Overview
Kurdish is used in three related senses: as the name of an Indo‑Iranian language group, as an ethnonym for the Kurdish people, and as an adjective describing cultural and regional identity. The terms cover a variety of spoken forms, literary traditions, and social practices centered on the mountainous area often called Kurdistan, which spans parts of modern Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
Language and major varieties
The Kurdish linguistic cluster belongs to the Northwestern branch of the Iranian languages. Major varieties include Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish) and Sorani (Central Kurdish); other varieties and closely related languages include Southern Kurdish, Gorani and Zazaki, which are sometimes treated separately. Kurdish varieties differ in grammar, vocabulary and phonology, and use different writing systems depending on country: Latin, Arabic-based, and, historically, Cyrillic scripts.
People and geography
The Kurdish people are an ethnic group with a long presence in the Middle East. Significant Kurdish populations live in eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, western Iran and northern Syria, and sizable diasporas exist in Europe and elsewhere. The word Kurdistan is used culturally and politically to refer to Kurdish-inhabited lands rather than a single sovereign state.
History and cultural life
Kurdish history is tied to wider Iranian and Mesopotamian developments. Oral poetry and storytelling remain important, alongside written literature and modern media. Cultural practices include music, dance, traditional dress, and celebrations such as Newroz, the spring New Year festival. Religious affiliations among Kurds are diverse and include Sunni and Shia Islam, Alevi traditions, Yazidism, Christianity and secular identifications.
Politics, identity and notable facts
In the 20th and 21st centuries Kurdish identity has been central to regional politics, with movements for recognition, cultural rights and, in some areas, autonomy — most prominently the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq. Linguistically, Kurdish varieties show notable internal diversity: features such as case marking and verb alignment vary across dialects. Standardization and orthography differ by country, affecting education and media.
Quick reference
- Common dialects: Kurmanji, Sorani, Southern Kurdish, Gorani, Zazaki.
- Primary regions: Eastern Turkey, Northern Iraq, Western Iran, Northern Syria.
- Culture: Newroz, oral poetry, music and regional cuisine.