Alternate Names: Kurdi, Sorani
Dialects: Bingird, Garmiyani, Hewleri (Arbili), Kerkuki, Mukri, Pizhdar, Rewandiz, Suleimani (Silemani), Warmawa, Xoshnaw. In Sulaimaniya, Hewleri and Kerkuki dialects seen as mutually intelligible. A member of macrolanguage Kurdish ,.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 3,500,000 in Iraq (2009). Population total all countries: 6,750,000.
Language Use: All domains. Children learn it first. Positive attitudes. Used as L2 by Gurani [hac].
Language Development: Literary standard is based on Sorani (from Suleimaniye) variety. Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. NT: 1994–2011.
Typology: SOV; no grammatical gender or case; noun head initial; tense-split ergative pattern; 9 vowel phonemes, 31 consonant phonemes (McCarus 2009).
Writing System: Arabic
Nation of Origin: Iraq
Other Comments: Christian, Yezidi.