Western]]
| fam5             = [[Northwestern Iranian languages|Northwestern]]
| fam6             = [[Zaza–Gorani languages|Zaza–Gorani]]<ref name=e25/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://linguistlist.org/multitree/|title=Multitree &#124; The LINGUIST List|website=linguistlist.org|accessdate=20 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Glottolog 4.5 - Zaza |url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/zaza1246 |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=glottolog.org}}</ref>
| iso2             = zza
| lingua           = 58-AAA-ba
| iso3             = zza
| lc1              = kiu
| ld1              = [[Kirmanjki]] (Northern Zaza)
| lc2              = diq
| ld2              = [[Dimli]] (Southern Zaza)
| glotto           = zaza1246
| glottorefname    = Zaza
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{{col-end}}
| map2             = 
| mapcaption2      = {{center|{{small|Zaza is classified as Vulnerable by the [[UNESCO]]<br> ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''}}}}
| map              = Iranian_tongues_de.svg
| mapcaption       = The position of Zazaki among Iranian languages<ref name="worldhistory">{{cite web |title=worldhistory|url=https://titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de/didact/karteng/iran/irann.htm |access-date=2022-02-20 |website=titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de}}</ref>
}}

'''Zaza''' ([[endonym]]: {{lang|diq|Zazakî}}, {{lang|diq|Dimlî}}, {{lang|diq|Dimilkî}}, {{lang|diq|Kirmanckî}}, {{lang|diq|Kirdkî}}, or {{lang|diq|Zonê ma}}, {{Literal translation|Our language}})<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kenstowicz |first1=Michael J. |title=Studies in Zazaki Grammar |date=2004 |publisher=MITWPL }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lezgîn |first=Roşan |date=26 August 2009 |title=Kirmanckî, Kirdkî, Dimilkî, Zazakî |language=tr |work=Zazaki.net |url=http://www.zazaki.net/haber/kirmanck,-kirdk,-dimilk,-zazak-148.htm |url-status=live |access-date=23 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126210820/http://www.zazaki.net/haber/kirmanck,-kirdk,-dimilk,-zazak-148.htm |archive-date=26 January 2021}}</ref> is a [[Western Iranian languages|Northwestern Iranian]] language spoken primarily in eastern Turkey by the [[Zazas]], who are mostly considered as [[Kurds]], and in many cases identify as such.<ref name="leezenberg">{{cite journal |author1=Michiel Leezenberg |date=1993 |title=Gorani Influence on Central Kurdish: Substratum or Prestige Borrowing? |url=https://eprints.illc.uva.nl/id/eprint/620/1/X-1993-03.text.pdf |journal=ILLC - Department of Philosophy, University of Amsterdam |access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Minority Rights Group International (MRG)-Minorities-Kurds |url=https://minorityrights.org/minorities/kurds-2/ }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=The Kurds: A Contemporary Overview |isbn=9781138869745 |last1=Kreyenbroek |first1=Philip G. |last2=Sperl |first2=Stefan |date=7 May 2015 |publisher=Routledge }}</ref> The language is a part of the [[Zaza–Gorani languages|Zaza–Gorani]] language group of the [[Northwestern Iranian languages|northwestern]] group of the [[Iranian languages|Iranian]] branch. The [[glossonym]] Zaza originated as a pejorative.<ref name="Arakelova">{{Cite journal |last=Arakelova |first=Victoria |date=1999 |title=The Zaza People as a New Ethno-Political Factor in the Region |journal=Iran & the Caucasus |volume=3/4 |pages=397–408 |doi=10.1163/157338499X00335 |jstor=4030804}}</ref> According to [[Ethnologue]], Zaza is spoken by around 1.48 million people, and the language is considered threatened due to a declining number of speakers, with many shifting to Turkish.<ref name="e25" /> Nevins, however, puts the number of Zaza speakers between two and three million.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Anand |first1=Pranav |title=Proceedings of the 14th Semantics and Linguistic Theory Conference held May 14–16, 2004, at Northwestern University |last2=Nevins |first2=Andrew |date=2004 |publisher=Cornell University |editor-last=Young |editor-first=Robert B. |location=Ithaca, NY |page=36 |chapter=Shifty Operators in Changing Contexts |volume=14 |doi=10.3765/salt.v14i0.2913 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Macrolanguage ==
Zaza language is classified as a [[macrolanguage]] by international linguistic authorities. [[SIL International]] classifies Zaza language as a [[ISO 639 macrolanguage|macrolanguage]], including the varieties of ''Southern Zaza'' (diq) and ''Northern Zazaki'' (kiu).<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=2008 |title=639 Identifier Documentation: zza |url=https://iso639-3.sil.org/code/zza |access-date=6 May 2024 |website=SIL International}}</ref> Other international linguistic authorities, the [[Ethnologue]] and the [[Glottolog]], also classify the Zaza language as a macrolanguage composed of two distinct languages: ''Southern Zaza'' and ''Northern Zaza''.<ref name=":32">{{cite web |title=Adharic/Zaza |url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/zaza1246 |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=Glottolog}}<!-- auto-translated from Spanish by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref name="e25" />

== Classification ==
The Zaza language is considered a branch of the Kurdic subgroup within the [[Northwestern Iranian languages]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=A working classification |url=https://www.iranatlas.net/index.html?module=module.classification |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=[[Atlas of the Languages of Iran]] |language=English}}</ref><ref name="Mohammadirad">{{Cite journal |last=Mohammadirad |first=Masoud |last2=Öpengin |first2=Ergin |date=2024-11-11 |title=Lenition of voiced stops in Kurdish |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/flin-2024-2049/html |journal=Folia Linguistica |language=en |doi=10.1515/flin-2024-2049 |issn=1614-7308|doi-access=free }}</ref> The varieties of Kurdic do not directly descend from any known [[Middle Iranian languages]], such as Middle Persian or Parthian, or from [[Old Iranian languages]], such as Avestan or Old Persian.<ref name="Mohammadirad"/> Zaza is considered a [[ISO 639 macrolanguage|macrolanguage]], consisting of Southern and Northern Zaza.<ref name="e25" /> [[Glottolog]] database classifies Zazaki under the [[Old Azeri|Adharic]] branch of Northwestern Iranian languages.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glottolog 5.1 - Zaza |url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/zaza1246 |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=glottolog}}</ref>

Linguistically, the classification of Zazaki as either a Kurdish dialect or a distinct language is a topic of debate among scholars.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Cambridge History of the Kurds |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2021 |editor-last=Bozarslan |editor-first=Hamit |pages=669 |editor-last2=Gunes |editor-first2=Cengiz |editor-last3=Yadirgi |editor-first3=Veli}}</ref> Some, such as Ludwig Paul, do not consider Zazaki and [[Gorani language|Gorani]] to be Kurdish dialects. According to him, they can only be classified as Kurdish dialects in a political and ethnic context, and it would be more accurate to refer to them as Kurdish languages.<ref name=":2">Paul, Ludwig (2008). "[https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/kurdish-language-i Kurdish language I. History of the Kurdish language]". In [[Ehsan Yarshater|Yarshater, Ehsan]] (ed.). ''[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]''. London and New York: Routledge. [https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?rev_t=20111204130713&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iranicaonline.org%2Farticles%2Fkurdish-language-i Archived] from the original on 4 December 2011.</ref> The differences between them arise from the Kurdish adoption of [[Persian language|Persian]] linguistic features due to historical contact.<ref>Elfenbein, J. (2000). Zazaki: Grammatik und Versuch einer Dialektologie. By Ludwig Paul. pp. xxi, 366.</ref> Other scholars contend that the classification of Zazaki as a separate language from Kurdish is based on insufficient data, and a detailed comparison between Zazaki and [[Kurmanji]] in terms of phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon reveals a significant degree of shared features, suggesting that Zazaki and Kurmanji are dialects of the same language.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Cambridge History of the Kurds |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2021 |editor-last=Bozarslan |editor-first=Hamit |pages=669–675 |editor-last2=Gunes |editor-first2=Cengiz |editor-last3=Yadirgi |editor-first3=Veli}}</ref>

Furthermore, arguments regarding the classification of both Zazaki and Gorani highlight that the distinction between a dialect and a language is a social construct influenced by factors such as shared identity, history, beliefs, and living conditions, rather than being based solely on linguistic evidence. Therefore, Kurdish can be seen as a socio-cultural umbrella that encompasses both recognized Kurdish dialects (such as Kurmanji, [[Sorani]], and [[Southern Kurdish]]) as well as the Zaza and Gorani languages. The term "Kurdic" is used to refer to this broad grouping.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Cambridge History of the Kurds |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2021 |editor-last=Bozarslan |editor-first=Hamit |pages=606–607 |editor-last2=Gunes |editor-first2=Cengiz |editor-last3=Yadirgi |editor-first3=Veli}}</ref><ref name="Mohammadirad"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Larson |first=Richard K. |title=Advances in Iranian linguistics |last2=Moradi |first2=Sedigheh |last3=Samiian |first3=Vida |date= |publisher=John Benjamins publishing company |others= |year=2020 |isbn=978-90-272-0716-6 |series= |location= |pages=48–49}}</ref>

German linguist [[Jost Gippert]] has demonstrated that the Zaza language is very closely related to the [[Parthian language]] in terms of phonetics, morphology, syntax and lexicon and that it has many words in common with the Parthian language. According to him, the Zaza language may be a residual dialect of the [[Parthian language]] that has survived to the present day.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=30 April 2024 |author=Jost Gippert |date=4 May 1996 |format=pdf |language=tr |title="Historical Development of Zazaki" |url=https://www.zazaki.de/index.php/tr/yazilar/makaleler/zazacanin-tarihsel-gelisimi |website=Zazaki.de}}<!-- auto-translated from French by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

== Endangerment ==
Many Zaza speakers resided in conflict-affected regions of [[eastern Turkey]] and have been significantly impacted by both the current and historical political situations. Only a few elderly monolingual Zaza speakers remain, while the younger generation predominantly speaks other languages. [[Turkish law system|Turkish laws]] enacted from the mid-1920s until 1991 banned Kurdish language, including Zazaki, from being spoken in public, written down, or published. The Turkish state's efforts to enforce the use of Turkish have led many Zaza speakers to leave Turkey and migrate to other countries, primarily [[Germany]], [[Sweden]], [[Netherlands]] and the [[United States]], and [[Australia]].<ref name="e25" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-20 |title=Status of Education and Minorities Rights in Turkey |url=https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2020/12/20/status-of-education-and-minorities-rights-in-turkey/ |website=[[Georgetown Journal of International Affairs]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Zaza |url=https://www.elalliance.org/languages/zaza |website=[[Endangered Language Alliance]]}}</ref>

Efforts to preserve and revitalize Zazaki are ongoing. Many [[Kurdish population|Kurdish]] writers in Turkey are fighting to save Zazaki with [[Children book|children's books]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-06 |title=Kurdish writer in Turkey fights to save Zazaki dialect with children's books |url=https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/06042021 |website=[[Rudaw Media Network]]}}</ref> and others with [[newspaper]]s,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-01 |title=First newspaper in Zazaki is shut down |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/12215-First-Kurdish-newspaper-in-Zazaki-dialect-is-shut-down |website=[[Kurdistan 24]]}}</ref> but the language faces an uncertain future.

The decline of Zazaki speakers could also lead the [[Zazas]] to lose their identity and shift to a [[Turkish people|Turkish]] identity. According to a study led by [[Dr. Nadire Güntaş Aldatmaz]], an academic at [[Ankara University]], 402 people aged between 15 and 75 from [[Tunceli|Mamekîye]] in [[Tunceli Province|Dersim province]], were interviewed. Respondents younger than 18 mostly stated their ethnicity as '[[Turkish people|Turk]]', their mother language as '[[Turkish language|Turkish]]', and their religion as '[[Islam]]', despite having some proficiency in Zazaki.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-01 |title=Younger Zazas in Dersim reluctant to learn Zaza language, increasingly identify as 'Turks' |url=https://bianet.org/haber/study-younger-zazas-in-dersim-reluctant-to-learn-zaza-language-increasingly-identify-as-turks-240130 |website=[[Bianet]]}}</ref>

== History ==
Writing in Zaza is a recent phenomenon. The first literary work in Zaza is ''Mewlîdu'n-Nebîyyî'l-Qureyşîyyî'' by [[Ehmedê Xasi]] in 1899, followed by the work ''Mawlûd'' by [[Osman Efendîyo Babij]] in 1903. As the Kurdish language was banned in Turkey during a large part of the Republican period, no text was published in Zaza until 1963. That year saw the publication of two short texts by the Kurdish newspaper ''Roja Newe,'' but the newspaper was banned and no further publication in Zaza took place until 1976, when [[Periodical literature|periodicals]] published a few Zaza texts. Modern Zaza literature appeared for the first time in the journal ''Tîrêj'' in 1979 but the journal had to close as a result of the [[1980 Turkish coup d'état|1980 coup d'état]]. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most Zaza literature was published in [[Germany]], [[France]] and especially [[Sweden]] until the ban on the Kurdish language was lifted in Turkey in 1991. This meant that newspapers and journals began publishing in Zaza again. The next book to be published in Zaza (after ''Mawlûd'' in 1903) was in 1977, and two more books were published in 1981 and 1986. From 1987 to 1990, five books were published in Zaza. The publication of books in Zaza increased after the ban on the Kurdish language was lifted and a total of 43 books were published from 1991 to 2000. As of 2018, at least 332 books have been published in Zaza.{{Sfnp|Malmîsanij|2021|pp=675–676}}

Due to the above-mentioned obstacles, the standardization of Zaza could not have taken place and authors chose to write in their local or regional Zaza variety. In 1996, however, a group of Zaza-speaking authors gathered in [[Stockholm]] and established a common alphabet and [[Orthography|orthographic]] rules which they published. Some authors nonetheless do not abide by these rules as they do not apply the orthographic rules in their oeuvres.{{Sfnp|Malmîsanij|2021|pp=676–677}}

In 2009, Zaza was classified as a vulnerable language by [[UNESCO]].{{Sfnp|Malmîsanij|2021|p=681}}

[[Council of Higher Education (Turkey)|The institution of Higher Education]] of Turkey approved the opening of the Zaza Language and Literature Department in [[Munzur University]] in 2011 and began accepting students in 2012 for the department. In the following year, [[Bingöl University]] established the same department.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Erdoğmuş |first1=Hatip |last2=Orki̇n |first2=Şeyhmus |date=2018 |title=Bingöl ve Munzur Üniversitesinde Açılan Zaza Dili ve Edebiyatı Bölümleri ve Bu Bölümlerin Üniversitelerine Katkıları |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/kent/377296 |journal=Kent Akademisi |language=tr |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=164}}</ref> [[TRT Kurdî]] also broadcast in the language.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tabak |first=Husrev |title=The Kosovar Turks and Post-Kemalist Turkey: Foreign Policy, Socialisation and Resistance |date=2017 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-78453-737-1 |location=London |pages=35}}</ref> Some TV channels which broadcast in Zaza were closed after the [[2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt|2016 coup d'état attempt]].{{Sfnp|Malmîsanij|2021|p=679}}

==Dialects==
[[File:Zaza DialectsMap-5.gif|thumb|
{{color box|#2980b9}} Northern Zazaki<br>
{{color box|#f03b14}} Central Zazaki<br>
{{color box|#1004a3}} Southern Zazaki]]

There are three main Zazaki dialects:<ref name="Prothero19">{{Cite book |last=Prothero |first=W. G. |url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11768/view/1/19/ |title=Armenia and Kurdistan |publisher=H. M. Stationery Office |year=1920 |location=London |page=19 |access-date=2013-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502005630/http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11768/view/1/19/ |archive-date=2014-05-02 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* '''Northern Zazaki''' <small>[[ISO 639|<nowiki>[kiu]</nowiki>]]</small> is spoken mainly in [[Aşkale]], [[Hozat]], [[Hınıs]], [[Kelkit]], [[Nazımiye|Nazimiye]], [[Ovacık, Tunceli|Ovacık]], [[Pülümür]], [[Tekman]], [[Tercan]], [[Varto]], and [[Yayladere]].
* '''Central Zazaki''' <small>[[ISO 639|<nowiki>[diq]</nowiki>]]</small> is spoken mainly in [[Çemişgezek]], [[Genç, Bingöl|Genç]], [[Karakoçan]], [[Karlıova]], [[Mazgirt]], [[Mutki]], [[Pertek]], and [[Solhan]].
* '''Southern Zazaki''' <small>[diq]</small> is spoken mainly in [[Alacakaya]], [[Arıcak]], [[Çermik]], [[Çüngüş]], [[Dicle]], [[Ergani]], [[Eğil]], [[Hani, Turkey|Hani]], [[Kovancılar]], [[Kulp, Turkey|Kulp]], [[Lice, Turkey|Lice]], [[Palu, Elazığ|Palu]], and [[Siverek]].

Zazaki shows many similarities with other [[Iranian languages|Northwestern Iranian languages]]:
* Similar personal pronouns and use of these<ref name="johansonbulut" />
* [[Enclitic]] use of the letter "u"<ref name="johansonbulut">{{Cite book |last1=Johanson |first1=Lars |title=Turkic-Iranian Contact Areas: Historical and Linguistic Aspects |last2=Bulut |first2=Christiane |date=2006 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |isbn=3-447-05276-7 |page=293}}</ref>
* Very similar ergative structure<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ludwig Windfuhr |first=Gernot |title=The Iranian Languages |date=2009 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-7007-1131-4 |location=London |page=32}}</ref>
* Masculine and feminine [[ezafe]] system<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kahnemuyipour |first=Arsalan |date=7 October 2016 |title=The Ezafe Construction: Persian and Beyond |url=http://www.iub.edu/~celcar/ConCALL2016/images/pdf/PS1%20-%20Arsalan%20Kahnemuyipour.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123140434/http://www.iub.edu/~celcar/ConCALL2016/images/pdf/PS1%20-%20Arsalan%20Kahnemuyipour.pdf |archive-date=23 November 2018 |access-date=23 May 2019 |via=iub.edu}}</ref>
* Both languages have nominative and oblique cases that differs by masculine -î and feminine -ê
* Both languages have forgotten possessive enclitics, while it exists in such other languages as Persian, Sorani, Gorani, Hewrami or Shabaki
* Both languages distinguish between aspirated and unaspirated [[voiceless stop]]s
* Similar vowel phonemes

Ludwig Paul divides Zaza into three main dialects. In addition, there are transitions and edge accents that have a special position and cannot be fully included in any dialect group.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Paul |first=Ludwig |title=Zazaki – Versuch einer Dialektologie |date=1998 |publisher=Reichert Verlag |location=Wiesbaden |language=de}}</ref>

== Grammar ==
In terms of grammar, genetics, linguistics and core vocabulary the Zaza language is closely related to [[Old Azeri language|Old Azeri]], [[Tati language (Iran)|Tati of Iran]], [[Talysh language|Talysh]], [[Sangsari language|Sangsari]], [[Semnani language|Semnani]], [[Mazandarani language|Mazandarani]] and [[Gilaki language|Gilaki]] languages spoken on the shores of the [[Caspian Sea]] and northern Iran.<ref name=":152">{{Cite journal |last=Asatrian |first=Garnik |date=1995 |title=DIMLĪ |url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/dimli |url-status=live |journal=[[Encyclopedia Iranica]] |volume=VI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429180830/https://iranicaonline.org/articles/dimli |archive-date=2011-04-29 |access-date=2021-06-11}}</ref><ref name=":52">{{cite web |last=Paul |first=Ludwig |date=1998 |title=The Pozition of Zazaki the West Iranian Languages |url=https://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/zazaki_among_iranian_languages.pdf |access-date=October 28, 2025 |website=Iran Chamber |publisher=Open Publishing}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Northwestern/Adharic/Zaza |url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/zaza1246 |access-date=1 April 2024 |website=Glottolog}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last=Ehsan Yar-Shater |title=Iranica Varia: Papers in Honor of Professor Ehsan Yarshater |date=1990 |publisher=E. J. Brill |isbn=90-6831-226-X |location=Leiden |page=267}}</ref> The language also has grammatical similarities with [[Parthian language|the Parthian language]],<ref name=":7">{{cite web |author=Jost Gippert |date=4 May 1996 |title="Historical Development of Zazaki" |url=https://www.zazaki.de/index.php/tr/yazilar/makaleler/zazacanin-tarihsel-gelisimi |access-date=30 April 2024 |website=Zazaki.de |language=tr |format=pdf}}<!-- auto-translated from French by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> which is an extinct northwestern Iranian language. Zaza language with [[Talysh language|Talysh]], [[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]], [[Semnani language|Semnani]], [[Sangesari language|Sangesari]], [[Gilaki language|Gilaki]] and some other central Iranian dialects, forms ''a belt of northwestern Iranian languages'' among northwestern Iranian languages. This belt is geographically divided by speakers of Persian, Azerbaijani and Kurdish into two parts: Zaza, Talysh and Tati languages in the western part and Semnani, Sangesari, Gilaki (and other Caspian/Central dialects) in the eastern part. The Zaza language, along with Tati, Talysh and some northwestern dialects, has strongly preserved its Northwestern Iranian isogloss roots and is quite distant from Persian and Kurdish. Overall, from Zaza, Tat and Talysh downward to Kurdish and Persian, the western Iranian languages are successively less "archaic".<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Windfuhr |first=Gernot |title=The Iranian Languages |publisher=Routledge |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7007-1 131-4 |location=New York |pages=19–21 |language=en}}</ref> Zaza language, along with Talysh and Tati, is located at the westernmost part of the northwestern Iranian languages while Persian and Kurdish are positioned at the easternmost part:<ref name=":52" />
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:100%;" 
|'''Proto Indo-European'''
|'''Parthian'''
|'''[[Old Azeri|Azeri]]/[[Tat language (Iran)|Tati]]'''
|'''Zaza'''
|'''[[Talysh language|Talysh]]'''
|'''[[Semnani language|Semnani]]'''
|'''[[Caspian languages|Caspian lang./dial.]]'''
|'''Central dia.'''
|'''Balochi'''
|'''Kurdish'''
|'''Persian'''
|-
|'''*ḱ/ĝ'''
|'''s/z'''
|'''s/z'''
|'''s/z'''
|'''s/z'''
|'''s/z'''
|'''s/z'''
|'''s/z'''
|'''s/z'''
|'''s/z'''
!'''h/d'''
|-
|'''*k<sup>u</sup>e'''
|'''-ž-'''
|'''-ž-'''
|'''-ĵ-'''
|'''-ž'''
|'''-ĵ, ž-'''
|'''-ĵ-'''
|'''-ĵ-, ž, z'''
|'''-ĵ-'''
|'''-ž-'''
!'''-z-'''
|-
|'''*g<sup>u</sup>e'''
|'''ž'''
|'''ž (y-)'''
|'''ĵ'''
|'''ž'''
|'''ĵ,ž'''
|'''ĵ'''
|'''ĵ, ž, z '''
|'''ĵ'''
|'''ž'''
!'''z'''
|-
|'''*kw<sup>29</sup>'''
|'''?'''
|'''isb'''
|'''esb'''
|'''asb'''
|'''esp'''
|'''s'''
|'''esb'''
|'''?'''
!'''s'''
!'''s'''
|-
|'''*tr/tl'''
|'''hr'''
|'''(h)r'''
|'''(hi)r'''
|'''(h)*r'''
|'''(h)r'''
|'''r'''
|'''r'''
!'''s'''
!'''s'''
!'''s'''
|-
|'''*d(h)w'''
|'''b'''
|'''b'''
|'''b'''
|'''b'''
|'''b'''
|'''b'''
|'''b'''
!'''d'''
!'''d'''
!'''d'''
|-
|'''*rd/*rz'''
|'''r/rz'''
|'''r/rz'''
|'''r/rz'''
|'''rz'''
!'''l/l(rz)'''
!'''l/l'''
!'''l/l(rz)'''
!'''l/l'''
!'''l/l'''
!'''l/l'''
|-
|'''*sw'''
|'''wx'''
|'''h'''
|'''w'''
|'''h'''
!'''x(u)'''
!'''x(u)'''
!'''x(u), f'''
!'''v'''
!'''x(w)'''
!'''x(u)'''
|-
|'''*tw'''
|'''f'''
|'''u'''
|'''w'''
!'''h'''
!'''h'''
!'''h'''
!'''h(u)'''
!'''h'''
!'''h'''
!'''h'''
|-
|'''*y-'''
|'''y'''
|'''y'''
!'''ĵ'''
!'''ĵ'''
!'''ĵ'''
!'''ĵ'''
!'''ĵ (y)'''
!'''ĵ'''
!'''ĵ'''
!'''ĵ'''
|}
Like most other languages of the belt, the Zaza language shows a two-case system in the nouns with an oblique ending generally going back to the [[Iranian languages|Old Iranian language]] genitive ending *''-ahya''.<ref name=":3">{{cite web |last=Paul |first=Ludwig |date=1998 |title=The Pozition of Zazaki the West Iranian Languages |url=https://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/zazaki_among_iranian_languages.pdf |access-date=October 28, 2023 |website=Iran Chamber |publisher=Open Publishing}}</ref> Linguist [[Walter Bruno Henning|W. B. Henning]] demonstrated about a 100 years ago that Zaza, Talysh, [[Tati language (Iran)|Tati/Azeri]], Semnani and Gilaki, and [[Caspian languages|Caspian dialects]] derive their present stem from the same old Iranian present participle ending in *''-ant-''.<ref>Henning, W. B. The Ancient Language of Azerbaijan”, TPhS 157-77, 1954. Mitteliranisch", in Handbuch der Orientalistik, 1(1), 20-130.</ref> Zaza, Talyshi, [[Old Azeri language|Azeri]], Semnani, Gilaki and some other Caspian dialects derive their present stem from the same old Iranian present participle ending in *''-ant'':<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":152" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Keskin |first=Mesut |date=2012 |title=Orta ve Eski İrani Dillerin Zazacaya Tuttuşu Işık |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301356637 |access-date=December 4, 2023 |website=ResearchGate |publisher=Open Publishing}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:100%;" |- bgcolor="#F2F2F2"
!English
!Zaza
![[Semnani language|Semnani]]
![[Gilaki language|Gilaki]]
![[Tati language (Iran)|Tati/Azeri]]
![[Talyshi language|Talyshi]]
|-
|"to go"
|ši-'''n'''-
|še-'''nn'''-
|šu-'''n'''-
|še-'''nd'''-
|še-'''d'''-
|-
|"to come"
|ye-'''n'''-
|ā-'''nn'''-
|ā-'''n'''-
|āmā-'''nd'''-
|ome-'''d'''-
|-
|"to do"
|ke-'''n'''-
|ke-'''nn'''-
|kū-'''n'''-
|kö-'''nd'''-
|kerd-'''ed'''-
|-
|"to say"
|vā-'''n'''-
|vā-'''nn'''-
|gū-'''n'''-
|ot-'''n'''-
|vot-'''ed'''-
|-
|"to see"
|vīn-'''en'''-
|?
|ī-'''n'''-
|vīn-'''n'''-
|vīn'''-d'''-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:100%;" |- bgcolor="#F2F2F2"
!English
!Zaza
![[Semnani language|Semnani]]
![[Gilaki language|Gilaki]]
![[Sangesari language|Sangesari]]
![[Tati language (Iran)|Tati/Azeri]]
![[Talyshi language|Talyshi]]
|-
|"I go"
|ez ši-'''n'''-a
|a še-'''nn'''-ī
|man šu-'''n'''-em
|a šu-'''nd'''-ī
|men še-'''nd'''-en
|ez še-'''d'''-am
|}

In contrast to these languages, in [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] and [[Persian language|Persian]] languages the present tense is formed by adding the prefix می mî- (mi-ravam), -di (di-çim) (I go), as a modal prefix to the present stem.

Morphologically, like most of the languages of the belt, the dialects of the Zaza language show two-case system of nouns. In Zaza language, the oblique ending ''-ī''  (that going back to the [[Iranian languages|Old Iranian language]] genitive ending *-''ahya'') is only attached to masculines. In Southern Zaza (Çermik-Siverek dialects) there is an ending -''e(r)'' attached to feminine nouns in the oblique case and its origin is the old stem expansion in ''*-a(r)'' of relationship terms. Zaza ''-e(r)'' actually denoting the oblique case of relationship terms of both genders, probably have started spreading to feminines in general later. Just like Zaza, in [[Tati language (Iran)|Tati dialects]], the oblique case of relationship terms ''-r'' also has spread from relationship terms to other terms. Same with Zaza language, other members of the belt, Talysh, Semnani, Tati also have the same oblique case of relationship terms:<ref name=":3" />
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:100%;" bgcolor="#F2F2F2" |-
!
!father
!father (obl.)
|-
|'''Zaza'''
|pī 
|pē'''r'''
|-
|[[Talysh language|Talysh]]
|pə
|pā'''r'''
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]
|pia
|piä'''r'''
|-
|[[Tati language (Iran)|Tati/Azeri]]
|pia
|pia'''r'''
|}
Additionally, mother (''nom''.) and mother (''obl''.) are mā -> mā'''r''' in Zaza, mâ -> mâ'''r''' in Tati, mā -> moā'''r''' in Talysh and brother (''nom''.) and brother (''obl''.) are bıra -> bıra'''r''' in Zaza, bera -> bera'''r''' in Tati and bäre -> bärā'''r''' in [[Semnani language|Semnani]].<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Werner |first=Eberhard |date=2017 |title=Rivers and Mountains: A Historical, Applied Anthropological and Linguistical Study of the Zaza People of Turkey including an Introduction to Applied Cultural Anthropology |url=https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/14/51/04/145104848891296233406385379116832916897/The_Rivers_An_anthropological_study_Eberhard_Werner_07_November_2017.pdf |access-date=1 November 2025 |website=SIL Global |pages=193–194}}</ref><ref name=":18">{{Cite journal |last=سبزعلیپور |first=جهاندوست |date=2013 |title=تمایز جنس مونث و مذکر در گویش تاتی خلخال |trans-title=Distiniction of the Feminine and Masculine Gender in the Tāti Dialect of Khalkhāl |journal=نامه فرهنگستان |language=fa |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=77}}</ref>

[[Walter Bruno Henning|Henning]] also demonstrated that [[Harzandi dialect]] of the Tati language has many common linguistic features with  and Zaza and Talysh language and the  positioned it between the Talysh and Zaza.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Henning |first=Walter Bruno |title=The Ancient Language of Azerbaijan |date= |publisher=Austin & Sons |year=1955 |pages=174–175}}</ref> Zaza language, as with a number of other [[Iranian languages]] like Talysh,<ref>Mirdehghan, M., & Nourian, G. Ergative Case Marking and Agreement in the Central Dialect of Talishi.</ref> Tati,<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Encyclopaedia Iranica |title=Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica |url=https://iranicaonline.org/ |accessdate=20 May 2023 |website=iranicaonline.org}}</ref><ref>Ergative in Tāti Dialect of Khalkhāl, Jahandust Sabzalipoor</ref> central Iranian languages and dialects like Semnani, Kahangi, [[Vafsi dialect|Vafsi]],<ref>Koohkan, Sepideh. The typology of modality in modern West Iranian languages. 2019. PhD Thesis. University of Antwerp.</ref> [[Balochi language|Balochi]]<ref>Agnes Korn. The Ergative System in Balochi from a Typological Perspective. Iranian Journal of Applied Language Studies, 2009, 1, pp.43-79. ffhal-01340943</ref> and [[Kurmanji]] eatures [[split ergativity]] in its [[Morphology (linguistics)|morphology]], demonstrating [[ergativity|ergative]] marking in [[past tense|past]] and [[Perfective aspect|perfective]] contexts, and [[Nominative-accusative language|nominative-accusative]] alignment otherwise. Syntactically it is nominative-accusative.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Haig |first=Geoffrey L. J. |title=Alignment in Kurdish: A Diachronic Perspective |date=2004 |access-date=13 November 2012 |degree=Habilitation |publisher=Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel |url=http://kurdishacademy.org/sites/default/files/KurdAlignment_0.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129135720/http://kurdishacademy.org/sites/default/files/KurdAlignment_0.pdf |archive-date=29 January 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Grammatical gender ===
Among all Western Iranian languages Zaza, [[Semnani language|Semnani]],<ref>Mohammad- Ebrahimi, Z. et. al. (2010). "The study of grammatical gender in Semnani dialect". Papers of the First International Conference on Iran’s Desert
Area Dialects. Pp. 1849-1876.</ref><ref>Seraj, F. (2008). The Study of Gender, its Representation & Nominative and accusative cases in Semnani Dialect. M. A. thesis in Linguistics, Tehran: Payame- Noor University.</ref><ref>Rezapour, Ebrahim (2015). "Word order in Semnani language based on language typology". IQBQ. 6 (5): 169-190</ref> [[Sangsari language|Sangsari]],<ref>Borjian, H. (2021). Essays on Three Iranian Language Groups: Taleqani, Biabanaki, Komisenian (Vol. 99). ISD LLC.</ref> [[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]],<ref>Vardanian, A. (2016). Grammatical gender in New Azari dialects of Šāhrūd. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 79(3), 503 511.</ref><ref>A Morpho-phonological Analysis of Vowel Changes in Takestani-Tati Verb Conjugations: Assimilation, Deletion, and Vowel Harmony</ref> central Iranian dialects like Cālī, Fārzāndī, Delījanī, Jowšaqanī, Abyāne'i<ref>H. Rezai Baghbidi (ed.), Exploring grammatical gender in New Iranian languages and dialects, proceedings of the First Seminar of Iranian Dialectology, 29 April-1 May 2001, Tehran, Department of Dialectology, Academy of Persian Language and Literature, 2003.</ref> and [[Kurmanji]] distinguish between masculine and feminine [[grammatical gender]]. Each noun belongs to one of those two genders. In order to correctly [[inflection|decline]] any noun and any [[grammatical modifier|modifier]] or other type of word affecting that noun, one must identify whether the noun is feminine or masculine. Most nouns have inherent gender. However, some [[Nominal (linguistics)|nominal]] roots have variable gender, i.e. they may function as either masculine or feminine nouns.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Todd |first=Terry Lynn |url=http://www.zazaki.de/english/T.L.Todd-AGrammarofDimli.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128213242/http://www.zazaki.de/english/T.L.Todd-AGrammarofDimli.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 January 2012 |title=A Grammar of Dimili (also Known as Zaza) |publisher=Electronic Publication |year=2008 |pages=33}}</ref>

Among all northwestern Iranian languages, in Zaza, Semnani, Sangsari and Tati languages, grammatical gender is marked on [[verb]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Пахалина |first=Т. Н. |date=1999 |title=Языки мира: Иранские языки. II. Северо-западные иранские языки |url=https://iling-ran.ru/staff_only/langworld_proto/static/pdf_volumes/06_iranian_2.pdf |website=Министерство науки и высшего образования Ро. |publisher=РОССИЙСКАЯ АКАДЕМИЯ НАУК |pages=168–169}}</ref><ref name=":17" /><ref name=":18" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=کلباسی |first=ایران |date=2020 |title=جشنی برای سالگرد ثبت ملی زبان سمنانی |url=https://lsi-linguistics.ihcs.ac.ir/article_7923_b9feed3009622d90d1f1ae8de016584f.pdf |journal=زبان و زبانشناسی |language=fa |volume=16 |issue=32 |pages=34}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Yarshater |first=Ehsan |date=1960 |title=The Tāti Dialect of Kajal |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=282}}</ref> Unlike other northwestern Iranian languages, Zaza and some [[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]] dialects do distinguish gender in second singular too.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stilo |first=Donald |title=Essays on Typology of Iranian Languages |publisher=De Gruyter |year=2019 |isbn=978-3-11-060174-9 |editor-last=Korangy |editor-first=Alireza |location=Berlin |pages=74–76 |chapter=Loss vs. expansion of gender in Tatic languages: Kafteji (Kabatei) and Kelāsi |editor-last2=Mahmoodi-Bakhtiari |editor-first2=Behrooz}}</ref>

In addition to nouns, adjectives and verbs, in Zaza and Semnani, grammatical gender is marked on demonstrative pronouns too:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hayıg |first=Roşan |title=Zazaca-Türkçe Sözlük ; Türkçe-Zazaca Sözcük Listesi (Çermik – Çüngüş – Siverek – Gerger Bölgeleri) |last2=Werner |first2=Brigitte |publisher=Tij Yayınları |year=2012 |isbn=978-975-8277-43-8 |location=Istanbul |publication-date=2012 |pages=17 |language=tr}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last=Hassanzadeh-Nodehi |first=Ramin |title=Towards a grammar of the Semnāni language |date=2025 |access-date=11 November 2025 |degree=PhD |publisher=Sapienza – Università di Roma |url=https://iris.uniroma1.it/retrieve/24a4dedd-9b57-4072-b420-08c3239887d7/Tesi_dottorato_HassazadehNodehi.pdf |language=en |pages=77 |location=}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:100%;" bgcolor="#F2F2F2" |-
!
!Zaza
![[Semnani language|Semnani]]
|-
|this (masc.)
|eno 
|en
|-
|this (fem.)
|ena
|ena
|-
|these
|enê
|eni
|}

=== Tenses ===
The [[infinitive]] ending is formed with (''-ene'') in the north dialect and -(''enı'') in the south dialect of the Zaza language. The basic stem of the verb is formed by deleting this ending.

The [[present tense]] is formed by taking the present stem of the verb, adding the present participle ending and conjugating it. Zaza, [[Semnani language|Semnani]], [[Talysh language|Talysh]], [[Tati language (Iran)|Tati/Azeri]] and [[Gilaki language|Gilaki]] derive their present stem from the same old Iranian present participle ending in *''-ant-''.<ref name=":3" /> For example, the present stem of the verbs ''şiyaene''  'to go'" and ''vınderdene'' "to stop":<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Varol |first=Murat |date=2011 |title=I. Uluslararası Zaza Dili Sempozyumu |url=https://www.bingol.edu.tr/documents/Zaza_Dili_Sempozyumu.pdf |access-date=October 29, 2025 |website=Bingöl Üniversitesi |pages=296–298}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Keskin |first=Mesut |date=2022 |title=Zazaca Üzerine Notlar |trans-title=Notes on Zaza |url=https://www.zazaki.de/files/Mesut-Keskin-Zazaca-uzerine-notlar.pdf |access-date=2 November 2025 |website=Zazaki.de |page=6 |language=tr}}</ref>
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
!
!1st
!2nd fem.
!2nd masc.
!3rd fem.
!3rd masc.
|-
|Zaza
|ez şı-'''n'''-a(n)
|tı şı-'''n'''-a(y)
|tı şı-'''n'''-ê
|a şı-'''n'''-a
|o şı-'''n'''-o
|-
|English
|i go
|you (''fem.'') go
|you (''masc.'') go
|she goes
|he goes
|-
|}
{{Col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
!
!1st
!2nd fem.
!2nd masc.
!3rd fem.
!3rd masc.
|-
|Zaza
|ez vınd-'''en'''-an
|tı vınd-'''en'''-ay
|tı vınd-'''en'''-ê
|a vınd-'''en'''-a
|o vınd-'''en'''-o
|-
|English
|i stop
|you (''fem.'') stop
|you (''masc.'') stop
|she stops
|he stops
|-
|}
{{col-end}}

The [[present continuous]] is used in several instances. Its most common use is to describe something that is happening at the exact moment of speech. Present continuous can also describe an event planned in the future when combined with a time indicator for the future.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Lynn Todd |first=Terry |title=A grammar of Dimili also known as Zaza |publisher=Iremet Förlag |year=2002 |isbn= |location=Stockholm |pages=102–104 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> The present continuous in Zaza language is formed by conjugating the copula in accordance with the subject and conjugating the verb in accordance with the [[present tense]]:<ref name=":4" />
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:90%;" bgcolor="#F2F2F2" |-
!
!1st
!2nd fem.
!2nd masc.
!3rd fem.
!3rd masc.
|-
|Zaza
|ez'''o''' şına (ez'''an''' şınan)
|tıy'''a''' şına(y)
|tıy'''ê''' şınê
|ay'''a''' şına
|oy'''o''' şıno
|-
|English
|i '''am''' going
|you (''fem.'') '''are''' going
|you (''masc.'') '''are''' going
|she '''is''' going
|he '''is''' going
|}

=== Number ===
Nouns in Zaza language are unmarked for the singular and marked with the unstressed '''-i''' in the plural.<ref name=":5" /> For instance, kerg (''hen'') kerg'''i''' (''hens''), verg (''wolf'') verg'''i''' (''wolves''), merdım (''man'') merdım'''i''' (''men''), vaş (grass) vaş'''i''' (''grasses''), estor (''horse'') estor'''i''' (''horses''). Just like Zaza, in [[Semnani language|Semnani]], another member of the belt, nouns are marked with '''-i''' in the plural.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=ساالر|first=آرش |date=1398|title=نظام حالت در زبان سمنانی در چهارچوب ردهشناسی|url=https://semnanacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Case%20System%20in%20Semnani-A%20typological%20Study.pdf |pages= 89-91|degree=master's |language=fa |location=تهران |publisher= |access-date=}}</ref><ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Пахалина |first=Т. Н. |date=1999 |title=Языки мира: Иранские языки. II. Северо-западные иранские языки |url=https://iling-ran.ru/staff_only/langworld_proto/static/pdf_volumes/06_iranian_2.pdf |access-date=1 November 2025 |website=Министерство науки и высшего образования Ро |publisher=РОССИЙСКАЯ АКАДЕМИЯ НАУК |pages=145}}</ref> For example, trees/horses = dar'''i'''/estor'''i''' in Zaza and dår'''i'''/asb'''i''' in Semnani.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=کلباسی |first=ایران |date=2005 |title=ویژگیهاي شاخص گویش سمنانی |trans-title=The Main Characteristics of Semnani Dialect |url=https://lsi-linguistics.ihcs.ac.ir/article_1600_3c7cf84b9b63445692dc64f1dfe83466.pdf?lang=en |journal=Language and Linguistics |language=fa |volume=1 |issue=2 |page=139 |pages=}}</ref><ref name=":17" /> 

Unlike other Iranian languages, the number three in Zaza and closely related languages listed below is cognate with [[Parthian language|Parthian]] ''hry.<ref name=":20" />'' In these languages, the v -> b and s -> h consonant change ('''v'''ist and da'''s''' in Zaza vs. '''b'''ist and da'''h''' in Persian and Kurdish) is also clearly evident. Cardinal numerals in Zaza and other closely related languages are as follows:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Т. Н |first=Пахалина |date=1999 |title=Языки мира: Иранские языки. II. Северо-западные иранские языки |url=https://iling-ran.ru/staff_only/langworld_proto/static/pdf_volumes/06_iranian_2.pdf |website=Министерство науки и высшего образования Ро |publisher=РОССИЙСКАЯ АКАДЕМИЯ НАУК |at=76, 155, 159, 162}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:100%;" bgcolor="#F2F2F2" |-
!
!one
!two
!three
!four
!five
!six
!seven
!eight
!nine
!ten
!twenty
|-
|Zaza
|yō
|di
|hīrē
|čihār
|panǰ
|šaš
|haut
|hašt
|nau
|das
|vist
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]{{efn|[[Sorkhei language|Sorkhei]]}}
|i
|do
|heré
|čār
|panǰ
|šaš
|haft
|hašt
|na
|das
|vist
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]{{efn|[[Lasgerdi language|Lasgerdi]]}}
|i
|do
|heyré
|čār
|panǰ
|šaš
|haft
|hašt
|na
|das
|vist
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]{{efn|[[Biyabunaki language|Biyabunaki]]}}
|i
|dū
|häirä
|čāhār
|pahānǰ
|šāš
|hāft
|hāšt
|nā
|dās
|vist
|-
|[[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]]{{efn|[[Harzandi dialect|Harzandi]]}}<ref name=":19" />
|i
|de
|heri
|ču
|pinǰ
|šaš
|hoft
|hašt
|nov
|da
|vist
|-
|[[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]]<ref name=":19">{{Cite book |last=کارنگ |first=عبدالعلی |title=تاتی و هرزنی دو لهجه از زبان باستان آذربایجان |publisher=چاپخانه‌ی شفق |year=1952 |location=تبریز |pages=84 |language=fa |trans-title=Tati, Harzani, two dialects from the ancient language of Azerbaijan}}</ref>
|i
|de
|here
|čö
|pinǰ
|šoš
|hoft
|hašt
|növ
|doh
|vist
|}

=== Word derivation ===
The stressed suffix "''-ıj''" added to nouns of place in Zaza language denotes origin or relationship.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last=Lynn Todd |first=Terry |title=A grammar of Dimili also known as Zaza |publisher=Iremet Förlag |year=2002 |location=Stockholm |pages=85 |language=en}}</ref> Just like Zaza language, in [[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]] and [[Talysh language|Talysh]] languages of the belt, suffix ""-''ij''" and ''-ıj''", respectively, added to nouns to denote origin or relationship.<ref name=":15">{{Cite journal |last=Umnyashkin |first=Alexandr |last2=Shodiev |first2=Rustamkhon A. |title=Word Forming Models of Everyday Talish Vocabulary |journal=Journal Arbitrer |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=79}}</ref> This suffix is thought to be a relic of [[Daylami language]]. The word "dehche" in the Daylami language had the meaning of peasant, someone from village, and the farmer. Its derivation was deh (village) + che (the suffix denoting origin or relationship). The suffix "-che", that is the same as the modern "''-ij''" in [[Caspian languages|Caspian]] dialects. "-''ij''" is a suffix for attributing to a place, such as Yoshij, someone from Yosh.<ref name=":16">{{Cite book |last=محمدتقی پوراحمد |first=جکتاجی |title=گیلان نامه |publisher=گیلکان |year=1385 |isbn= |edition=6th |pages=242 |language=fa}}</ref>

For instance; Soyreg -> Soyreg-'''ıj'''- in Zaza,<ref name=":9" /> Lankon -> Lankon-'''ıj'''- in Talysh,<ref name=":15" /> Teron -> Teron-'''ij''' in Tati<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Taherkhani |first=Neda |last2=Muhammed |first2=Ourang |date=2013 |title=A Study of Derivational Morphemes in Lari and Tati as Two Iranian Endangered Languages: An Analytical-Contrastive Examination with Persian |journal=Journal of American Science |volume=9 |issue=11 |pages=41}}</ref> and  Yosh -> Yosh-'''ij'''- in Caspian dialects<ref name=":16" /> (someone from Soyreg, Lankon, Tehran and Yosh respectively) and dew -> dew-'''ıj'''- (village -> villager) in Zaza,<ref name=":9" /> di -> div-'''oj'''- (village -> villager) in Talysh.<ref name=":15" />
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:100%;" bgcolor="#F2F2F2" |-
!
!Place
!From/of
|-
|'''Zaza'''
|Soyreg 
|Soyreg'''ıj'''
|-
|[[Talysh language|Talysh]]
|Lankon
|Lankon'''ıj'''
|-
|[[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]]
|Teron
|Teron'''ij'''
|-
|[[Caspian languages|Caspian]]
|Yosh
|Yosh'''ij'''
|}

==Vocabulary==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:100%;" bgcolor="#F2F2F2" |-
!Pronoun
!Zaza
![[Talysh language|Talysh]]<ref>Wolfgang, Schulze: Northern Talysh. Lincom Europa. 2000. (page 35)</ref>
![[Semnani language|Semnani]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=کلباسی |first=ایران |date=2005 |title=ویژگی‌های شاخص گویش سمنانی |trans-title=The Main Characteristics of Semnani Dialect |url=https://lsi-linguistics.ihcs.ac.ir/article_1600_3c7cf84b9b63445692dc64f1dfe83466.pdf?lang=en |journal=Language and Linguistics |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=140}}</ref>
![[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=رضایتی |first=محرم |last2=سبزعلي پور |first2=جهاندوست |date=2007 |title=ساخت ارگتيو در گويش تاتي خلخـال |journal=ادب پژوهی |language=fa |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=92}}</ref>
![[Ossetian language|Ossetian]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iranian Languages Linguistic: Ossetian |url=https://iranian-languages.arizona.edu/node/5 |access-date=30 October 2025 |website=The Univeristy of Arizona}}</ref>
!''English''
|-
|1sg || ez || əz (āz) 
|a
|az|| əz  ||''I''
|-
|2sg || tı || tı 
|tö
|tə|| dɨ || ''you''
|-
|3sg.m || o || rowspan="2" | əv (ay) 
|u
|a (av)|| rowspan="2" | wɨj ||''he''
|-
|3sg.f || a 
|una
|ava||''she''
|-
|1pl || ma || ama
|hamâ
|âmâ|| maχ ||''we''
|-
|2pl || şıma || şımə 
|šema
|šâmâ|| sɨmaχ || ''you''
|-
|3pl || ê, i, inan, ino || əvon/ayēn 
|uni
|avə|| wɨdon ||''they''
|-
|}

==Phonology==
Distinctive (diachronic) phonological changes of Western Iranian languages in terms of their historical evolution:<ref>{{Cite news |last=Selcan |first=Zülfü |date=2011 |title=Zaza Dilinin Tarihi Gelişimi |trans-title=Historical Development of Zaza Language |url=https://www.bingol.edu.tr/documents/Zaza_Dili_Sempozyumu.pdf |access-date=2 November 2025 |work=I. Uluslararası Zaza Dili Sempozyumu |pages=130–133}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stilo |first=Donald |date=2007 |title=Isfahan xxi. PROVINCIAL DIALECTS |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/isfahan-xxi-provincial-dialects/ |access-date=3 November 2025 |website=Encyclopaedia Iranica}}</ref><ref name=":20">{{Cite web |last=Asatrian |first=Garnik Serobi |date=1995 |title=DIMLĪ |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dimli/ |access-date=3 November 2025 |website=Encyclopaedia Iranica}}</ref><ref name=":52" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Windfuhr |first=Gernot L. |date=1998 |title=EŠTEHĀRDĪ |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/estehardi/ |access-date=9 November 2025 |website=Encyclopaedia Iranica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Asatrian |first=Garnik |last2=Borjian |first2=Habib |date=2005 |title=Talish and the Talishis (The State of Research) |journal=Iran & the Caucasus |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=53-55}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Borjian |first=Habib |date=2008 |title=The Komisenian Dialect of Aftar |journal=ORIENTAL ARCHIVE |volume=78 |pages=271}}</ref>
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
|+v -> b
!
!wind
!snow
!willow
!twenty
!see
|-
|Zaza
|'''v'''a
|'''v'''ore
|'''v'''iale
|'''v'''ist
| '''v'''in
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]
|'''v'''a
|'''v'''ara
|'''v'''ia
|'''v'''ist
|
|-
|[[Sangsari language|Sangsari]]
|'''v'''e
|'''v'''arf
|'''v'''i
|'''v'''ist
| '''v'''in
|-
|[[Talysh language|Talysh]]
|'''v'''ā
|'''v'''ār
|'''v'''i
|'''v'''ist
| '''v'''in
|-
|[[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]]
|'''v'''ör
|'''v'''ohor
|'''v'''ia
|'''v'''ist
| '''v'''in
|-
|[[Gilaki language|Gilaki]]
|'''v'''ā
|'''v'''arf
|'''v'''i
|
|
|-
|[[Mazanderani language|Mazanderani]]
|'''v'''o(t)
|'''v'''arf
|
|
| '''v'''īn
|-
|[[Persian language|Persian]]
|'''b'''ād
|'''b'''arf
|'''b'''id
|'''b'''ist
| '''b'''in
|-
|Kurdish
|'''b'''a
|'''b'''erf
|'''b'''i
|'''b'''ist
| '''b'''in
|-
|}
{{Col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
|+v -> g
!
!wolf
!flower
!grass
|-
|Zaza
|'''v'''erg
|'''v'''ıle
|'''v'''aš
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]
|'''v'''erg
|'''v'''ala
|'''v'''āš
|-
|[[Sangsari language|Sangsari]]
|'''v'''arg
|'''v'''ala
|
|-
|[[Talysh language|Talysh]]
|'''v'''arg
|'''v'''ıl
|'''v'''āš
|-
|[[Tati language|Tati]]
|'''v'''org
|'''v'''ile
|
|-
|[[Gilaki language|Gilaki]]
|'''v'''erg
|
|'''v'''āš
|-
|[[Mazandarani language|Mazandarani]]
|'''v'''arg
|'''v'''el
|
|-
|[[Persian language|Persian]]
|'''g'''org
|'''g'''ol
|'''g'''eyā
|-
|Kurdish
|'''g'''ur
|'''g'''ul
|'''g'''iya
|}
{{Col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
|+ m -> v
!
!eye
!name
!winter
!guest
|-
|Zaza
|çı'''m'''
|na'''m'''e
|zı'''m'''ıstan
|mey'''m'''an
|-
|[[Sangsari language|Sangsari]]
|čaš'''m'''
|nou'''m'''
|ze'''m'''estun
|me'''m'''oun
|-
|[[Talysh language|Talysh]]
|ča'''m'''
|no'''m'''
|zı'''m'''ıston
|mey'''m'''un
|-
|[[Tati language (Iran)|Tati]]
|ča'''m'''
|no'''m'''
|zi'''m'''eston
|
|-
|[[Persian language|Persian]]
|češ'''m'''
|nā'''m'''
|ze'''m'''estān
|meh'''m'''ān
|-
|Kurdish
|ça'''v'''
|na'''v'''
|zi'''v'''istan
|mi'''v'''an
|}
{{Col-end}}
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
|+h/x -> k
!
!donkey
|-
|Zaza
|'''h'''ar
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]
|'''x'''ar
|-
|[[Sangsari language|Sangsari]]
|'''x'''ar
|-
|[[Talysh language|Talysh]]
|'''h'''ar
|-
|[[Tati language|Tati]]
|'''h'''ar
|-
|[[Gilaki language|Gilaki]]
|'''x'''ar
|-
|[[Mazandarani language|Mazandarani]]
|'''x'''ar
|-
|[[Persian language|Persian]]
|'''x'''ar
|-
|Kurdish
|'''k'''ar
|}
{{Col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
|+r -> l
!
!year
|-
|Zaza
|sē'''r'''i
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]
|
|-
|[[Sangsari language|Sangsari]]
|
|-
|[[Talysh language|Talysh]]
|sā'''r'''
|-
|[[Tati language|Tati]]
|sā'''r'''
|-
|[[Gilaki language|Gilaki]]
|sā'''l'''
|-
|[[Mazandarani language|Mazandarani]]
|sā'''l'''
|-
|[[Persian language|Persian]]
|sā'''l'''
|-
|Kurdish
|sā'''l'''
|}
{{Col-break}}
{{Col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
|+b -> d
!
!door
|-
|Zaza
|'''b'''ar
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]
|'''b'''ar
|-
|[[Sangsari language|Sangsari]]
|'''b'''ar
|-
|[[Talysh language|Talysh]]
|'''b'''ar
|-
|[[Tati language|Tati]]
|'''b'''ar
|-
|[[Gilaki language|Gilaki]]
|
|-
|[[Mazandarani language|Mazandarani]]
|
|-
|[[Persian language|Persian]]
|'''d'''ar
|-
|Kurdish
|'''d'''ari
|}
{{Col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
|+b -> g
!
!cry
|-
|Zaza
|'''b'''arm
|-
|[[Semnani language|Semnani]]
|'''b'''arm
|-
|[[Sangsari language|Sangsari]]
|'''b'''urme
|-
|[[Talysh language|Talysh]]
|'''b'''āme
|-
|[[Tati language|Tati]]
|'''b'''erām
|-
|[[Gilaki language|Gilaki]]
|'''b'''armā
|-
|[[Mazandarani language|Mazandarani]]
|'''b'''arm
|-
|[[Persian language|Persian]]
|'''g'''erya
|-
|Kurdish
|'''g'''irin
|}
{{Col-end}}

=== Vowels ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|- align="center"
! rowspan="2" |[[Close vowel|Close]]
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|i}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|ɨ}}
|{{IPA link|u}}
|- align="center"
|{{IPA link|ʊ}}
|- align="center"
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPA link|e}}
|{{IPA link|ə}}
|{{IPA link|o}}
|- align="center"
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
|{{IPA link|ɑ}}
|
|}
The vowel {{IPA|/e/}} may also be realized as {{IPA|[ɛ]}} when occurring before a consonant. {{IPA|/ɨ/}} may become lowered to {{IPA|[ɪ]}} when occurring before a velarized nasal {{IPA|/n/}} {{IPA|[ŋ]}}, or occurring between a palatal approximant {{IPA|/j/}} and a palato-alveolar fricative {{IPA|/ʃ/}}. Vowels {{IPA|/ɑ/}}, {{IPA|/ɨ/}}, or {{IPA|/ə/}} become nasalized when occurring before {{IPA|/n/}}, as {{IPA|[ɑ̃]}}, {{IPA|[ɨ̃]}}, and {{IPA|[ə̃]}}, respectively.

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" |[[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br>[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Palato-alveolar consonant|Palato-<br>alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Uvular consonant|Uvular]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Pharyngeal consonant|Pharyngeal]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!<small>plain</small>
![[Pharyngealization|<small>phar.</small>]]
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|{{IPA link|m}}
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|({{IPA link|ŋ}})
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Plosive]]/<br>[[Affricate]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|{{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|t}}
|{{IPA link|tˁ}}
|{{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
|
|{{IPA link|k}}
|{{IPA link|q}}
|
|
|-
!<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
|{{IPA link|b}}
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|d}}
|{{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ɡ}}
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Fricative]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|{{IPA link|f}}
|{{IPA link|s}}
|{{IPA link|sˤ}}
|{{IPA link|ʃ}}
|
|{{IPA link|x}}
|
|{{IPA link|ħ}}
|{{IPA link|h}}
|-
!<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
|{{IPA link|v}}
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|z}}
|{{IPA link|ʒ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ɣ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ʕ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]
!<small>[[Flap consonant|tap/flap]]</small>
|
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|ɾ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>[[Trill consonant|trill]]</small>
|
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]
!<small>central</small>
|
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|l}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>[[Velarization|velarized]]</small>
|
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|ɫ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Approximant]]
|{{IPA link|w}}
| colspan="2" |
|
|{{IPA link|j}}
|
|
|
|
|}
{{IPA|/n/}} becomes a velar {{IPA|[ŋ]}} when following a velar consonant.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ludwig |first=Paul |title=Zazaki |publisher=London & New York: Routledge |year=2009 |location=The Iranian Languages |pages=545–586}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Todd |first=Terry Lynn |title=A Grammar of Dimili (also Known as Zaza) |date=2008 |publisher=Iremet |location=Stockholm}}</ref>

=== Alphabet ===
[[File:Mewlıd_(Ehmedê_Xasi)_Seyfa.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Zaza text in Arabic letters, written in 1891 and printed in 1899]]
Zaza texts written during the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman era]] were written in [[Arabic letters]]. The works of this era had religious content. The first Zaza text, written by Sultan Efendi, in 1798, was written in Arabic letters in the Nesih font, which was also used in [[Ottoman Turkish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zazaki.de/turkce/makaleler/Dehqan-Diyarbakirdanbirzazacaalevimetni.pdf |title=Sultan Efendi'nin Zazaca El Yazması |access-date= 20 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131160411/http://zazaki.de/turkce/makaleler/Dehqan-Diyarbakirdanbirzazacaalevimetni.pdf|archive-date=31 January 2020}}</ref> Following this work, the first Zaza language Mawlid, written by the Ottoman-Zaza cleric, writer and poet Ahmed el-Hassi in 1891–1892, was also written in Arabic letters and published in 1899.<ref>{{Citation | last = Varol| first = Murat| title = Zazalarda Mevlid ve Siyer Geleneği| publisher = II. Uluslararası Zaza Tarihi ve Kültürü Sempozyumu/Bingöl Üniversitesi Yayınları | volume = 1| issue = 1| year = 2012| pages = 93–114| url = http://acikerisim.bingol.edu.tr:8080/handle/20.500.12898/261}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| last = Keskin| first = Mesut| title = Zaza Dili| publisher = Bingöl Üniversitesi Yaşayan Diller Enstitüsü Dergisi| volume = 1| issue = 1| year = 2015| pages = 93–114| url = https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/220224}}</ref> Another Mawlid in Zaza language, written by another Ottoman-Zaza cleric Osman Esad Efendi between 1903–1906, was also written in Arabic letters.<ref>{{cite book |last=Özer |first=Osman | year=2016 |title=Mevlid Ahmed-i Hasi |publisher=Bingöl Üniversitesi Yayınları |location=İstanbul |isbn=978-605-65457-0-2}}</ref> After the Republic, Zazaki works began to be written in Latin letters, abandoning the [[Arabic alphabet]]. However, today Zazaki does not have a common alphabet used by all Zazas. An alphabet called the Jacabson alphabet was developed with the contributions of the American linguist C. M Jacobson and is used by the Zaza Language Institute in Frankfurt, which works on the standardization of Zaza language.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jacobson |first=C.M. | year=1993 |title=Rastnustena Zonê Ma -Handbuch für die Rechtschreibung der Zaza-Sprache |publisher= Verlag für Kultur und Wissenschaft |location=Bonn}}</ref> Another alphabet used for the language is the [[Kurdish alphabets#Hawar alphabet|Bedirxan alphabet]]. The Zaza alphabet, prepared by Zülfü Selcan and started to be used at Munzur University as of 2012, is another writing system developed for Zazaki, consisting of 32 letters, 8 of which are vowels and 24 of which are consonants.<ref>{{Citation| last = Selcan| first = Zülfü| title = Zazaca Alfabe ve alfabetik sıralama| publisher = Bingöl Üniversitesi I. Uluslararası Zaza Dili Sempozyumu| volume =| issue = | year = 2011| pages =263–270| url = https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/220224}}</ref> The '''Zaza alphabet''' is an extension of the [[Latin alphabet]] used for writing the Zaza language, consisting of 32 letters, six of which (ç, ğ, î, û, ş, and ê) have been modified from their Latin originals for the phonetic requirements of the language.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Çeko Kocadag |title=Ferheng Kirmanckî (zazakî – Kurmancî) – Kurmancî – Kirmanckî (zazakî) |date=2010 |publisher=Weşanên Komkar |isbn=978-3-927213-40-1 |location=Berlin}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; table-layout:fixed; margin:1em auto; font-size:85%;"
|+ Zaza alphabet
|-
![[Upper case]]
|[[A]]||[[B]]||[[C]]||[[Ç]]||[[D]]||[[E]]||[[Ê]]||[[F]]||[[G]]||[[Ẍ]]/[[Ğ]]||[[H]]||[[I]]||[[Î]]||[[J]]||[[K]]||[[L]]||[[M]]||[[N]]||[[O]]||[[P]]||[[Q]]||[[R]]||[[S]]||[[Ş]]||[[T]]||[[U]]||[[Û]]||[[V]]||[[W]]||[[X]]||[[Y]]||[[Z]]
|-
![[Lower case]]
|a||b||c||ç||d||e||ê||f||g||ẍ/ğ||h||i||î||j||k||l||m||n||o||p||q||r||s||ş||t||u||û||v||w||x||y||z
|-
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] [[phonemes]]
|{{IPA link|a}}
|{{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
|{{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
|{{IPA link|d}}
|{{IPA link|ɛ}}
|{{IPA link|e}}
|{{IPA link|f}}
|{{IPA link|g}}
|{{IPA link|ɣ}}
|{{IPA link|h}}
|[[Near-close near-front unrounded vowel|ɪ]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|{{IPA link|ʒ}}
|{{IPA link|k}}
|{{IPA link|l}}
|{{IPA link|m}}
|{{IPA link|n}}
|{{IPA link|o}}
|{{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|q}}
|{{Nowrap|{{IPA link|r}}, {{IPA link|ɾ}}}}
|{{IPA link|s}}
|{{IPA link|ʃ}} 
|{{IPA link|t}}
|{{IPA link|ʊ}}
|{{IPA link|u}}
|{{IPA link|v}}
|{{IPA link|w}}
|{{IPA link|x}}
|{{IPA link|j}}
|{{IPA link|z}}
|}

<References group="upper-alpha"/>


== Literature ==
Zaza literature consists of oral and written texts produced in the Zaza language. Before it began to be written, it was passed on through oral literature types. In this respect, Zaza literature is very rich in terms of oral works. The language has many oral literary products such as deyr (folk song), kilam (song), dêse (hymn), şanıke (fable), hêkati (story), qesê werênan (proverbs and idioms). Written works began to appear during the Ottoman Empire, and the early works had a religious/doctrinal nature. After the Republic, long-term language and cultural bans caused the revival of Zaza literature, which developed in two centers, Turkey and Europe, mainly in Europe. After the loosened bans, Zaza literature developed in Turkey.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bozbuğa |first=Rasim |date=2014 |title=Bilinmeyen Halk: Zazalar |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/2237911 |journal=Akademik Hassasiyetler |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–50}}</ref>

=== Ottoman period ===
The first known written works of Zaza literature were written during the Ottoman period. Written works in the Zaza language produced during the Ottoman period were written in Arabic letters and had a religious nature. The first written work in Zazaki during this period was written in the late 1700s. This first written text of the Zaza language was written by İsa Beg bin Ali, nicknamed Sultan Efendi, an Islamic history writer, in 1212 Hijri (1798). The work was written in Arabic letters and in the [[Naskh (script)|Naskh]] script, which is also used in [[Ottoman Turkish]]. The work consists of two parts III. It includes the Eastern Anatolia region during the reign of [[Selim III]], the life of Ali (caliph), Alevi doctrine and history, the translation of some parts of [[Nahj al-balagha]] into Zaza language, apocalyptic subjects and poetic texts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dehqan |first=Mustafa |date=2022 |title=Diyarbakır'dan bir Zazaca Alevi Metni |url=https://www.zazaki.de/index.php/tr/tarih/zaza-tarihi/diyarbakirdan-bir-zazaca-alevi-metni |website=Zazaki.de}}</ref> About a hundred years after this work, another work in the Zaza language, Mevlit (Mewlid-i Nebi), was written by the Ottoman-Zaza cleric, writer and poet [[Ehmedê Xasî|Ahmed el-Hassi]] (1867–1951) in 1891–1892. The first Mevlit work in the Zaza language was written in Arabic letters and published in 1899.<ref name=":14">{{Cite journal |last=Varol |first=Murat |date=2012 |title=Zazalarda Mevlid ve Siyer Geleneği |url=http://acikerisim.bingol.edu.tr:8080/handle/20.500.12898/261 |journal=II. Uluslararası Zaza Tarihi ve Kültürü Sempozyumu |publisher=Bingöl Üniversitesi Yayınları |publication-date=2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217001013/http://acikerisim.bingol.edu.tr:8080/bitstream/handle/20.500.12898/261/Zazalarda%20Mevlid%20ve%20Siyer%20Gelene%c4%9fi.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |archive-date=17 December 2023}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Keskin |first=Mesut |date=2015 |title=Zaza Dili (Zaza Language) |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/220224 |journal=Bingöl Üniversitesi Yaşayan Diller Enstitüsü Dergisi |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=93–114}}</ref> The mawlid, written using the [[Arabic prosody]] (aruz), resembles the mawlid of [[Süleyman Çelebi (poet)|Süleyman Çelebi]] and the introduction includes the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the details of Allah, tawhid, munacaat, ascension, birth, birth and creation, etc. It includes religious topics and consists of 14 chapters and 366 couplets.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":0" /> Another written work written during this period is another Mevlit written by Siverek mufti [[Osman Efendîyo Babij|Osman Esad Efendi]] (1852–1929). The work called Biyişa Pexemberi (Birth of the Prophet) consists of chapters on the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the Islamic religion and was written in Zaza language in Arabic letters in 1901 (1903 according to some sources). The work was published in 1933, after the author's death.<ref>{{cite book |last = Özer | first = Osman | year = 2016 | title = Mevlid Ahmed-i Hasi |publication-place = İstanbul | publisher = Bingöl Üniversitesi Yayınları | ISBN=978-605-65457-0-2 | url = https://www.bingol.edu.tr/documents/Academic/ZAZACA%20MEVL%C4%B0D-OSMAN%20%C3%96ZER.pdf}}</ref> Apart from Zaza writers, non-Zaza/Ottoman writers/researchers such as Peter Ivanovich Lerch (1827–1884),<ref name=":10">Arslanoğulları, M. (2014). Lerch’in zazaki derlemelerinin çevrimyazımı ve türlerine göre sözcüklerin tahlili (Master's thesis, Bingöl Üniversitesi).</ref><ref name="Lerch-russian">Lerch, Peter, Forschungen über die Kurden und die Iranischen Nordchaldaer - Band I, St. Petersburg (Петр Лерх, Изслѣдованія об иранских курдах и их предках, сѣверных халдеях: Введеніе и подробное исчисленіе курдских племен) I-II-III, продаеця у Коммисіонеров Императорской академіи наук : И. Глазунова, 1856/57/58</ref> Robert Gordon Latham (1812–1888) Dr. Humphry Sandwith (1822–1881),<ref name=":11">Robert Gordon Latham, "On a Zaza Vocabulary", ''Transactions of The Philological Society'', London, 1856, ss. 40-42</ref><ref name=":12">Robert Gordon Latham, "On a Zaza Vocabulary", ''Opuscula: Essays, Chiefly Philological and Ethnographical'', Williams & Norgate, London, Edinburg, Leipzig, 1860, s.242&nbsp;</ref> Wilhelm Strecker (1830–1890), Otto Blau (1828–1879),<ref name="Blau">Blau, Otto (1862),"Nachrichten über kurdische Stämme-III, Mittheilungen über die Dusik-Kurden", Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, Steiner in Komm, 1862, s.621-627</ref> Friedrich Müller (1864) and Oskar Mann (1867–1917)<ref name=":13">O. Mann, Nachlaß in der Staatsbibliothek Berlin (W), Briefe; vgl. auch ebenda, Vortrag vom 4. Juli 1909 und 20. Jan. 1909, p. 11.</ref> included Zaza content (story, fairy tales dictionary) in their works in the pre-Republican period.<ref name=":0" />

=== Post-Republic Zaza literature ===
Post-Republican Zaza literature developed through two branches, Turkey-centered and Europe-centered. During this period, the development of Zaza literature stagnated in Turkey due to long-term language and cultural bans. Zaza migration to European countries in the 1980s and the relatively free environment enabled the revival of Zaza literature in Europe. One of the works in the Zaza language written in post-Republican Turkey are two verse works written in the field of belief and fiqh in the 1940s. Following this work, another Mevlit containing religious subjects and stories was written by Mehamed Eli Hun in 1971. Zaza Divan, a 300-page manuscript consisting of Zazaki poems and odes, started to be written by Mehmet Demirbaş in 1975 and completed in 2005, is another literary work in the divan genre written in this period.<ref>Ahmet Kayıntu, ''"Molla Mehmet Demirtaş’ın Zazaca Divanı"'', II. Uluslararası Zaza Tarihi ve Kültürü Sempozyumu, Bingöl Üniversitesi Yayınları, 04-06 Mayıs 2012.</ref> Mevlids and sirahs of Abdulkadir Arslan (1992–1995),<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Arslan |first=Mehmet |date=2020 |title=Molla Abdulkadir Muşeki'nin Mewlidê Nebi Adlı Eserinin Şekil, İçerik ve Edebi Sanatlar Açısından İncelenmesi |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1739852 |journal=Bingöl Üniversitesi Yaşayan Diller Enstitüsü Dergisi |volume=6 |issue=12 |pages=59–74}}</ref> Kamil Pueği (1999), Muhammed Muradan (1999-2000) and Cuma Özusan (2009) are other literary works with religious content.<ref name=":14" /> Written Zaza literature is rich in mawlid and religious works, and the first written works of the language are given in these genres.<ref name=":14" /> The development of Zaza literature through magazine publishing took place through magazines published by Zazas who immigrated to Europe after 1980 and published exclusively in the Zaza language, magazines that were predominantly in the Zaza language but published multilingually, and magazines that were not in the Zaza language but included works in the Zaza language. Kormışkan, Tija Sodıri, Vate are magazines published entirely in Zaza language. Apart from these, Ayre (1985–1987), Piya (1988–1992) and Raa Zazaistani (1991), which were published as language, culture, literature and history magazines by Ebubekir Pamukçu, the leading name of Zaza nationalism, are important magazines in this period that were predominantly Zaza and published multilingually. Ware, ZazaPress, Pir, Raştiye, Vengê Zazaistani, Zazaki, Zerq, Desmala Sure, Waxt, Çıme are other magazines that are Zazaki-based and multilingual. In addition to these magazines published in European countries, Vatı (1997–1998), which is the first magazine published entirely in Zaza language and published in Turkey, and Miraz (2006) and Veng u Vaj (2008) are other important magazines published in Zaza language in Turkey. Magazines that are mainly published in other languages but also include works in Zaza language are magazines published in Kurdish and Turkish languages. Roja Newé (1963), Riya Azadi (1976), Tirêj (1979) and War (1997) are in the Kurdish language; Ermin (1991), Ateş Hırsızı (1992), Ütopya, Işkın, Munzur (2000), Bezuvar (2009) are magazines in Turkish language that include texts in Zaza language.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Söylemez |first=İsmail |date=2011 |title=Geçmişten Günümüze Zazaca Dergiler |url=https://www.academia.edu/19680126 |journal=I. Uluslararası Zaza Dili Sempozyumu |publisher=Bingöl Üniversitesi Yayınları.}}</ref> Today, works in different literary genres such as poetry, stories and novels in Zaza language are published by different publishing houses in Turkey and European countries.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
IndoEuropeanTree.svg|Partial tree of Indo-European languages.<ref>{{Cite web |title=worldhistory|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/image/1028/indo-european-language-family-tree/ |access-date=2021-12-19 |website=worldhistory.com by Multiple authors}}</ref>
Iranian_tongues_de.svg|Gippert, Jost (1999), Iranische Sprachen / Iranian Languages<ref name="worldhistory">{{cite web |title=worldhistory|url=https://titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de/didact/karteng/iran/irann.htm |access-date=2022-02-20 |website=titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de}}</ref>
Iranian_Family_Tree_v2.0.png|Position of Zaza language in Iranian Languages
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Zazas]]
* [[Zaza nationalism]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== notes ==
{{notelist}}

=== Works cited ===
* {{cite thesis |last=Arslan |first=İlyas |year=2016 |url=https://docserv.uni-duesseldorf.de/servlets/DerivateServlet/Derivate-39270/Arslan_Dissertation_Submit_Bib_A1.pdf |title=Verbfunktionalität und Ergativität in der Zaza-Sprache |trans-title=Verb functionality and ergativity in the Zaza language |degree=PhD |publisher=Universität Düsseldorf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223032708/http://docserv.uni-duesseldorf.de/servlets/DerivateServlet/Derivate-39270/Arslan_Dissertation_Submit_Bib_A1.pdf |archive-date=2016-12-23}}
* {{cite book |last=Blau |first=Joyce |chapter=Gurânî et Zâzâ |editor-first=Rüdiger |editor-last=Schmitt |title=Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum |publisher=Reichert |location=Wiesbaden |year=1989 |isbn=3-88226-413-6 |pages=336–340}} (About Daylamite origin of Zaza-Guranis)
* Gajewski, Jon. (2004)  ''"Zazaki Notes"'' Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
*{{cite speech |last=Gippert |first=Jost |date=1996-05-04 |url=https://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/personal/jg/pdf/jg1996f.pdf |title=Die historische Entwicklung der Zaza-Sprache |lang=de |event=Mannheim Zaza Book Festival |location=University of Frankfurt}} (not original published speech)
** {{cite speech |last=Gippert |first=Jost |date=1996-05-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060621113452/http://home.arcor.de/fidemes/zaza-tarih.pdf |archive-date=2006-06-21 |url=http://home.arcor.de/fidemes/zaza-tarih.pdf |event=Mannheim Zaza Book Festival |location=University of Frankfurt |title=Zazaca'nın tarihsel gelişimi |translator-first=Hasan |translator-last=Dursun |lang=tr}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Haig |first1=Geoffrey |last2=Öpengin |first2=Ergin |url=http://www.tplondon.com/journal/index.php/ks/article/viewFile/405/314.pdf |title=Introduction to Special Issue - Kurdish: A critical research overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022151912/http://www.tplondon.com/journal/index.php/ks/article/viewFile/405/314.pdf |archive-date=22 October 2014 |journal=Kurdish Studies |volume=2 |issue=2}}
* {{cite thesis |last=Keskin |first=Mesut |title=Zur dialektalen Gliederung des Zazaki |year=2008 |url=http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn=urn:nbn:de:hebis:30-62849 |publisher=Goethe-Universität |location=Frankfurt am Main}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}
* {{cite conference |last1=Larson |first1=Richard K. |last2=Yamakido |first2=Hiroko |url=http://semlab5.sbs.sunysb.edu/~rlarson/lsa06ly.pdf |title=Zazaki "Double Ezafe" as Double Case-Marking |conference=LSA |location=Albuquerque, NM |date=2006-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903194234/http://semlab5.sbs.sunysb.edu/~rlarson/lsa06ly.pdf |archive-date=2006-09-03}}
* {{cite thesis |last=Todd |first=Terry Lynn |year=1985 |title=A Grammar of Dimili (Also Known as Zaza) |publisher=University of Michigan |hdl=2027.42/160737}}
* {{Cite book |last=Malmîsanij |first=Mehemed |title=The Cambridge History of the Kurds |date=2021 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-62371-1 |editor-last=Bozarslan |editor-first=Hamit |location=Cambridge |chapter=The Kirmanjki (Zazaki) Dialect of Kurdish Language and the Issues it Faces |pages=663–684 |doi=10.1017/9781108623711.027 |s2cid=235541104 |editor-last2=Gunes |editor-first2=Cengiz |editor-last3=Yadirgi |editor-first3=Veli}}
* {{cite book |last=Paul |first=Ludwig |year=1998 |chapter-url=http://www.azargoshnasp.net/languages/zazaki/zazakipositionof.pdf |chapter=The Position of Zazaki Among West Iranian languages |pages=163–177 |editor-first=Nicholas |editor-last=Sims-Williams |title=Proceedings of the Third European Conference of Iranian Studies held in Cambridge, 11th to 15th September 1995. |volume=I: Old and Middle Iranian Studies |location=Wiesbaden |publisher=Ludwig Reichert |archive-date=9 April 2008 |access-date=5 March 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409043629/http://www.azargoshnasp.net/languages/zazaki/zazakipositionof.pdf |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite report |last=Werner |first=Brigitte |date= |year=2007 |url=http://www.zazaki.de/englisch/articels/TermpaperBilingualismWS06.pdf |title=Features of Bilingualism in the Zaza Community |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229215827/http://www.zazaki.de/englisch/articels/TermpaperBilingualismWS06.pdf |archive-date=29 December 2009}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last=Werner |first=Eberhard |chapter=Orality and Folklore: Reflections on the Folktale Tradition of the Zaza People |title=Kurdish Art and Identity: Verbal Art, Self-definition and Recent History |editor=Alireza Korangy |pages=169–190 |location=Berlin, Boston |publisher=De Gruyter |date=2020 |doi=10.1515/9783110599626-008}}

;Folktale collections:
* {{cite book |last=Hayig |first=Rosan |title=Mahmeşa: Vızêr ra Ewro Istanıkê Zazayan |trans-title=Mahmesha: Zaza Folktales: Then and Now |editor1=Eberhard Werner |editor2=Brigitte Werner |location=Istanbul |publisher=Vêjiyaişê Tiji & SIL International |date=2007 |isbn=978-975-8277-36-0 |language=Zaza, German, English}} 
* [https://www.hamburg.de/resource/blob/148464/d85a2e4b03b9dd7e3522b45972400534/henarek-granataepfelchen-publikation-data.pdf Henarek – Granatäpfelchen: Welat Şêrq ra Sonîk | Märchen aus dem Morgenland]. Gesammelt und verfasst von Suphi Aydin. Hamburg: Landeszentrale für politische Bildung, 2022. {{ISBN|978-3-929728-89-7}}.

== External links ==
{{interWiki|code=diq}}
{{Incubator|diq|Wiktionary}}
{{Incubator|code=kiu|language=Kirmanjki}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.zazaki.net/ Zaza People and Zazaki Literature]
* [http://dersiminfo.com/ News, Articles and Columns] {{in lang|zza}}
* [http://www.kirmancki.com/ News, Folktales, Grammar Course] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129173536/http://www.kirmancki.com/ |date=29 January 2016 }} {{in lang|zza}}
* [http://www.kirdki.com/ News, Articles and Bingöl city] {{in lang|zza}}
* [http://www.zazaki.de/ Center of Zazaki] {{in lang|zza|de|tr|en}}
* [https://zazaki-institut.de/ Website of Zazaki Institute Frankfurt]
* {{Cite web |title=Zaza a Northwestern Iranic language of eastern Turkey |url=http://elalliance.org/languages/iranic/zaza/ |publisher=Endangered Language Alliance}}
* [http://www.halbuki.org/zazaki/ Zazaki Program at Halbuki]

{{Iranian languages}}
{{Languages of Turkey}}
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[[Category:Languages of Kurdistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Turkey]]
[[Category:Northwestern Iranian languages]]
[[Category:Vulnerable languages]]
[[Category:Zaza language]]
[[Category:Zazas]]