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KURDISH GRAMMARIANSSOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS KURDISH GRAMMARIANSÎrec MêhrbexşCompiled by Îrec Mêhrbexş
Citation preview
SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS KURDISH GRAMMARIANS
Îrec Mêhrbexş
KURDISH
GRAMMARIANS
Compiled by Îrec Mêhrbexş
Contents Abdul Rahman Zabihi (1920-1980) .............................. 2
Abdull Rahman Haji Ma'ref (1940-2007) ..................... 5
Amir Hassanpour (1943) ............................................... 9
Cecil John Edmonds (1889-1979) ............................... 24
David Neil MacKenzie (1926-2001) ........................... 28
Hassan Ghazi (1946) ................................................... 34
Ibrahim Amin Balldar (1920-1998) ............................ 38
Jamal Nabaz (1933) .................................................... 43
Jeladet Bedir Xan (1893-1951) ................................... 48
Melayé Jezîrî (1570 - 1640) ........................................ 56
Osman Sabri (1905-1993) ........................................... 57
Sa'id Kaban Sedqi (1866-?) ........................................ 60
Seyda Jigerxwîn, (1903 - 1984) .................................. 67
Taufiq Wahby (1891-1984) ........................................ 69
Xana Qubadî (1700-1759) .......................................... 73
Abdul Rahman Zabihi (1920-1980)
Abdul Rahman Zabihi (Kurdish: Ebdul
Rehmanî Zebîhî, was born in Mehabad in 1920.
He was fluent in Kurdish, Persian, Arabic and
Turkish. He was also familiar with English, and
French. His linguistic effort to the development
of the Kurdish language concentrated most in dialectology and
lexicography. Zabihi is the author of one of the best Kurdish-Kurdish
dictionary.
A landmark in Kurdish lexicography was set by Zabihi's (1977)
monolingual work, which is modeled on, and meets the standards of
Le Petit Larousse (the author has also used, as a model, M. Mo'in's
monolingual Persian dictionary, Farhang-i Farsi which is as well
based on Le Petit Larousse). Monolingual lexicography has now
become an established practice due to the pioneering work of Khal
(Xall) and the able use of Kurdish in definitions by Zabihi, who has
introduced refined techniques into Central Kurdish dialect "Sorani"
lexicography.1.
Zabihi's dictionary is the only on which has provided labelling of the
parts of speech (including, also, transitivity, infinitives, three types of
adjectives, ect.) and, in the case of compounds and derivatives, has
analyzed them into their constituent morphemes. 1
Zabihi's planned ten-volume work went trough Kurdish beginning
with the Arabic letter hamza / ئـ /, i.e., the words with initial vowels
/a,u,ú,e,i,é,î/ and /b/1. Unfortunately he managed to publish just two
volumes of his work only. The rest of this pioneer work was never
published. Zabihi published the first two volumes of his dictionary by
his own money, but the Kurdish Scientific Academy in Baghdad
which was active at that time arranged to print that in its printing
house.
Mr. Zabihi was a member of leading committee of the first nationalist
political organization in eastern Kurdistan, "Komelley Jhiyanewey
Kurdistan" (Komelley Jh.K.). He became chief-editor of Kurdish
magazine Nîshtiman which was published July 1943 to spring 1944.
He manages to publish 9 issues of the magazine.
In December 1945 a new Kurdish political party KDP-IR was
established in Mehabad by President Qazi Muhammed in conjunction
with the establishment of the Kurdish Republic in eastern Kurdistan
(December 1945 to December 1946). Zabihi was also played an active
role in the republic. After the collapse of the republic, he went to exile
in southern Kurdistan, where he became actively involved in the
liberation movement again. Zibihi became a member of the political
Bureau of the Kurdish Democratic Party KDP-IR. During the period
of the monarchy in Iraq he was forced to leave the country, he found
himself in Syria. After the fall of the monarchy in Iran in 1979, Zabihi
returned to eastern Kurdistan.
It did not take long when the new established Islamic Republic crush
the Kurdish uprising in Eastern Kurdistan by exposing a war as their
previous monarchic masters. Zabihi went to exile again in Baghdad in
1980. There is no news from Zabihi since 1981.
Publications
Qamúsî zimanî Kurdî, Ebdu Rehmanî Zebîhî, Dubare capî 1988
Abdull Rahman Haji Ma'ref (1940-
2007)
Dr. Abdull Rahman Haji Maref (Kurdish: Ew-
Rehman Hajî Marif, was without a doubt one
of the best Kurdish contemporary linguists. His
academic and scholarly works form the bases
for many modern Kurdish linguistic standards. As such, his loss will
be greatly felt in all aspects of research on the Kurdish language and
culture.
Dr Haji Ma‘rif was born in 11th Sep 1940 in the City of Silémanî in
Baban Province in Kurdistan (Iraqi Kurdistan). He finished his
primary school at Giwéjhe primary school for boys. In his writings as
a young student, he showed his interest and dedication to Kurdish and
non-Kurdish literature.
The young Adul Ma‘rif known to his friends as ―Sikalla‖ managed to
publish couple of articles in the Journal ―Hîwa‖ between 1959 and
1960. He finished his high school in Silémanî before starting his
higher education at the University of Baghdad in 1960. He studied for
a year at the college of Literature before his ambition lead him for
getting higher education in Soviet Union in 1961. He gained
admission to what was known then as the University of Leningrad (St.
Petersburg). He finished his B.Sc. and M.Sc. studies in Russian
Literature with Honour degree.
The following years he put his academic achievements into the
context of his personal background--which was quite dear to his hear-
-by working on his doctoral studies on Kurdish Language and
Literature at the Academy of Middle Eastern Studies in Leningrad in
1969. He was supervised by the renown Kurdish scholar, Professor
Qenat Kurdo. He obtained his PhD in Kurdish Language with an
honour degree in 1972.
In 1973, the young and ambitious Dr Ma‘rif returned to his native
town after 11 years of absence. Soon he was given a position at the
Iraqi Academy in Bagdad. He became an active member of the
Kurdish Study Group at the Iraqi Academy ―Korrî Zanyarî Bexda –
beshî Kurdî‖. With his academic skills and scholarly work he
managed to become one of the active contributors to the Study Group
and published many articles in the Academy‘s Journal ―Govarî Korrî
Zanyarî Kurd le Bexda‖.
While still a professor in Kurdish language and Literature at the
University of Baghdad, in 1986 he published his well-known
controversial book ―Writing Kurdish with Arabic alphabet‖1, where
he gives a well-argued account on historical perspective of Kurdish
writing system and the critical analysis of many bottlenecks in using
Arabic alphabet for Kurdish. He emphasised in an interview with
Kirkuk based ―Newshefeq‖ Journal in 2004 that:
―Even though the Iraqi authority hardly accepts us to speak about the
Kurdish identity of Kirkuk, they will much less listen to the
discussion of writing Kurdish with Latin alphabet. Now, this
bickering between Arab chauvinism and our (Kurds) simple ideas for
unchaining the Kurdish language of all its obstacles have made both
sides sound immature.
In 1986, I managed to publish a book ―Writing Kurdish with Arabic
Alphabet‖. 1 Besides giving an academic account to all aspects of this
issue, I also direct the readers that writing Kurdish with Latin
alphabets will solve many problems related to Kurdish writing
practices. For example, regarding the shape of the Kurdish vowels I
wrote: ―We know that the Arabic alphabet have been modified so it
can be used for writing Kurdish. The shapes of some vowel letters
cause problems in writing them and there are many obstacles related
to them that need to be solved. But if we look at this issue in the Latin
based writing system, we do not find the same problem. Base on this
argument I believe that the Latin based alphabet is more suitable for
writing in Kurdish.‖ 2
Dr. Abdull Rahman Haji Maref died in an unfortunate car accident on
Monday the 8th of July 2007 in front of his house in Silémanî. He was
buried in that city‘s Girdi Seywan cemetery. He was without a doubt
one of the leading linguists in all of Kurdistan. His death is a great
loss for the Kurdish linguists and the Kurdish Nation at large.
Publications
A.R. Hajî Marif, Wishey zimanî Kurdî, Bexdad, 1975.
A.R. Hajî Marif, Zimanî Kurdî le ber roshnayî fonetîkda, Bexdad,
1976.
A.R. Hajî Marif, Wushe ronan le zimanî Kurdîda, Bexdad, 1977.
A.R. Hajî Marif, Ma kutiba 'an al-lughat al-kurdiyye, Bexdad, 1978.
A.R. Hajî Marif, Rézmané Kurdî, bergî yekem, morfolojîya, beshî
yekem, naw, Bexdad, 1981.
A.R. Hajî Marif, Núsînî Kurdî be elfubéy Erebî, Bexdad, 1986.
A.R. Hajî Marif, Rézmané Kurdî, bergî yekem, wushe sazî, beshî
duwem, jénaw,. Bexdad, 1987
A.R. Hajî Marif, Raberî sercawe le barey zimanî Kurdîyewe, Bexdad,
1987.
A.R. Hajî Marif, Rézmané Kurdî, bergî séhem, awellnaw, Bexdad,
1993
A.R. Hajî Marif, Rézmané Kurdî, bergî cuwarem, jhimare u awell-
kirdar. Bexdad, 1998
Amir Hassanpour (1943)
Fri, 16/05/2008 - 00:25 — Admin
Prof. Amir Hassanpour (Kurdish: Emîr
Hesenpúr, was born in 1943 in Mahabad in
Mukrîyan Province in Kurdistan. He did his
primary school in Mehabad before he moved
to Tehran for his secondary school at Dar-ol-
Fonun Secondary School in 1961. He began
his undergraduate studies in economics at University of Tehran
(1961), and finished a B.A. in English language in 1964. He studied
in Teacher's Training College in Tehran (1965), and for a short time
taught in the secondary schools of Mahabad in 1965-66. He was
drafted into the Development and Extension Corp of the army and
worked at the Land Reform office of Mahabad 1966-68.
In 1968, he began studying linguistics at Tehran University (M.A.,
1970) and finished his doctoral work (ABD, 1972), while teaching for
a year at the University of Tehran; he went to the university of Illinois
in Urbana-Champaign, where he studied communications (Ph.D,
1989), sociolinguistics and contemporary Middle Eastern history.
Dr. Hassanpour moved to Canada in 1986, and taught
communications studies at the University of Windsor and Concordia
University in Montreal. He is now an Assistant Professor at the
Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of
Toronto. His research and teaching interests include international
communication, Canadian communication and culture, broadcasting
policy, communication theory, and Middle Eastern and Kurdish
politics and culture.
He is the author of "Nationalism and Language in Kurdistan, 1918-
1985" (San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1992). He
has made numerous contributions to academic journals, the
Encyclopedia of Television, and Encyclopaedia Iranica.
Publications
Language & Literature
―Kurdi wek zimaneki cut-standard‖ [Kurdish as a bi-standard
language], Rojname [Iraq], No. 206, April 24, 2008, p. 11. [in
Kurdish]
―‗Ferhengî Zarekî‘ le xulî têknolojî ziman da‖ (―‘Oral Dictionary‘ in
the era of technologies of language), in Selah Payanyani (compiler),
A Dictionary of Oral Mukri Kurdish/Ferhengî Zarekî Mukriyan, Vol.
1, Mahabad, Iran, Rahrav Publications, 2006, pp. 13-77
―The tongue has no bone, but it breaks many bones,‖ Idea&s: The
Arts & Science Review [Faculty of Arts & Science, University of
Toronto], Autumn 2006, 3 (2), pp. 22-23;
―Kurdish on death row,‖ Ideas: The Arts & Science Review [Faculty
of Arts & Science, University of Toronto], 3 (2), pp. 32-35.
"Kuristan‘da Milliyetçilik ve Dil, 1918-1985", (Istanbul, Avesta
Publishers, 2005) translated by Ibrahim Bingol and Cemil Gundogan,
(translation of Amir Hassanpour, Nationalism and Language in
Kurdistan, 1918-1985. San Francisco: Mellen Research University
Press, 1992).
2001 ―The (re)production of patriarchy in the Kurdish language,‖ in
Mojab, Shahrzad (ed.), Women of a Non-State Nation: The Kurds,
Costa Mesa, CA, Mazda Publishers, pp. 227-63.
―The politics of a-political linguistics: Linguists and linguicide,‖ in
Robert Phillipson (ed.), Rights to Language: Equity, Power and
Education, Mahawi, New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, In.,
Publishers, 2000 , pp. 33-39.
1999 "Language rights in the emerging world linguistic order: The
state, the market and communication technologies,‖ in M. Kontra, R.
Phillipson & T. Skutnabb-Kangas (eds.), Language: A Right and a
Resource: Approaching Linguistic Human Rights. Budapest, Central
European University Press, pp. 223-41.
"Berengarî barî baw bûn: Awirrêk le jiyanî 'Ebdulrrehmanî Zebîhî
'ulema' (1920-198?")" [Resisting the "status quo": A look at the life of
AbdulRahman Zabihi "Ulama" (1920-198?)], in Ali Kerimi (ed.),
Jiyan û Beserhatî 'Ebdulrrehmanî Zebîhî ''Mamosta 'Ulema,"
Goteborg, Sweden, Zagros Media, pp. 15-51.
"Berbîngî zimanî kurdî berbiden!" [Leave the Kurdish language
alone!], in Ali Kerimi (ed.), Jiyan û Beserhatî 'Ebdulrrehmanî Zebîhî
''Mamosta 'Ulema" Goteborg, Sweden, Zagros Media, pp. 447-63.
―The identity of Hewrami speakers: Reflections on the theory and
ideology of comparative philology,‖ in Anthology of Gorani Kurdish
Poetry, edited by A. Soltani, London, Soane Trust for Kurdistan, 1998
, pp. 35-49.
―Edeb,‖ Encyclopædia Iranica, Vol. VIII, 1997, p. 174.
"The non-education of the Kurds," (with T. Skutnabb-Kangas & M.
Chyet), International Review of Education (special issue: "Education
of Minorities"), Vol. 42, No. 4, 1995, pp. 367-379, Translated into
Turkish: ―Kürtlerin eğitilmemesi: Kürdi bir perspektif‖ (―The
education of the Kurds: A Kurdish perspective,‖ translated by Ömer
Kurhan), Vesta, 2: 248-61, Winter 2004.
"The internationalization of language conflict: The case of Kurdish,"
in E. Fraenkel and C. Kramer (eds.), Language Contact-Language
Conflict. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 1993, pp. 107-55.
"The pen and the sword: Literacy, education and revolution in
Kurdistan," in P. Freebody and A. Welsh (eds.), Knowledge, Culture
and Power: International Perspectives on Literacy as Policy and
Practice. London: The Falmer Press, pp. 23-54. Translated into
Kurdish by Azad Sediq Mihemed in Êsta, No. 8, September 1997, pp.
14-27.
"State policy on the Kurdish language: The politics of status
planning," Kurdish Times [New York], Vol. 4, No. 1-2, Summer/Fall,
1991, pp. 42-85.
History and Politics
―Navad o sevumnin salgard-e zhenoside mellathaye Armani va
Ashuri‖ [24 April 2008: 93rd anniversary of the genocide of
Armenian and Assyrian nations], Shahrvand [Toronto], Vol. 17, No.
1147, April 24, 2008, pp. 5, 78-80. [in Persian]
―Helebce duway bist salan‖ [Halabja twenty years later: Kurdistan as
a ‗Zone of Genocide‘] Part I: Kurdistan Report, No. 405, March 16, p.
6: Part II: No. 406, March 17, 2008, p. 6
―Şerefname: Devletleşme, műlkilik ve egemenlik,‖ [Sharafnameh:
state ormation, territoriality and sovereignty], Yazinca [Boğaziçi
Űniversitesi, Edebiyat Kulűbű, Istanbul], translated by Onur Gűnay
and Fırat Bozçalı, Sayi, 8, 2007, pp. 1-28. Reprinted as introduction
to a new edition of Şerefname published by Avesta in Istanbul in
2008.
Review of Hakan Ozoglu book, "Kurdish Notables and the Ottoman
State: Evolving Identities," Competing Loyalties, and Shifting
Boundaries. (SUNY Series in Middle Eastern Studies. Albany: State
University of New York Press, 2004. xv + 186 pp. Maps, notes,
bibliography, index.) in H-Net Review (H-TURK)
―The dangers of Iran‘s Holocaust denial,‖ (with Shahrzad Mojab),
Toronto Star, February 14, p. A17.
"A Political-social movements. Ethnic and minority: Iran and
Afghanistan,‖ in Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures
(Leiden: Brill), Vol. 2, 2005, pp. 571-73.
"Kurds",@ Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
(Detroit: Macmillan Reference), Vol. 2, pp. 632-637.
―Ninety Years Later: The Armenian Genocide Continues,‖ CTV.ca
translated into French by Louise Kiffer: ―90 ans plus tard, le génocide
arménien se poursuit‖ (publié le : 11-05-2005)
"Kurdish revolts", @ Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and
North Africa (Detroit: Macmillan Reference), Vol. 2, pp. 1339-42;
AAbd al-Rahman Qasemlu,@
"Kurdish diaspora", (with Shahrzad Mojab), @ in Encyclopedia of
Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World (New
York: Kluwer Academic, 2004), Vol. 1, 2004, pp. 214-24.
―Tabligh-e nezhad-parasti va nefrat dar ghaleb-e ‗name-ye
khanandegan‘‖ [Propagating racism and hate under the guise of ―letter
to the editor‖], Shahrvand (Toronto), No. 872, March 16, 2004, p. 2.
"Mihan va melat-e Arya-i Tabligh-e nefrat va zhenosid", @ [The
Aryan homeland and nation: The propagation of hate and genocide],
Shahrvand, Vol. 13, No. 886, May 7, 2004, pp. 3, 58, 60-62.
―Negahi enteqadi be konfarans-e ―adabiyat va khalaqiyat-e honari-ye
zanan dar Iran‖ [A critical Glance at the conference on ―Women‘s
Literary and Artistic Creativity in Contemporary Iran], Shahrvand
(Toronto), No. 941, November 26, 2004.
―Honour killing: Nationalist and (post)-modernist politics and
perspectives,‖ Gzing: Cultural-Literary Kurdish Magazine, No. 37,
Winter 2003, pp. 19-33. [in Kurdish]
―Kurdewari, a patriarchal culture: An interview,‖ [in Kurdish], Gzing:
Cultural-Literary Kurdish Magazine, No. 36, Fall 2003, pp. 10-18.
―The making of Kurdish identity: Pre-20th century historical and
literary sources,‖ in Abbas Vali (ed.), Essays on the Origins of
Kurdish Nationalism. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, pp. 106-
162.
―Diaspora, homeland and communication technologies,‖ in Karim H.
Karim (ed.), The Media of Diaspora: Mapping the Globe (Routledge,
2003), pp. 76-88.
―Thoughts on the struggle against ‗honor killing‘,‖ (with Shahrzad
Mojab), The International Journal of Kurdish Studies, Vol. 16, Nos. 1
and 2, 2002, pp. 83-97.
―The politics and culture of ‗honour killing‘: The murder of Fadime
Şahindal,‖ (with Sharzad Mojab), Pakistan Journal of Women‘s
Studies: Alam-e Niswan, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2002, pp. 57-77.
―Berew têgeyiştin ű berberekanî kiridinî Enfal‖ (Towards
understanding and resisting [the genocide of] Anfal), Anfal: A
Documentation and Research Magazine, No. 1, 2000, pp. 10-20.
"Kürt Diliyle Ilgili Devlet Politiklari ve Dil Haklar", (State Policy on
the Kurdish Language and Language Rights), translated by Cemil
Gündo, Istanbul, Turkey, Avesta [Publications], 1997.
"Review of Agha, Shaikh and State: The Social and Political
Structures of Kurdistan", (by Matin van Bruinessen, London, Zed
Books, 1992) in Iranian Studies, Vol. 29, Nos 1-2, Winter-Spring, pp.
200-204.
"Stalîn, qeyranî şorişî w rûxanî komarî azerbaycan û kurdistan"
[Stalin, revolutionary situation, and the fall of Azerbaijan and
Kurdistan republics], Gzing, No. 13, Fall, pp. 15-25.
"The politics of nationality and ethnic diversity," (with Sh. Mojab), in
S. Rahnema and S. Behdad (eds.), Iran after the Revolution: Crisis of
an Islamic State, London, I. B. Tauris, pp. 229-50.
"Dimdim," Encyclopædia Iranica, Vol. VII, Costa Mesa, California,
Mazda Publishers, pp. 404-405.
"The Kurdish experience," Middle East Report, Vol. 24, No. 4 (189),
July-August, 1994, pp. 2-7, 23.
Review of "Azerbaijan: Ethnicity and Autonomy in Twentieth-
Century Iran", (by T. Atabaki, London: The British Academic Press,
1993), in CIRA Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 10-12.
Review of "A People Without a Country: The Kurds and Kurdistan"
(ed., Gerard Chaliand, New York, Olive Branch Press, 1993), in
Middle East Journal, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 731-32.
Review of "The Kurds of Iraq: Tragedy and Hope" (Michael Gunter,
New York, St. Martin's Press, 1992), in Middle East Studies
Association Bulletin, Vol. 28, No. 1, July, pp. 90-91.
"Kurdish studies: Orientalist, positivist and critical approaches,"
review article in Middle East Journal, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 119-122;
rejoinder, Ibid., Vol. 47, No. 3, 1993, pp. 572-76.
Review of "The Kurds: A Concise Handbook" ( by M. Izady,
Washington: Crane Russak, 1992) in CIRA Newsletter, Vol. 9, No. 1,
1993, pp. 14-16.
"Nationalism and Language in Kurdistan, 1918-1985", San
Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1992.
"Bayt [popular ballad]," "Bukan," and "Çahriq," Encyclopædia
Iranica, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, Vol. IV, 1989, pp. 11-12,
511, 644-45.
"Bahdinan" and "Baradust," Encyclopædia Iranica, London:
Routledge & Kegan Paul, Vol. III, 1988, pp. 485, 739-40.
"Kurdistan Missionary'--unikt historiskt dokument," Svensk-Kurdisk
Journal [Stockholm], Nr. 8, 1987, pp. 16-18.
Media and Culture
―Tab‘id va teknolozhi-ye ertebatat‖ (Exile and communication
technologies), Arash (Persian language magazine, Paris), No. 100,
2007, pp. 368-61.
In Encyclopedia of Television, H. Newcomb (ed.), Chicago, Fitzroy
Dearborn Publishers, Second Revised Edition, 2005:
―Captioning," Vol. 1, pp. pp. 452-533
―Dubbing," Vol. 1, pp. 764-65
―Language and television," Vol. 2, pp. 1313-18
―Subtitling," Vol. 3, pp. 2219-21
―Voice-over,‖ Vol. 3, p. 2456.
―Images of war and the war of images, @ Daylight Magazine [New
York], No. 2., Summer 2004, pp. 54-55.
―Diaspora, homeland and communication technologies,‖ in Karim H.
Karim (ed.), The Media of Diaspora: Mapping the Globe, Routledge,
2003, pp. 76-88.
―Lapdogs or watchdogs,‖ University of Toronto Bulletin, Vol. 56, No.
16, April 7, 2003, p. 11.
In Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, Berkshire Reference
Works/Scribners, 2002, USA:
―Language purification,‖ Vol. 3, p. 442
―Mass media --West Asia,‖ Vol. 4, pp. 114-15
―Self-censorship,‖ Vol. 5, p. 145
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, (with S. Blum),
London, Macmillan, 2001:
―Kamkars,‖ Vol. 13, p. 343.
―Said Ali Asghar Kurdistani,‖ Vol. 14, pp. 41-42.
―Mihammad Mamili,‖ Vol. 15, p. 718.
―Miryam Khan,‖ Vol. 16, p. 752.
―Şivan Perwer,‖ Vol. 19, p. 477.
―Naser Razzazi,‖ Vol. 20, p. 890.
―Homeland and Hostland: Iranian press in Canada,‖ ISIM
[International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World]
Newsletter, No. 8, September, pp. 1, 34.
―Modernity, popular sovereignty and the Kurdish question: A
rejoinder to Argun,‖ Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 19, No.
1, 1999, pp. 105-114.
―Satellite footprints as national borders: Med-TV and the
extraterritoriality of state sovereignty,‖ Journal of Muslim Minority
Affairs, Vol. 18, No. 1, 1998, pp. 53-72.
―The MED-TV story,‖ InteRadio: The Magazine of the World
Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, Vol. 10, No. 2,
December, pp. 8-9.
"Majority censorship, minority broadcasting", @ contribution to the
Virtual Conference: The Right to Communicate and the
Communication of Rights, May 11-June 26, 1998, Translated into
Turkish: ―Çoğunluk sansürü, azınlık yayımcılığı,‖ translator Ömer
Kurhan, Vesta (Istanbul), Fall 2003, No.1, pp. 264-76.
"Med-TV, Großbritannien und der türkische staat: Die suche einer
staatenlosen nation nach souveränität am äther‖ (MED-TV, Britain
and the Turkish state: A stateless nation's quest for sovereignty in the
sky), in Ethnizität, Nationalismus, Religion und Politik in Kurdistan,
edited by C. Brock, E. Savelsberg and S. Hajo, Münster, Germany,
Lit Verlag, 1997, pp. 239-78.
In Encyclopedia of Television, H. Newcomb (ed.), Chicago, Fitzroy
Dearborn Publishers:
―Captioning," Vol. 1, pp. 310-311
―Dubbing," Vol. 1, p. 533
―Language and television," Vol. 2, pp. 923-26
―Subtitling," Vol. 3, pp. 1590-91
―Voice-over,‖ Vol. 3, p. 1775.
"The creation of Kurdish media culture," in P. Kreyenbrock & C.
Allison (eds.), Kurdish Culture and Identity, London, Zed Books Ltd,
1996, pp. 48-84.
―Sovereignty in the sky," War Report [London, Institute for War and
Peace Reporting], No. 47, November/December, pp. 44-45.
"‗The morning of freedom rose up‘: Kurdish popular songs and the
exigencies of cultural survival," (with S. Blum), Popular Music, Vol.
15, No. 3, pp. 325-43.
Review of The Making of Exile Cultures: Iranian Television in Los
Angeles (by H. Naficy, Minneapolis, The University of Minnesota
Press, 1994), in Iranian Studies, Vol. 29, Nos. 3-4, pp. 378-81.
Getting the Real Story: Censorship and Propaganda in South Africa
(Edited by G. Sperling & J. McKenzie. Calgary, Alberta: Detseling
Enterprises Ltd., 1990) in Canadian Journal of Communication, 1993,
Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 247-49
Questions and Theory
Farhang-e estelahat-e falsaf-e va te‘ori (Dictionary of Philosophical
and Theoretical terms) published in Bazr, 2007:
―Chap va rast‖ [Left and Right], Bazr, No. 19, June (Tir)
2007, pp. 6-9
―Tabaghe, Part I‖ [Social class], Bazr, No. 21, November
2007, pp. 14-17.
―Tabaghe, Part II‖ [Social class], Bazr, No. 24, February 2008,
pp. 14-17.
Review of Slavoy Žižek‘s books: V.I. Lenin, Revolution at the Gates
(Verso, 2004); Maximilien Robspierre, Virtue and Terror (Verso,
2007); Mao Tse-Tung, On Practice and Contradiction (Verso, 2007),
Saamaan No, No. 2, pp. 200-213.
―Kurd êste tenya….,‖ Rojhelat (Sanandaj, Iran), No. Zero, 19
January 2004, p. 10; ―Kam modêrnîite?...,‖ No. 3, p. 11
"Kurdayetî w kêşey tiyorî: Kurd wek netewey medenî" [Kurdish
nationalism and the question of theory: Kurds as a civic nation],
Havîbûn, No. 9, 2001, pp. 6-27.
"Kurdayetî w kêşey tiyorî" [Kurdish nationalism and the question of
theory], Havîbûn, No. 6, 1999, pp. 10-18.
"Kurdayetî w kêşey tiyorî" [Kurdish nationalism and the question of
theory], Havîbûn, Nos. 2-3, 1998, pp. 26-30; No. 4, 1998, pp. 10-19.
―Çend basî tiyorî sebaret be mêjûy rojnamegerî kurdî" [Some
theoretical debates about the history of Kurdish journalism], Gzing,
No. 20, Summer 1377/1998, pp. 8-13.
Interviews
―Kurd va andisheye chap‖ [Kurds and left thought], Rojav [Tehran],
Nos. 5-6, Winter and Spring 2007, pp. 245-54.
―Tiyorî w mêjûy mîdiya‖ [Theory and history of media], Rojhelat,
2006, No. 61, p. 11; No. 62, pp. 11-12
―Bo kurdi tene azadiya miringe heye‖ [For Kurdish there is only the
freedom to die], interview by Mazlum Dogan, in Tiroj, Vol. 3, No. 13,
April 2005, pp. 24-26.
―Amrazî rageyandinî giştî w kêşey deselat‖ [Mass media and the
question of power], Kurdistani New (Nö) (Kurdish Daily, Sulemani,
Iraq), No. 3743, Aug 8, p. 9.
―Witûwêjêî govarî Pêşrew le gel…‖ [Interview of Peshraw magazine
with…], Peshrew (Persian biweekly): No. 210, Sep 1-15, pp. 4-6; No.
211, Sep 15-30, pp. 5-6 [on mass media]
―Negahi be kuch-e Marivan va jonpesh-ha-ye dehghan-i-ye
Kordestan‖ [A look at the decampment of (the people of) Marivan
and the peasant movements of Kurdistan], Haghighat, No. 25,
November 2005, pp. 9-12.
―Iranian Kurds,‖ Shahrvand (English Section), May 31, 2005.
―Barî êstey Êraq‖ [The present situation in Iraq], Payam (Gotenberg,
Sweden), June, Part I: No. 11, pp. 2, 6; Part II: No. 12, August, pp. 2-
3, 8; Part III: ?; Part IV: No. 15, October 2004, pp. 2-3.
―Dar rabete ba hamle-ye nezami-ye Amrika be ‗Aragh, owza‘e ati va
mas‘ale-ye Kord‖ [About the military offensive of the US against
Iraq, the forthcoming situation, and the Kurdish question], Jahan-e
Emrouz, No. 103, First Half of April 2003/Nime-ye avval-e farvardin
1982, pp. 2-3.
―Mellat, mas‘ale-ye melli va jonbesh-ha-ye melli-ye Kordestan‖
[Nation, the national question and the nationalist movements of
Kurdistan], Jahan-e Emrouz, No. 36, January 1999/Dey 1377.
Translated into Kurdish by Hêdî, ―Netewe, w meseley neteweyî w
bizûutnewe neteweîyekanî Kurdistan,‖ Gzing, No. 23, Spring 1378
(1999), pp. 5-11.
―Witûwêjêk sebaret be zimanewanî w edebî Kurdewarî‖ [An
interview about linguistics and Kurdish literature], Gzing (Cultural
magazine, Sweden), No. 1, November, 1993, pp. 6-10.
―Divê azadîya her lehçêyê hebe‖ [Every dialect should enjoy
freedom], Armanc (Literary, Cultural Monthly, Stockholm), Hejmar
134, Çileya Pêşîn/December 1992, rûpel 6-7.
Cecil John Edmonds (1889-1979)
Cecil John Edmonds (Kurdish: Sisîl Jan
Idmonds, a Royal British diplomat was born
26 October 1889, youngest son of Revd.
Walter and Laura Edmonds. He was Educated
at Bedford School; Christ‘s Hospital and
Pembroke College, Cambridge. Edmonds
Joined Levant Consular Service as student interpreter. In 1910 he was
acting Vice-Consul, Bushire. In 1913 he became Assistant Political
Officer in Mesopotamia, and 1915 (Temp. Captain), South West
Persia. Edmonds served as Political Officer, British Forces North
West Persia in 1917.
He became an important factor in Kurdistan modern history when in
1919 was pointed as Special Duty in S. Kurdistan. Edmonds became
the Divisional Adviser and Administrative Inspector in the Kirkuk
and Suleimani provinces under Iraq Govt. in 1922. These are the year
after match of World War I when the Ottoman empire (1299–1923)
dissolved and new nations were born in Middle East.
Edmonds was given the position of Political Officer with military
columns in Kurdistan in 1924. He was an skilled linguist with good
knowledge in Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Kurdish which gave him
the opportunity to become Liaison Officer with League of Nations
Commission of Inquiry into frontier between Iraq and Turkey in 1925.
This is the time when he became a close friend of Colonel Tofiq
Wahby (1891-1984) a native Kurdish officer from Ottoman army in
Suleimani. Their relation had a great impact in Wahby's work for
codifying the Kurdish written language. The Kurdish aspiration for
nation building did miss one crucial factor namely an official
administration language.
Edmonds‘ emphasis on the need to unify the Kurdish language by
turning Middle Kurdish (Soranî) into the official dialect in southern
Kurdistan was meant to establish Kurdish on the same footing as
Arabic and to dismiss the governments attempt to undermine its
political importance. Edmonds was also the first scholar to transcribe
Kurdish into Latin characters, as no offcial Kurdish alphabet existed.
He believed it was important to use the Latin alphabet in order to
distinguish Kurdish from the area's two dominant vernaculars, Arabic
and Persian.
Edmindes influence led to introducing of first ever Kurdish alphabet
which was dominated by English Latin based alphabet. The strongest
and most effective opponent to the proposed Alphabet for Kurdish
was the Iraqi government, which rejected alphabet reform or change
as an expression of Kurdish particularism or "separatism." Among the
Kurds themselves, opposition came from two sources. A conservative
group opposed Romanization because of either religious
considerations or their links with the central government (Jemal
Nebez 1957). The religious opponents chanted En ' Latînî ye, Ladînî
ye ' This Latinization is irreligiosity' (Jemal Nebez 1976). Edmonds
wrote several articles on Kurdish language codification with Latin
alphabet. The most influential on was "Suggestions for the Use of
Latin Character in the Writing of Kurdish" published in The Journal
of the Royal Asiatic Society, London, January 1931.
Edmonds became the Assistance Adviser of the Ministry of Interior in
Iraq in 1926. His influential position made him a Consular in 1928.
His expertise was needed in every frontier of new born nations in
Middle East under British mandate. He then became the British
Assessor at the League of Nations Commission of Inquiry into the
frontier between Iraq and Syria in 1932. Member Of Demarcation
Commission of Iraqi-Syrian Frontier in 1933. Later same year he was
appointed to Advisory of the Ministry For Foreign Affairs in Iraq in
1933. Member of Iraqi Delegation to the League of Nations in 1932-
38. Right before and during World War II he held the position of
Adviser to the Ministry of the Interior Iraq 1935-45.
Edmonds served the United Kingdom in years to come as Consul-
General in 1937, CMG 1941, UK Permanent Delegate to International
Refugee Organisation in 1947, and Minister in HM Foreign Service in
1948 till he was retired in 1950.
Edmondes used his expertise from Kurdistan when he became a
Lecturer in Kurdish at SOAS between 1951-57. He managed to
publish a Kurdish English dictionary with Wahby in 1966. Edmondes
died in 11 June 1979.
Publication
"Suggestions for the Use of Latin Character in the Writing of
Kurdish" published in The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,
London, January 1931
"Some Developments in the use of Latin Character For the Writing of
Kurdish", The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, London, January
1933, pp.
"A Kurdish-English dictionary", T. Wahby and Cecil John Edmonds,
1966, Oxford Press
Sources:
Political thought and political history: studies in memory of Elie
Kedourie "Dating the past: C. J. Edmonds and the Invention of
Modern Iraq", 2003
David Neil MacKenzie (1926-2001)
Prof. , linguist: born London 8 April 1926;
Lecturer in Kurdish, Soas, London
University 1955-61, Lecturer in Iranian
Languages 1961-65, Reader 1965-75;
Professor, Göttingen University 1975-94
(Emeritus); FBA 1996; married 1951 Gina
Schaefer (three sons, one daughter; marriage dissolved 1981), 1981
Gabriela Hoffmann (marriage dissolved 1988); died Bangor,
Gwynedd 13 October 2001.
D. N. MacKenzie was a polyglot whose linguistic knowledge was
remarkable in both range and depth. Generally recognised as the
world's leading authority on modern Kurdish and medieval
Khwarezmian, he also made distinguished contributions to the study
of many other Iranian languages, including Pashto, Pahlavi and
Sogdian, at the same time displaying enviable competence in non-
Iranian languages such as Arabic and Chinese.
Neil MacKenzie – he never used his first name, David – was born in
London in 1926 and attended a succession of schools in Slough,
Windsor and Cambridge before enlisting as a "boy soldier" in 1943.
During the two years preceding the partition of India in 1947 he was
stationed in the North-West Frontier Province, where he learned
Pashto and thus became interested in the Iranian family of languages.
On his return to civilian life he enrolled at the
School of Oriental and African Studies in
London, where he graduated with a BA in
Persian and an MA in Old and Middle Iranian.
After fieldwork in Kurdistan, MacKenzie
obtained his PhD in 1957 with a thesis later
published as Kurdish Dialect Studies (1961-62).
This work provided for the first time a sound
basis for a classification of the numerous dialects of Kurdish.
Together with a series of early articles on the history of Kurdish and
its relationship to other West Iranian languages it immediately
established MacKenzie's reputation both as an Iranist and as a general
linguist.
MacKenzie had been appointed Lecturer in Kurdish at Soas in 1955,
but the title did not do justice to the breadth of his interests. In 1961 it
was changed to Lecturer in Iranian Languages and in 1965 he was
promoted to Reader. During the Sixties he wrote and published
important books on Pashto literature and on the Gorani dialect of
Awroman as well as on Kurdish, his ever- expanding range giving the
lie to a former colleague's description of "poor MacKenzie" as "the
man who knows all the dialects and none of the languages", a phrase
that he enjoyed quoting.
At the same time he began to turn his attention to earlier Iranian
languages, immersing himself successively in Middle Persian or
Pahlavi (together with Judaeo-Persian and other archaic forms of
Persian), Sogdian and Khwarezmian.
A particularly important achievement was his elaboration of the first
scientific system of transcribing Pahlavi. This system, presented in
two modestly titled works, "Notes on the Transcription of Pahlavi"
(an article in the Soas Bulletin, 1967) and A Concise Pahlavi
Dictionary (1971), has since been widely adopted. The modesty was
typical of a scholar who never took his scholarship too seriously and
who once wrote of his work:
At times I think that etymology should be classed as a "social disease"
– perhaps requiring one to ring a little bell to warn the healthy.
In 1975 MacKenzie was appointed to the Chair of Oriental Philology
at the University of Göttingen, an appointment which was all the
more gratifying because he thus became the successor (at several
removes) of F.C. Andreas, the teacher of his own much-revered
mentor, W.B. Henning. During his 20 years in Göttingen his
productivity continued unabated, and by 1990 he had 10 books to his
credit as sole or joint author.
MacKenzie's scholarly output was substantial by any standards. It
would surely have been even more so if he had not devoted so much
of his time to the work of others. He was the de facto editor of many
important publications, though seldom credited as such on the title-
page. Having acquired a personal computer earlier than most in his
field, he came to be known as an expert in the production of camera-
ready copy, a chore which he generously undertook for many pupils
and colleagues.
An upholder of the highest standards of scholarship, MacKenzie was
fearsome as an examiner or reviewer. His criticism could be caustic,
since he detested sloppiness and had no time for tactful
circumlocutions; but those who had the courage to submit their work
to him in advance of publication knew that it would be worth their
while to endure a certain amount of mortification for the sake of his
penetrating comments. A friend once wrote that MacKenzie's
"spirited directness of speech" was respected by those who knew him
well as an indication of his personal integrity. One aspect of this
integrity was to apply the same standards to his own work as to
others', to accept criticism and admit mistakes, often with self-
deprecating humour.
After his retirement in 1994 MacKenzie settled in North Wales. His
return to Britain was immediately followed by his election as a Fellow
of the British Academy. He had already been honoured in 1991 by a
Festschrift, Corolla Iranica, and in 1999 his collected papers, Iranica
Diversa, were published in two volumes. In retirement he was not
content to rest on his laurels but continued to seek new challenges,
investigating the little-known Zaza language at the same time as
working on a longstanding project, the compilation of a Khwarezmian
dictionary.
It is a matter of extreme regret that the latter remains unfinished.
Source: Nicholas Sims-Williams, Professor D. N. MacKenzie, The
Independent, 22 October 2001
List of Publications
Bāǰalānī, D. N. MacKenzie, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and
African Studies, University of London, Vol. 18, No. 3, In Honour of J.
R. Firth (1956), pp. 418-435 (article consists of 18 pages)
Kurdish dialect studies, 2 vol., London: Oxford University Press,
1961-62.
The Language of the Medians, In BSOAS 22, 1959, pp. 354-55.
Reviewed work(s): A Kurdish Grammar: Descriptive Analysis of the
Kurdish of Sulaimaniya, Iraq by Ernest N. McCarus, Bulletin of the
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol.
22, No. 1/3 (1959), pp. 591-592
Zoroastrian Astrology in the Bundahishn, BSOAS, 27, 3, 1964, 511-
29.
The Origins of Kurdish, In Transactions of the Philological Society,
pp. 68-86, 1961
The Dialect of Awroman (Hawrâman-î Luhôn). Grammatical Sketch,
Texts, and Vocabulary, Københaven, 1966.
The ―Sûtra of the Causes and Effects of Actions‖ in Sogdian, London,
1970.
A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary, Oxford University Press, London,
1971.
The Buddist Sogdian Texts of the British Library, Acta Iranica, 10,
Téhéran-Liège, 1976.
The Khwarezmian element in the Qunyat al-munya, Author: Zahidi
al-Ghazmini, Mukhtar ibn Mahmud, d. 1260, 1990.
Corolla Iranica, Papers in honour of Prof. Dr. David Neil MacKenzie
on the occasion of his 65th birthday on the eighth of April 1991, ed.
R.E. Emmerick and D. Weber, Frankfurt am Main, 1991.
Iranica Diversa, 2 vols., SOR, LXXXIV, 1-2, Roma, 1999.
Hassan Ghazi (1946)
Hassan Ghazi (Kurdish: Hesen Qazî, was
born in the city of Mahabad (Sablax) in
Mukriyan Province. He was born in the
residency of the president of Kurdistan
Republic of 1946, Qazi Muhammad. Like
many Kurdish intellectuals of his time he has
been forced to spend most of his adult life in exile. His long life
passion for linguistic research started early in his life when he
collected Kurdish ballads and words in Mukriyan villages and
studied their etymological roots. In early 70s he was honoured to be
one of few students of Kurdish legendary linguist T. Wehbi in
London. He says "T. Wehbi was an amazing teacher. In his class
everything was about "purity "of Kurdish language and deep studies
of words and their etymological roots. He was very much concerned
with Kurdish phonetics in his lectures, a subject which most of the
students found difficult".
H. Ghazi has published several dictionaries such as a Swedish-
Kurdish dictionary compiled with Hiwa Cardoi. He also has managed
to publish a few Swedish-Persian and Swedish – Kurdish Social and
political terminology booklets . Hassan Ghazi have translated
numerous information material from Swedish into Kurdish for the
benefit of Kurdish refugees in Sweden. In 1993 he he managed to
publish a translation of the "A new approach to Grammar" by Dr
Muhammad Reza Batini which mainly deals with Chomskiyan
Generative Grammar. He worked as a lecturer at teacher training
school in Stockholm 1986-1987. Ghazi was a Kurdish expert for
evaluating the Kurdish literature at Swedish Cultural Council for 4
years .He has translated into Kurdish a great number of Professor
Martin van Bruinessen's (masterly) essays on Kurdish society from
English into Kurdish and have published them in numerous Kurdish
reviews in Europe. He has worked as program producer and presenter
for couple of Kurdish satellite TV for many years. His program
focused on the scholarly approach to Kurdish issue in particular on
Sociology and linguistics. Among his famous interviews were the
panel with Dr. Tove Skutnabb-Kangas the world renowned expert on
bilingualism and linguistic Human rights, Prof. Amir Hassanpour,
Prof. Martin van Bruinessen, Prof. Kemal Mezher Ahmad and
Iranian linguist and philosopher Dariush Ashuri (please view this
program on Google video), just to name a few.
Hassan Ghazi have been a member of editorial board of several
Kurdish journals. His translations contributed to several Kurdish
coinages in Kurdish which are now popularly used in middle-Kurdish
written language such as "Mangile" for satellite, "péshwecún " for
development and "naséne" for identity. Even the terms "Syd" and
"Nord Kurdiska" ( Southern and Northern Kurdish) is his contribution
to enhance Swedish vocabulary.
Hassan Ghazi is fluent in 5 languages namely Kurdish, Persian,
Swedish, English and Turkish which has enabled him to translate
more than 70 scholarly essays and articles related to different aspect
of Kurdish issues from English, Swedish, Persian and Azerbaijani
Turkish into Kurdish.
In Ghazi's view many obstacles in Kurdish linguistic studies
particularly in Iraqi Kurdistan which Kurdish is recognized as one of
the two official and state languages there is due to the lack of
knowledge about sociolinguistics.
Right now he is working on a pictorial history of Kurdistan republic
of 1946.
List of Publications (to be completed)
Zorbey zimane zînduwekan fire stendard u fire nawend in, Rojhname
No. 228, 26/05/2008
Yexirbun biyutuhum bi eydîhum, Rojname No.#, 14/04/2008
Pévajhoy stendard búnî shéwazekan berdewame, Hawlatî No.423,
18/5/ 2008, p18
Swedish- Kurdish Social terminology, 1993
A New Approach to Grammar, 1993
Swedish-Kurdish Dictionary, co-author Hiwa Cardoi, 1992
Swedish-Persian Social terminology, 1992
Edited Kurdish phonetics by Dr.Kemal Foad, Arzan publishing
House, Sweden, 1985
Ibrahim Amin Balldar (1920-1998)
Ibrahim Amin Baldar (Kurdish: Îbrahîm Emîn
Balldar, was born in 1920 in the city of
Sulaimaniya/Silémanî, the capital of native
Baban province in Kurdistan. He is the
legendary author to the first official Kurdish
textbook "Elfubéy Niwé" published in 1951.
Balldar finished his primary and secondary school in his hometown of
Silémanî. He continued his education at the rural teachers school of
Rustamiyya/Rostamia, receiving his diploma in 1940. He began his
professional career as a teacher in the villages around Silémanî.
Balldar taught in district villages in Hawraman, Surdash, Péjhdar,
Soran as well as Sharîzor. This imparted to young Balldar the
practical experience with teaching in a rural setting with a very low
literacy tradition.
Balldar was a passionate schoolteacher who was eager to go the extra
distance to be more productive. He was only 31 years of age, when
the Iraqi ministry of Education accepted the reformed Kurdo-Arabic
writing system for Kurdish language. Balldar published the first
standard Kurdish textbook Elfubéy Niwé (―The New Alphabet‖) for
primary schools in 1951. This textbook has been upgraded and
republished over 36 times. This book is a turning point in Kurdish
history of education. Many great Kurdish scholars of have ever since
began their elementary school education with this same textbook.
His ambitions for higher education led him to enter the Trade and
Economy School in Baghdad in the middle of 1950s where he
received his Bachelor degree. In early 1960s he was accepted to study
in a masters program at the San Francisco State Teachers College.
After his study in the USA he returned to his hometown and started
work as lecturer at the Department of Literature of the newly-
established University of Silémanî in 1968.
The University of Silémanî was transferred to Arbil/Hewlér and
renamed The University of Salahaddin in 1981. Balldar continued his
career as lecturer in that university until late 1980s. Balldar then
moved to Baghdad and continued his career at the Al-Mustansiriya
University.
Balldar died on Friday the 10th of July 1998 in his home in Baghdad.
His ashes were buried in Gardi Saywan cemetery in Silémanî.
Fig 1: The reformed Arabic alphabet for Middle Kurdish in Balldar's
Textbook "Elfubéy Niwé" in 1951
Fig 2: The revised alphabet in Balldar's Textbook "Elfubéy Niwé" in
1960 edition
Publication
I.A. Balldar, Elfubéy Niwé (New Alphabet), Ed 1, Najah Press,
Baghdad, 1951
I.A. Balldar, Elfubéy bo gewran (Alphabet for Adult), Ed 1, Baghdad,
1955
I.A. Balldar, Elfubêy Niwé (New Alphabet), Ed 2, Furat Press,
Baghdad, 1960
I.A. Balldar, Al-Libinye Al-medresye Al-medaris Al-Ibtdayiye ( االبنیه
Ed 1, Baghdad, 1965 ,(للمدارس االبتدائیه المدرسیه
I.A. Balldar, Mashákil al-kutub al-dirásîyya al-Kurdîyya (Problems of
Kurdish textbooks), Journal of Kurdish Academy, Vol. 14, 1986, pp.
232-247
I.A. Balldar, Elfubéy Niwé, Ed 34, Apec Förlag AB Press, Sweden,
1999 , (KAL's note: This edition of the book has been convreted
into Yekgirtú Alphabet by Dr D. Roshani)
Jamal Nabaz (1933)
Prof. Jamal Nabaz (Kurdish: Jemal Nebez, was
born on the 1st of December 1933 in Silémanî
in Baban province in Kurdistan (Iraqi
Kurdistan) as the son of a tolerant Muslim
scholar who raised Jemal in a multilingual
environment. Parallel to attending the public schools in Iraq he had
the opportunity to study Islamic law, philosophy and theology with
his father and other well known scholars of the time.
As a young scholar Jemal noticed, that not only the political situation
of Kurdistan but also the Kurdish language were in a holistic
situation. If the political situation was to change, then a reform of the
Kurdish language was an absolute necessity also.
Dr Nebez wrote many essays on the political, social and human rights
of the Kurds in Arabic Iraqi newspapers. One of these publications
was a critical article published in spring 1954 in "Sawt al-Ahali"
(voice of the population). The article took up the issue related to a
press-interview given by Celal Bayar -the president of Turkey at the
time- during his visit to the United States. Bayar allegedly denied the
existence of any other ethnic groups but Turks in Turkey.
During the two years he had taught in Kirkuk, he created the basis for
the first physics and mathematics books in the Kurdish language. In
1956, he prepared a stencilled script on Algebra and in 1960,
succeeded in publishing the first physics book in Kurdish under the
title, "Introduction into the Mechanics and Properties of Matter",
including a rich glossary of Kurdish terms pertaining to physics and
mathematics. In the course of his sojourn in Damascus, he managed to
write a booklet in Arabic on "The Kurdish Freedom Movement and
its Aims" in 1957. He published another book in the same year, titled
"Kurdish in Latin Script", in Baghdad.
Dr. Nebez has constantly advocated for a Kurdish Unified Alphabet
as a core solution for Kurdish linguistic issues. His proposal was
published in his book "Zimanî Yekgirtúy Kurdî "Towards a Unified
Kurdish Language" in 1997. He emphases in a conference speech in
Paris in 1993 that:
Because the Kurds write in various scripts this causes an obstacle for
the exchange of their linguistic products. As a student, I was already
of the conviction - which I have held to this day - that the lack of a
single, unified alphabet constitutes a great calamity for the
Kurdish people. The introduction of a mutual alphabet would
lead to better communication amongst Kurds and contribute to a
convergence of the various dialects and modes of expression. I am
talking here of convergence and not of absolute unification. A
unified Language needs a unified grammar of which there is none
today. So much more important is the matter of a single, unified
alphabet. I was, and still am, of the opinion that the Latin
alphabet must be reformed and promoted. The promotion of the
writing of the Kurdish language in the Latin alphabet does not
mean that its writing in the Oriental script should be completely
ignored.
Source: "The Kurdish Language from Oral Tradition to Written
Language", Paris, Conference on " The Kurdish language toward the
year 2000", 28/11/1993
He has published many books on Kurdish
language and he also translated some literary
works, including works of Gogol and
Shakespeare into Kurdish. His latest book
"Kurd dîrúk ú kultura wan" in North Kurdish
has been published by Avesta Book. Callers are
able to download an English essay on this book
"The Kurds: History and Culture" as an PDF e-
Book at the bottom of this page. Please see list of publications below.
Publications
Cirokî Gerdaweke "The Tempest". Translation of William
Shakespeare‘s play into Kurdish, Baghdad 1955.
Lalo Kerim "Uncle Kerim". A Kurdish novel, published in Hewlér
1956, second edition in Stockholm 1986.
Xiwéndewaré be Zimanî Kurdî "Primary Education in the Kurdish
Language". On Problems of Schooling and Learning and How to
Solve Them, Baghdad 1957, Second Edition in Stockholm 1987,
Nusînî Kurdî be Latînî "Writing Kurdish in Latin Letters", Capxaney
Me‘arif, Baghdad 1957.
Wergérran Hunere "Translation is an Art", Silémanî, Capxaney Jhîn,
1958.
Palto "The Coat". Translation of Nikolai Gogol‘s novel into Kurdish,
from Arabic and English, Baghdad 1958.
Seretay Mîkanîk ú Xomallekanî Made "Introduction into the
mechanics and properties of matter", Baghdad 1960.
Kurdische Schriftsprache. Eine Chrestomathie moderner Texte.
"Kurdish Written Language. A Collection of Modern Texts",
Hamburg: Buske Verlag, 1969.
Sprichwörter und Redensarten aus Kurdistan "Proverbs and Stock
Phrases from Kurdistan", Munich, National Union of Kurdish
Students in Europe NUKSE, 1970.
Der Kurdische Fürst Mir-i Kora (Rawandizi) im Spiegel der
Morgenländischen und Abendländischen Quellen "The Kurdish
Prince Mir-i Kora (Rawandizi) in the Light of Oriental and Occidental
Sources". A Scientific Contribution to the Kurdish History, Hamburg
1970. Translated into Arabic by Fakhri Salaschor, Publication of the
Academy of Science and Art, Stockholm and Hawler 1994.
Kurdische Märchen und Volkserzählungen "Kurdish Fairytales and
Folktales", published by the National Union of Kurdish Students in
Europe NUKSE in Bamberg 1972.
Zimanî Yekgirtúy Kurdî "Towards a Unified Kurdish Language",
published by the National Union of Kurdish Students in Europe -
NUKSE in Germany 1976. Second Edition by the Seyidiyan
Publishing House in Mehabad in 1979.
Hendék le Késhe Binretékanî Qutabxaney Kurdî Sosiyalizm "Some
Fundamental Considerations of the Kurdish School of Socialism",
Stockholm 1984. Second Edition published in Hewler 2001.
Govari Komonistawey‚ Yekétîy Tékoshîn‗ (1944-1945) ú Îdyolojhîy
Xurdeborjhway Marksistî Kurd "The Communist Kurdish Journal
"Yekîtîy Tékoshîn" [Unification of Struggle] in 1944-45 and the
Ideology of the Petit Bourgeois-Marxist Kurds", Publication of the
Kurdish Academy of Science and Art, Stockholm 1988.
Rojhanî Awareyîm le Swîs "My Exile in Switzerland", memoirs of a
1962 sojourn in Geneva, published in Silémanî 1999 by "Binkey
Edebé ú Ronakbîrî Gelawéjh", "Gelawéjh Foundation for Literature
and Intellectuals".
Jeladet Bedir Xan (1893-1951)
Prince Jeladet Ali Bedir Khan (Kurdish: Mîr
Jeladet Alî Bedir Xan, also known as Mîr
Jeladet, was born 26th
April, 1893 in Kayseri, a
suburb of Istanbul, Turkey. He was the second
oldest son of Emîn Ali Bedir Xan and Senîha
Xanim Cerkez. His father, the son of the Emir of Bedir Xan, was a
famous politician at the time of the Ottoman Empire. For most of his
life, Jeladet Alî divided his time between France, Germany, and Syria.
He held a master's degree in law from Istanbul University and
completed his studies in Munich. A member of the European literati,
Jeladet spoke Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, German, French and possibly
Greek.
It is well documented that he and his younger brother Kamuran Alî
(1895-1978) accompanied Major Noel in his travels through
Kurdistan during 1919. Noel was a British intelligence officer whose
main assignment was to assess the possibility of the creation of an
official nation of Kurdistan. Major Noel was as pro-Kurdish as he was
anti-Kemalist.
Aware of the Bedir Xans' activities, Mustafa Kemal correctly accused
Jeladet and his brother Kamuran of opposing the Kemalist movement
in Anatolia. Jeladet left Turkey for Egypt in 1923 when the Kemalists
declared the new republic.
Jeladet's devotion to Kurdish nationalism is
reflected in his family life. His wife Rewshen,
a Bedir Xan herself, also took part in Kurdish
nationalist activities during the Turkish
Republican period in Syria (1920-24).
Rewshen continued to be a supporter of Kurdish nationalism after
Jeladet's death in a 1951 accident in Damascus. Jeladet and Rewshen
had two children, Jemshîd and Sinem Xan.
In 1821 Jeladet‘s grandfather, Emir of Bedir Xan, had become prince
of Botan. He was the scion of a family that traces its descent back to
the days when Abdul Aziz, son of the Khalif Umar, built the town of
Jezirat-ibn-Umar on the banks of the Tigris; it has been the capital of
the principality of Botan ever since.
Throughout the 19th century, a Kurdish national movement had been
gaining ground among Kurdish notables held in Residence FORCÉE
in Constantinople, and around 1887 they decided to publish a
newspaper to foster this movement. As this was impossible in Turkey,
Miqdad Alî Bedir Xan (Midhat Bey) escaped to Cairo, where he
published the first Kurdish paper, which he called KURDISTAN. Due
to the absence of an established alphabet and the turbulent times in
general, the first issue of KURDISTAN was not published until April
22, 1898. Miqdad Ali Bedir Xan wrote numerous times to the Sultan
of Istanbul for permission to publish his newspaper in Istanbul, but
always in vain. During the 4 years of its existence, KURDISTAN was
printed at different times in Egypt, England and Switzerland - where
the last two issues (31/32) were published on 14 March, 1902.
The rise to power of the Committee of Union and Progress, and its
publication of the new Turkish Constitution, induced the Bedir Xan
family to return to Constantinople, and in 1908 the Kurdish
nationalists formed a political society (the Kurdistan Taali ye Taraki
Jamiyati), of which Emîn Alî Bedir Xan (Amin Aali Bedr Khan) -
Jeladet's father - was a founder. For a while, this society was able to
work in the open with the apparent approval of the Young Turks, but
in 1912 it became clear to the Kurds that the C.U.P. meant to suppress
them. The society went underground and its leading members,
including Emîn Alî Bedir Xan, went abroad. When Mustafa Kemal
first came to power, he led the Kurds to expect a liberal policy
intended to assimilate all Kurds in Turkey into the Turkish nation.
The Bedir Xan family was again compelled to leave Turkey as exiles,
and they lived for a while in France and Germany. In 1927, at a
conference of Kurdish nationalists, a committee was formed, called
the Xoybún (Hoybun), to coordinate the movement. Jeladet Alî Bedir
Xan was elected as the first president of this committee.
Jeladet has told W.G. Elphinston that he had to work for a living
while he lived in exile, and that he worked as a gardener, a waiter, a
house-painter and a typesetter in a printing works. It was the
knowledge that he gained at this last occupation that enabled him to
single-handedly print and publish a Kurdish journal, HAWAR, when
in later years he lived in Damascus. He used his invented northern
Kurdish-Kurmanjî dialect of Jezire, a Latin-based scripting system
which is currently used as the standard northern Kurdish alphabet. He
published the Kurdish grammar lesson "Bingahîna réziman Kurdî"
through the paper. HAWAR was published from 1932 to 1935 and
from 1941 to 1943.
Jeladet's invented Latin-based script for the Kurdish language (North-
Kurdish dialect), which is still used among the North-Kurdish
speaking Kurds, shows various flaws, particularly regarding certain
sounds that exist in other dialects but have no written counterpart in
his alphabet. Take, for example, the trill /r/ and velar /l/, one needs to
be able to differentiate 'Ker' (donkey) from 'Ker' (deaf), and 'Gel'
(people) from 'Gel' (distance between the legs). ln any case, all these
publications and activities were forbidden when the French left the
territory. The French left Southwest Kurdistan without any particular
guarantees for the Kurds regarding the newly founded Arab nation of
Syria.
Jeladet sought cooperation with other Kurdish
scholars of his time, who were also looking for
a Kurdish scripting system. If he had succeeded,
the Kurdish people today would in all
probability have a better Latin alphabet. In
regard to this issue, J. Bedir Khan replied to a
reader's inquiries about unifying the written language system,
including cooperating with linguist T. Wahby, in HAWAR as follows:
"Yes, we are aware that the distinguished linguist, dear Tewfiq Wehbi
Bey has also codified an alphabet based on Latin characters.
We met once in Damascus, introduced our proposed alphabets to each
other and compared them together. There were some differences in
them. We both were interested in unifying and publishing our
alphabets as one version but at the time my dear beloved brother
indicated his alphabet was not ready yet and some more work was
needed to complete it. Therefore the unification of both alphabets was
delayed.
Tewfiq Wehbi Bey then returned to Iraq where, as you all know,
unpleasant events took place. In spite of all difficulties I sent him
several letters, but I did not hear from him. Later I realized that my
letters have not reached him. Indeed the publication of "Hawar" was
delayed for this reason. "Hawar" came out in May but I have had
permission to publish since 26 October 1931 and was ready for the
publication of the first issue by February. On four occasions I waited
so the dear brother (T. Wehbi) and I could together introduce
such a version of alphabet that would prevent any future
disagreements. As I said above I did not get any response. I could not
wait any longer.
That is why we started to publish "Hawar" and we introduced our own
alphabet to both Kurds and others. We now have an achievement at
hand, an alphabet and a magazine. For me the most appropriate
thing for the time being would be to do our best in order to
advance this alphabet until such a day that circumstances leave us
no choice but to modify it.
Having said that I must reiterate, that we are always eager to achieve
unity and the aim of our endeavour is exactly that. We are advancing
with steadfastly steps towards our aim and we will not stop. As our
initiative has already been delayed, we can no longer afford to wait
any longer.
Many thanks to dear Pirot who presented the opportunity for me to
explain the issue.
Jeladet Alî Bedir - Xan, "Hawar" : Issue 9, 30 Sep 1932 (see exact
full text in North Kurdish)
Jeladet concentrated then on the development of Kurdish culture, and
in his publications HAWAR and RONAHI - the latter being
illustrated - he strove for a cultural unity among the Kurds by
reminding them of their old traditions and their folklore.
Jeladet believed that Kurdish language could play a major role in
unifying the Kurds and their struggles for the right to self-
determination. He lived in an era (post-World War I) when on the
Kurds repeatedly lost the chance to establish their own country
because they were so disunited in voice. As he replied to another
reader on the issue of the great Kurdish homeland:
"As I have noted before, the Kurdish nation will converge via a
unified Kurdish language. The prerequisite of a unified Kurdish
language is a unified Kurdish alphabet. This means that the Kurdish
scholars and the literati need to develop a writing system that allows
all speakers hailing from every Kurdish dialect to use that writing
system."
Jeladet Alî Bedir - Xan, "Hawar" : Issue 9, 30 Sep 1932 (see exact
full text in North Kurdish)
When the war was over, Jeladet remained in Damascus - but his
brother Kamuran Bey went to Paris, where he opened a Bureau of
Kurdish Studies, from which he hoped to keep the Kurdish question
alive in the western world. He addressed a petition to the Secretary of
the United Nations asking that the principles of the Atlantic Charter
and of the Charter of the United Nations Organization be applied to
the Kurdish minorities in Turkey, Persia and Iraq. The first official
map of Kurdistan presented by the Bureau of Kurdish Studies and the
Kurdish League Xoybún (Khoybun) to the San Francisco Conference
on March 30, 1945.
Publications
Nivêjên Êzidiyan (The prayers of Yazidis)
Ji Mesela Kurdistanê (About the Kurdistan Problem), in Hawar
journal, vol.45
Elfabêya Kurdî û Bingehên gramera kurdmancî (Kurdish Alphabet
and The Basics of Kurmanji Grammar)
Djeladet Ali Bedir Khan, Roger Lescot, "Grammaire kurde: (dialect
kurmandji), Paris: J. Maisonneuve, (Librairie d'Amerique et d'Orient),
1991. (also Paris : Maisonneuve, 1970.
Melayé Jezîrî (1570 - 1640)
Mela Ehmed Jezîrî (Mela Ahmad
Jaziri) known as Melay Jezîrî
(1570 - 1640) was born in Jizîre,
Girdîyan province in Kurdistan
(today's Mardin).
Osman Sabri (1905-1993)
Osman Sabri (Kurdish: Osman Sebrî, Osman
Sebrî, was born in 1905 in the village of Narinj
in vicinity of major town of Adiyaman, in
Kowan Province in Kurdistan. He was among
the pioneer Kurdish journalist who realised the
importance of the Kurdish pen in Kurdish political struggles. Sabri
and his family were involved in the revolt led by Sheikh Said Piran of
1880-1925. The revolt was crushed by the massive military pressure
of new state of Turkey. Sheikh Said Piran was hanged by Turkish
army in 1925. His last words was "I can live without bread, but can
not live without freedom".
Sabri was a student of such rebellion philosophy and could not
compromise his national identity in his work and writing. Due to his
political views he was arrested and imprisoned at the age of 23 in
1928 in Denizli. After release he moved to Syria and later on to Iraq
in 1929. After the fall of Othman Empire in 1918 and creation of the
new military state of Turkey many Kurdish intellectuals and activist
such as: Jeladet Alî Bedir Xan, Jegerxwîn, Tîréjh and Qedrîjan. They
found Khoybun (Xoybún) in 1927 which was the first Kurdish
political party of Kurdish modern history. This circle of Kurdish
intellectual played a great role in Sabir's work as writer and intellect.
The Xoybún movement established the independent Republic of
Ararat (1927-1930). The young Sabri tried to join the revolt in Mount
Ararat when he was arrested by the British authorities in Mosul. Sabri
was released in 1935 and exiled by the British to Madagascar in 1936.
He went to Lebanon in 1937 and devoted more time to Kurdish
writing and publications in Beirut. He took part in establishing the
"Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria" (Partiya Demokrat a Kurd li
Súriyeyé) in 1957 and was elected as the secretary general of the
party. Due to his political activities, he was arrested and imprisoned
several times until 1972.
Sabri joined his views with J.A. Bedir Xan on the role of Kurdish
library and the effect of social awareness in mother tongue education.
He actively wrote in newly introduced Latin based alphabet of J.A.
Bedir Xan (1931). His poems become among the first published
Kurdish poetry in Latin based Kurdish alphabet. After the sudden
death of J.A. Bedir Xan in 1951 he published a book on Kurdish
writing practices "Elîfbeya Kurdî" in 1954 to promote the Kurdish
Latin based writing system. Sabri was died on 11th October 1993 in
Damascus, Syria.
Publication:
Sabri managed to publishe many articles in different Kurdish journals,
such as Hawar (1932-1943), Ronahî (1943), Roja Nû (1943), Hêviya
Welêt (in Europe, 1963), Çiya (in Europe, 1966), Hêvî (Paris, 1983),
Berbang (Sweden, 1983), Roja Nû (Sweden, 1979).
Books:
Elîfbeya Kurdî, 56 pp., Syria, 1955
Bahoz û çend nivîsarên din, 68 pp., 1956
Apo, ―Gotinên xav nepijîn bê tav‖, Germany, 1981
Elîfbêya Tikuz, 1982
Çar Leheng, Syira, 40 pp., 1984
Derdên me (gotar û helbest)
Dîwana Osman Sebrî (Collection of Poems), 215 pp., Stockholm,
1998
Bîranînên Osman Sebrî (Memoirs), 2003
Sa'id Kaban Sedqi (1866-?)
Sa'id Kaban Sedqi (kurdish: Se'îd Kaban Sidqî, was born in 1866 into
a religious family in Silémanî, Southern Kurdistan. He was very
young when his father, Mala Hassain, died. He then lived with a
relative, who encouraged him to study the Quran as well as Arabic,
Persian and Turkish. Kaban studied with Baba Sheikh Kurdistani, a
well-known teacher and religious scholar. In those days, Mosques and
Maktab "Hujra" (religious schools) were the only place that boys (not
girls) could get education.
Sa'id Kaban, after finishing his studies with Mala Kurdistani, entered
the Mala Azizi Mofti's Mosque to study and became an expert in
Arabic and Arabic literature. At the same time, he also attended Bin
Tabaq Mosque where he studied logic, Fiqh (Jurisprudence),
mathematics and geography.
Kaban showed a great interest in his studies and graduated as a Mula
at the age of 15. This was a great achievement in those days. He
received his certificate in December, 1910, wth highest honours in
Mosul, the capital of Wilayat Mosul of the Ottoman Empire.
The Young Turks' Mashrotiat revolution helped to open schools in
Silémanî, where Kaban became a primary school teacher. Because of
his achievements, Kaban was offered a post in Rushdia Military
School to teach Quran, religious studies and Persian studies.
After World War II, he became a teacher at the Tashwiqiya School,
which was opened by the British governors after they invaded
Kurdistan. From 1st January to 5th September 1919, Kaban was a
teacher in Saa'dat School; after 5th
September, until February 1925,
Kaban taught in the Mahmodia School, which was opened after the
new Kurdish Kingdom of Sheikh Mahmood Hafid in Silémanî was
established.
He taught at the Khalidia School from 1st June 1935 to 1st March
1936, when he retired. He was the headmaster of the Zanisti School
for a couple of years as well.
The Ottoman authorities had planted a myth amongst the Kurds,
saying that if anyone tried to tamper with the Arabic alphabet and
modify it for Kurdish, they would become Kafir (non-
believer/atheist). Kaban was the first one to clear this myth. As early
as 1920, he produced Gullzar (Flowergarden), a book which
explained the rules of Kurdish grammar; unfortunately, due to the
lack of publishing houses, it was not published. This did not stop the
manuscript from moving around in the intellectual circles, where it
had its impact. Kaban is the first person who modified Arabic ( ڕ (, ) ڵ
) and ( ێ ) to give Kurdish a trilled R, velar L and mid-front É.
Sa'id Kaban will be better appreciated once his work on Kurdish
grammar is put in a historical context. He devised a Kurdish grammar
in the 1920s, a period in which Arabic language was considered the
only language of God. Kaban's challenge was not just discovering and
writing the rules of Kurdish grammar; he also had to overcome social
and religious barriers, and stand up against the claims that enriching
the Kurdish language was a crime. For a person like Kaban, with a
religious background, this was a great challenge.
Gullzar (Flower Garden) - for rules of Kurdish grammar
Kaban was the first Kurd in the new established British mandate
"Iraq" to produce a grammar for the Central Kurdish "Sorani" dialect.
He did this despite the many intellectuals who earlier did not believe
that Kurdish had a grammar like other languages.
In 1928, Kaban published "Mukhtasari Sarf u Nahwi Kurdi" -
Summary of Kurdish Grammar, which was based on Gullzar. This
became a school textbook for the fourth and fifth grades of Silémanî
province primary schools.
Just after Mamost Kaban's Gullzar and Summary of Grammar, the
Ministry of Education asked Tewfiq Wahbi, the well-known scholar
and literary figure, to write a Kurdish grammar book. In 1929-30, the
Iraqi government published Wahbi's book Rules of Kurdish Grammar.
Wahbi may have modified the Arabic letters contemporaneously with
Kaban; that is why on one occasion [1], he writes that he is the first
one who achieved this modification. Kaban calmly challenged Wahbi
to prove it [2]. Then Wahbi admitted, with respect, that Kaban had
been first [3]. However, Wahbi also stated that in 1892, well before
either of them, Ali Taramakhi and Yusuf Ziya Pasha produced their
Kurdish grammar in the Kurmanji dialect.
The publications of Sa'id Kaban
Mukhtasari Sarf u Nahwi Kurdi [Muxteserî Serf ú Nehwî Kurdî]
(Summary of Kurdish Grammar) Najah publishing house, Baghdad,
1928; 76 pages. This book has several components:
The book is based on Gullzar, which Kaban produced in 1920. He
laid down the foundation of Kurdish grammar, albeit based on Arabic
grammar, and it is regarded as the first book in the Central Kurdish
"Sorani" dialect that tackles several Kurdish grammatical issues. He
proposed to use modified Arabic letters with diacritical-like marks
instead of Arabic ones. This would have been seen as a great
challenge to Islam in that time; it would also have been regarded as
tampering with the language of God - by a religious scholar from an
extremely religious family.
Kaban's modification lead also to the identified sounds (hence letters)
which were specific to Kurdish and do not exist in Arabic (KAL's
note: but some existed already in Persian and old Ottoman alphabets),
such as:
P - as in Pet [ پ ]
C (CH), - as in Chin [ چ ]
Jh - as in measure [ ژ ]
G - as in Gap [ گ ]
ll - velar L as in file [ ڵ ]
O, o- as in Over [ ۆ ]
É, é - as in Hair [ ێ ]
In this way, he pushed the number of Kurdish letters to 36. Kaban did
not come up with a set of totally new characters, which was the
beauty of his work. He simply added diacritical-like marks to the
Arabic ones and adopted them into Kurdish. For the first time, he
talked about the roots of Kurdish words, and he recorded several
morphemes in Kurdish language - namely le, pe, te and hal.
Before publishing this book, Kaban had given it to a number of
Kurdish intellectuals of his era; they all commented on it and adored
it. They were Mala Afandi Hewlérî, Mala Muhammadi Kurdi, Amin
Zaki Bag, Said Noori Berzinjî, Shekh Ibrahim Afandi al-Haydari,
Abdulla Zéwar and Jamil Sidqi Zehawî.
Méjhúy Púlî Sé (History for Third-Year Primary Schools), Baghdad,
1931
This is a school textbook which was studied for several years in
Kurdish primary schools. It was translated from Arabic.
Maa'loomat Dînî (Religious Information) Baghdad, 1932; 55 pages
This is a religious school textbook for the fifth year in Kurdish
primary schools. Kaban translated it with Said Fatah Berzinjî and Said
Noori Berzinjî from an Arabic book authored by Said Muhammad
Sa'id al-Rawi. Muhammad al-Quzliji, a lecturer in Jamia Hussain
Pasha (Hussain Pasha Mosque) reviewed the book; his review was
published as an appendix of the book.
Kaban's manuscripts
Kaban also left a number of manuscripts with historical and linguistic
significance. Kaban, as a teacher, needed to prepare textbooks; these
manuscripts were used for this purpose.
Four religious studies
Four of these are the history of Islam, where he talks about the good
will of prophets and mercenaries. Kaban finished two of these in 1925
(32 pages and 40 pages respectively) and he finished the other two in
1928 (54 pages and 40 pages).
Geography of Kurdistan
In 1928, Kaban finished writing a 34-page book on Kurdish
geography. Kaban sent this book to the Ministry of Science
(Education) and asked them to utilise the book as school textbook, but
it was rejected. He receive a letter on 27 October 1928 (No 6327)
from the Ministry saying that the topic of geography was not studied
in Arabic schools yet, so it was not appropriate to study it in Kurdish
schools.
Qiraa'ti Kurdi (Kurdish Readings)
Kaban wrote this 67-page school textbook manuscript in 1927. He
says in the introduction: "This consists of moral, religious, literary
and patriotic texts. I urge respectable teachers to take care of pupils
and teach them with care. After readings and teaching (these texts),
explain their use, summarise them and ask the pupils questions in
order to help the pupils to understand thoroughly and find the reading
useful."
This book can be seen as the start of Kurdish children's literature.
Asul u Qawaidi Tajweed
This book has been translated from Turkish and is 16 pages.
When he was transferred to the Kurdish town of Sargallo to teach,
Kaban devised 6000 mathematical problems for the pupils. Some
regard Kaban, for this work, as the first Kurdish mathematics writer.
(Sargallo is one of the cities that was gassed by Saddam's regime in
1987, one year before Halabja.)
Seyda Jigerxwîn, (1903 - 1984)
The Writer and Kurdish poet Seyda
Jigerxwîn, was born in 1903 to Hesaré,
village near the city of Mardin. His real name
was Shexmús Hesen. During World War I in
early 1914 which led to the fall of Ottoman
Empire and creation of the new state of Turkey, Seyda's family forced
to become refugees of war and fled to Amude near the city of
Qamishli in today's North Eastern Syria. From 1923, he become a
militates for the Kurdish cause and after the destruction of the revolt
of Sheik Seyîd in 1925, he had to flee the new born Turkish state.
Jigerxwîn studied theology and became a cleric in 1921. In 1948 he
joined the Communist Party of Syria and became a candidate for
parliament in 1954. He left the party in 1957 to create the Azadî
(Freedom) organization. Later, this new party was united with the
Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria. He was arrested and jailed in
Damascus in 1963 and exiled to the city of Siweyda. In 1969 he
moved to Iraqi Kurdistan, where he took part in the uprising. In 1973
he fled to Lebanon where he published the poetry collection of "Kî
me ez?" (Who Am I?).
Jigerxwîn returned to Syria in last 1976. The unbearable situation in
Syria forced him to go to exile again in 1989. This time he resided in
Sweden where many collections of his poems were published.
Jigerxwîn is the author of ten collections of Kurdish poetry. Seyde
Jigerxwîn passed away in 1984 at the age of 70. He was brought back
to Kurdistan buried as closest as he code get to his home town of
Mardin in the Kurdish city of Qamishlî.
Publications
AGIR Ú PIRÚSK, Jigerxwîn,
SEWRA AZADÎ, Jigerxwîn,
KÎ ME EZ?, Jigerxwîn, dîwana ekan, Stockholm, 1980,
RONAK, Jigerxwîn, dîwana caran, Stockholm, 1980,
ZEND-AVISTA, Jigerxwîn, dîwana péncan, Stockholm, 1981,
SHEFAQ, Jigerxwîn, dîwana sheshan, Stockholm, 1982,
HÉVÎ, Jigerxwîn, dîwana heftan, Stockholm, 1993,
ASHTÎ, Jigerxwîn
SALAR Ú MÎDYA, Jigerxwîn
SHEREFNAMA MENZÚM, Jigerxwîn
FOLKLORA KURDÎ, Jigerxwîn, Stockholm, 1988,
TARÎXA KURDISTAN, Jigerxwîn, berga 2, Stockholm, 1987,
Taufiq Wahby (1891-1984)
Mr. Taufiq Wahby (Kurdish:
Tewfîq Wehbî, the champion of
the codification of the central
dialect of Kurdish language in
1920's was the Kurdish philologist
and army officer. Colonel Tofiq
Wahby (1891-1984) served as a colonel of the army in the Ottoman
Empire. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire and creation of the new
state of Iraq under British supervision, Wahby become an influential
member of the new Iraqi army. His scientific and highly remarkable
efforts were met with refusal when confronted with the Arab rule
nationalistically oriented Iraqi Ministry of Culture. The reason given
was that no 'foreign accents' or Kurdish "caps" could be placed on the
'holy Arabic letters', the letters in which the Qur'an (Koran) is written.
It is worth mentioning that the so-called Arabic letters originally were
neither Arabic nor Islamic. They already existed in pre-Islamic times,
and were derived from the Old Aramaic script, i.e. from the ancient
language of the Jews. Despite of the fact that the Kurdish press, and
the schoolbooks which were printed for Kurdish primary schools by
the Iraqi government could not employ this alphabet until the end of
the 1950's, this alphabet, which was modernised and adapted for the
Kurdish language, was nevertheless known amongst the Kurds.
There was something else the abovementioned Wahby at his time heal
endeavored to do. It was in the early 1920‘s when he enlisted the
Latin alphabet for the use of Kurdish in a form that leaned heavily an
English linguistic usage. His efforts then were also unsuccessful,
because the Iraqi government, using Islamic religious arguments
likewise forbade the dissemination of a "European-Christian" script in
Muslim Iraq. ln connection with this, it should be pointed out that
Wahby held eight ministerial posts in the Iraqi government. It should
be noted that Wahby's Latin alphabet, like that of J. Bedir Khan
(whose alphabet relied less on English linguistic use than on that of
the French and Turkish alphabets), displayed several flaws. Had these
two scholars collaborated, the Kurdish people today would in all
probability have a better Latin alphabet.
Regarding to this J. Bedir Khan reply to a reader's enquires about
unification of Kurdish alphabet and cooperation with T. Wahby in
HAWAR issues 9, 30 Sep 1932 --the first Kurdish paper written in
adapted Latin (French and Turkish) based alphabet by J. Bedir Khan
in French Syria—that
"Yes, we are aware that the distinguished linguist, dear Tewfiq Wehbi
Bey has also codified an alphabet based on Latin characters. We met
once in Damascus, introduced our proposed alphabets to each other
and compared them together. There were some differences in them.
We both were interested in unifying and publishing our alphabets as
one version but at the time my dear beloved brother indicated his
alphabet was not ready yet and some more work was needed to
complete it. Therefore the unification of both alphabets was delayed.
Tewfiq Wehbi Bey then returned to Iraq where, as you all know,
unpleasant events took place. In spite of all difficulties I sent him
several letters, but I did not hear from him. Later I realized that my
letters have not reached him. Indeed the publication of Hawar was
delayed for this reason. Hawar came out in May but I have had
permission to publish since 26 October 1931 and was ready for the
publication of the first issue by February. On four occasions I waited
so the dear brother (T. Wehbi) and I could together introduce such a
version of alphabet that would prevent any future disagreements. As I
said above I did not get any response. I could not wait any longer. "
T. Wahbi was a gifted linguist personality who promoted the Kurdish
language and culture. T. Wahby continued his linguistic ambitions in
many years to come and he published several books and article in this
line. Some of his best known publications are the Kurdish Grammar
(Baghdad 1929) and the Kurdish-English Dictionary (Oxford press
1966) which he co-published with C.J. Edmonds.
T. Wahbi held several government posts, including director-general of
irrigation and director of land survey (1942). He was appointed
minister of the economy in 1944. He later become become a member
of the Iraqi Senate. At the time of the Iraqi revolution of 1958 Wahbi
was in the UK and remained in London until his death in 1982. He
was an active member of Baghdad PEN
Club. T. Whabi will always remembered
among the first pioneers of Kurdish
codification and orthography. Wahby
died in 1984 at age of 93.
Publications
1925 - "Kurdiyekeman be con hirúfék ú
con binúsîn?" (In what character and how should we write our
Kurdish?), Diyarî Kurdistan, No. 5, pp. 5-6, No. 6, pp. 5-6.
1929 - "Destúrî Zimanî Kurdî"(Grammar of the Kurdish language).
Baghdad: Dar al-Tiba'a al-Haditha.
1933 - "Xiwéndewariy Baw", Baghdad: Dar al-Tiba'a al-Haditha.
1965 - "The origins of the Kurds and their language," Kurdistan
(KSSE), No. IX and X, July, pp. 23-28.
1966 - "A Kurdish-English dictionary", [T. Wahby and Cecil John
Edmonds], Oxford Press
1973 - "Esllî pîte qalibî "e":y ú shéwey Silémanî" (Origins of the
inflectional "e" in Sulaymani dialect), GKZK (Govarî Korrî Zanyarî
Kurd), 1973, Vol. 1, Part I, pp. 9-34.
1973 - "Haul Maqal 'Mas'uliyya al-Adib al-Kurdi al-Kubra' lil-Ustad
'Abd al-Majid Lutfi " (On the article "The Great Responsibility of the
Kurdish Literary Men" by Professor Abd al-Majid Lufti), Reprinted
from al-Ta'akhi, No. 1278, (Baghdad: al-Ta'akhi Press), 15 pp.
Xana Qubadî (1700-1759)
Khana Qubadi (Kurdish: Xana Qubadî, was born in 1700 AC in
Hewraman Province in Kurdistan. He was a pioneer Kurdish poet
who wrote in Kurdish Hawrami dialect.
He valued the Kurdish language in his work. Although the literature
of his time was highly influenced by Persian literature but he believed
that Kurdish is still the preferable language in for his poetry. He said:
Although it's said that Persian's sweet as sugar,
For me is Kurdish sweeter still.
Clearly, in this perfidious world,
Everyone is happiest with his own mother tongue.
Yusuf Ziya ad-Din Pasha
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Who was he? When/where was he born?
Shaykh Yusuf Ziya'u'd-Din (Ziya ad-Din) Pasha al-Khalidi al-
Maqdisf,
A Kurdish-Arabic Dictionary (الهدیّـة المحمیدیّـة فی اللّغـة الكردیّـة), with an
Introduction on the Grammar of the language, concluding with an
Anthology, Pp- 3I9- Constantinopol, 1310 (1892-3).
An article from the First Kurdish news paper "Kurdistan" about this
book
―Hin Xalidi hene, li Qudsa şerif in. Yek ji van, xweyfezl u kerem şex
Yusuf Ziyaeddin Paşa ye. Xwede umre wi direj u ilme wi zede bike.
Beri şeş sala kitebek çekiriye, nave ve kitebe ―El-Hediyyet‘ul
Hemidiyye fi‘l Luxet‘il Kurdiyye" ye. Ev kiteb wek Erebi yi behsa
qewaiden ezimane Kurmanci dike. Luxaten Kurmanci hemi gihandine
hev, ve kitebe de nivisiye. Mala wi ava, esaek ji ezmane Kurmanca re
dani. Ex hevi dikim ku ulema u mir u paşayen Kurda ji ve kitebe
peyda bikin. Gelek kitebek qenc e. Ulemayen Kurda re lazim e ku ew
ji ji ezamne xwe re tişki binivsin.‖
Kurdistan 7 Mayıs/ sene 1314 (1898)
Mikdat Mithat Bey (Bedirhanzade)