Mazandarani language

All you want to know about Mazandarani language

Mazandarani
Māzərūni مازِرونی - Mazəni مازنی
Tapəri تپری
Spoken in: Mazandaran province, and some parts of Tehran, Golestan, Semnan provinces in Iran (Iran
Region: Southern Caspian Sea
Total speakers: 3 - 4.5 million (As Native)
Language family: Indo-European
 Indo-Iranian
  Iranian
   Western Iranian
    Northwestern Iranian
     Caspian
      Mazandarani 
Writing system: Perso-Arabic Script 
Official status
Official language in: none
Regulated by: Linguistic Faculty of Babol University
Language codes
ISO 639-1: none
ISO 639-2: ira
ISO 639-3: mzn 

Areas where Mazandarani is spoken as mother tongue

Mazandarani or Tabari (Also known as: Mazeniki, Taperki in Mazandarani) is an Iranian language of the northwestern branch. Spoken mainly in Iran's Mazandaran and Golestan provinces, it is mutually unintelligible with respect to Persian[1]. It is related to Gilaki langauge and is sometimes called as Tabari[2].

Contents

Etymology

The name Mazanderani (and variants of it) derives from the name of Mazanderan province in Iran(Mazerun in Mazanderani). People traditionally call their language Gileki, the same as Gilekis do. Gileki consist of two morphemes : Gil + postfix ki. However the fact is Gilan & Mazanderan were part of the same region known as Tabaristan which it was regional language was known as Gileki.

History

Mazandarani belongs to Northwestern Iranian languages are spoken[3]. Mazandarani has one of the longest written traditions, from the tenth to the fifteenth century. This status was achieved during the long reign of the independent and semi-independent rulers of Mazandaran in the centuries after the Arab invasion[4].

The literature of this language includes books such as Marzban Nameh (later translated into Persian) and the poetry of Amir Pazevari. The use of Mazandarani, however, has been in decline. Its literary and administrative rank was lost to Persian perhaps long before the ultimate integration of Mazandaran into the national administration in the early seventeenth century.[3]

The Mazandarani language is closely related to Gilaki and the two languages have similar vocabularies. Notably, the language did not come under the influence of other incoming languages such as Arabic and Turkish. Gilaki and Mazandarani retain more than Persian does of the noun declension system that was characteristic of older-Iranian languages.[5] According to Ethnologue, there were more than three million native speakers of Mazandarani in 1993 speaking different dialects such as Gorgani, Ghadikolahi and Palani[5]

Most Mazandarni speakers are fluent in both Mazanadarni and standard Persian.[3] [5] However, with the growth of education and press, the differentiation between Mazandarani and some other Iranian dialects are likely to disappear.[5][6] Dr. Habib Borjian, the well-known Mazandaranologist, states that nowadays Mazandarani especially in urban areas is more a dialect rather than a language. [7]

Grammar

Mazanderani is an inflected and gender free language.[8] It is considered SVO in conventional typology.[9].

Morphology

Function Cases

Case Position Meaning

Səre-a

Nominative

The Home

Səre re

Accusative

To the Home

Səreo

Vocative

Home!

Səreşe

Genitive

Home’s

Səre re

Dative

To the Home

Səre Həje

Ablative

By the Home

Adjectives

Adjective Position Meaning

And-e Səre

Applicative

 

Gat Səre

Comparative

Big Home

Ota Səre

Determinative

That Home

Səre

Superlative

Xaar Səre

Suffixes

Mazandarani is one of Synthetic languages which uses many suffixes to construct adjectives, verbs, and especially nouns. The list below is a sample list obtained from the Online Mazandarani-Persian dictionary.

Locatives

Suffix

Example

Meaning

Kash

Kharkash

Good Place

Kel

Tutkel

Mulberry Limit

Ij

Yoshij

Yoshian

Bun

Chenarbon

At the Plantain

Ja

Səre Ja

Of Home

Sar

Bənesar

At the Below

Subjectives

Suffix

Example

Meaning

Chaf

Au Chaf

Water Sucker

Rush

Halikrush

Drupelet Seller

Su

Vərgsu

Wolf Hunter

Kaf

Ukaf

Who acts in water

Vej

Galvej

Mouse Finder

Yel

vəngyel

Bandmaster

Orthography

Perso-Arabic Script

Mazanderani is commonly written in the Perso-Arabic script.[10]

Vocabulary

Although Mazandarani shares the great part of its vocabulary with Gilaki (due to fact that it belongs to Caspian group of languages) and to lesser extend Modern Kurdish & Persian, it has many specific words of its own. Many Proto Indo-Iranian words, no longer in use in Persian, survive in Mazanderani.

Sheltered by high Alborz mountains, Mazandarani preserves many Indo-European old words which are no longer in common use in many other Iranian languages such as Persian. Below, a few common Mazanderani words & their English cognates are listed for sample.

English Mazanderani Persian Example of
New Neu Nau/no Adjective
Great Geat Bozorg Adjective
Better Better Behtar Adverb
Been Bine Budeh/Shodeh Auxiliary Verb
Be Be Budan Infinitive of Verb
Moon Moong Mâh Noun
Tulip Tulip Lâleh Noun
Cow Guw Gâv Mâda Noun
My Me az man Pronoun
Let (German: Lass) Lass Derang Verb
Gab Gab Goftogu Verb
Right Rast Râst/Haq/Amud
English Zazaki Kurdish Pashto Balochi Mazandarani Persian Middle Persian Parthian Old Persian Avestan
beautiful rind delal/rind/cûwan ṣhkulae/khkulae, ṣhayista/khayista sharr, soherâ ṣəmxâl/ Xəş-nəmâ zibâ/ xuš-chehreh hučihr, hužihr hužihr naiba vahu-, srîra
blood goyni xwîn wina hon xun xūn xōn xōn vohuni
bread non nan ḍoḍəy nân, nagan nûn nân nân nân
bring ardene anîn/hênan rāwṛəm âvardan biyârden âvardan âwurdan, āwāy-, āwar-, bar- āwāy-, āwar-, bar- bara- bara, bar-
brother bıra bira wror barādar birâr barādar brād, brâdar brād, brādar brâtar brâtar-
come amaene hatin rātəm áhag, âmadan Biyamona, enen âmadan âmadan, awar awar, čām ây-, âgam âgam-
cry berbaene girîn zhāṛəm/jāṛəm taukh bərmə/ qâ geristan griy-, bram-
dark tari tarî tyārə thár siyo târîk târīg/k târīg, târēn sâmahe, sâma
daughter çena keç/kîj/kenîşk/dot lur mind kijâ/ dether doxtar duxtar duxt, duxtar duxδar
day roce roj wraż/wraz roshe rezh rûz rōz raucah-
do kerdene kirin/kirdin kawəm khandagh hâkerden kardan kardan kartan kạrta- kәrәta-
door çeber derge/derî war gelo bəli dar dar dar, bar duvara- dvara-
die merdene mirin mṛəm mireg mərnen murdan murdan mạriya- mar-
donkey her ker khar her xar xar xar
egg hak hêlk hagəi heyg merqâna toxm toxmag, xâyag taoxmag, xâyag taoxma-
earth êrd (Arabic) herd/erd (Arabic) zməka/məzəka zemin zemi zamin zamīg zamīg zam- zãm, zam, zem
evening shund êvar/êware māṣhām/mākhām begáh nəmâşun begáh sarshab êbêrag
eye çım çav stərga ch.hem, chem bəj, Çəş chashm chašm chašm čaša- čašman-
father pi bav/bawk plār pyt, abbâ piyer pedar pidar pid pitar pitar
fear ters tirs vera terseg təşəpaş tars tars tars tạrsa- tares-
fiancé washte dezgîran, destgirtî numzād nām zād xasgar nâm-zad - -
fine weş xweş/baş ṣha/kha hosh xaar xosh dârmag srîra
finger gisht til/qamik gwəṭa lenkwk, mordâneg angoos angošt angust dišti-
fire adır agir wōr âch, âs tesh âtaš, âzar âdur, âtaxsh ādur âç- âtre-/aêsma-
fish mosa masî kab mâhi mahi mâhi mâhig mâsyâg masyô, masya
food / eat werdene xwarin khoṛə / khwrəm warag, vereg Xərak/ xəynen Gaza / xordan parwarz / xwâr, xwardīg parwarz / xwâr hareθra / ad-, at-
go şiyaene çûn żəm jwzzegh shunen / burden raftan raftan, shudan ay- ai- ay-, fra-vaz
god heq xwedê khwdae hwdâ homa, xəda khodâ bay, abragar baga- baya-
good hol, hewl baş, çak ṣhə/khə jawáin, šarr xâr xub / nîuū xūb, nêkog vahu- vohu, vaŋhu-
grass vash giya, riwek, şênkatî wāṣhə/wākhə rem sabzeh, giyâh giyâ dâlūg urvarâ
great gırs / pil gir, mezin, gewre loy mastar gat, belang, pila bozorg wuzurg, pīl vazraka- uta-, avañt
hand dest dest/lep lās dast dess dast dast dast dasta- zasta-
head ser sar sar, kaparae saghar kalə sar, kalleh sar
heart zerre dil zṛə dil, hatyr dil del dil dil aηhuš
horse astor hesp ās asp istar asp, astar asp, stōr asp, stōr aspa aspa-
house çé(ké) mal kōr log səre xâneh xânag demâna-, nmâna-
hunger vêşon birçîtî/birsiyetî lwəẓha/lwəga shudhagh veyshna gorosnegi gursag, shuy
language (Also Tongue) zıwan / zon ziwan zhəba/jəba zevân ziwân zabân zuwân izβân hazâna- hizvâ-
laugh huyaene kenîn khandā khendegh, hendeg xandidan xandīdan karta Syaoθnâvareza-
life cewiyayish jiyan/jîn zhwandūn zendegih zendegi zīndagīh, zīwišnīh žīwahr, žīw- gaêm, gaya-
man merd mêr/piyaw saṛae/nər merd merd mard mard mard martiya- mašîm, mašya
moon ashmê heyv/mang spoẓhmae/spogmae máh mithra mâh māh māh mâh- måŋha-
mother mae dayik mōr mât, mâs mâr mâdar mādar mādar mâtar mâtar-
mouth fek dev/dem khwlə daf dahân dahân, rumb åŋhânô, âh, åñh
name name naw num num num nâm nâm nâman nãman
night şewe shew shpa shaw, šap sheow shab shab xšap- xšap-
open akerdene vekirin khlās božagh vâ-hekârden bâz-kardan abâz-kardan būxtaka- būxta-
peace kotpy aştî rogha ârâm âshti, ârâmeš, ârâmî âštih, râmīšn râm, râmīšn šiyâti- râma-
pig xoz beraz khug/seḍar khug xi xūk xūk varâza (wild pig)
place ca cih/şûn żae hend jâh/gâh gâh gâh gâθu- gâtu-, gâtav-
read wendene xwendin lwalawəm wánagh baxinden xândan xwândan
say vatene gotin wāyəm gushagh baotena goftan, gap(-zadan) guftan, gōw-, wâxtan gōw- gaub- mrû-
sister wae xweşk khōr gwhâr xâxer xâhar/xwâhar xwahar
small qıc piçûk kuchnae, waṛukae lekem pətik, bechuk, perushk kuchak, kam, xurd, rîz kam, rangas kam kamna- kamna-
son qıj kur zoe pisar, phusagh pisser pesar, pûr, baça pur, pusar puhr puça pūθra-
soul gan giyan ravân rūwân, gyân rūwân, gyân urvan-
spring usar bihar sparlae/pusarlae wehâr bahâr wahâr vâhara- θūravâhara-
tall berz bilind jəg bwrz boland / bârez buland, borz bârež barez-
three hire dre se se se hrē çi- θri-
village dewe gund, dê kəlae helk deh deh, wis wiž dahyu- vîs-, dahyu-
want waştene xwestin ghwāṛəm lotagh bexanen xâstan xwâstan
water owe aw ōbə âf ab âb/aw âb âb âpi avô-
when key kengê kəla ked kay kay ka čim-
wind va ba bād gwáth bâd wâd vâta-
wolf verg gur lewə/shermuṣh gurkh varg gorg gurg varka- vehrka
woman ceniye jin/afret ṣhəza/khəza jan zhənya zan zan žan hâīrīšī-, nâirikâ-
year serre sal kāl sâl sâl sâl θard ýâre, sarәd
yes / no ya / né erê / na ho (wo) / na, ya ere / na hâ (âre) / na hâ / ney hâ / ney yâ / nay, mâ yâ / noit, mâ
yesterday vizêri duh/dwênê parun direz diruz dêrûž
English Zazaki Kurdish Pashto Balochi Mazandarani Persian Middle Persian Parthian Old Persian Avestan

Colloquial Mazandarani has also a few Nordic, French, English, and a handful of Russian loan words in everyday use.

Influences exerted by Mazanderani

Modern-day of Iran

There are many popular companies in Iran that their name are from the origin words of this language.

In non-Iranian languages

There are some Mazanderani loanwords in the Turkmen language.[11] There is also evidence that Sanskrit and Mazanderani share some words - for instance, vrika is Sanskrit for wolf, while the Mazenderan equivalent is varg as well it's swedish cognate, varg.

Specimen

mosalmunun! mέrε šabgir varέnnε āx, mέrε bā kamεr-e haftir varέnnε mέrε bavέrdεnε Tεrkεmun-e dam Tεrkεmun kāfεr o gεlilε be-ra:m Moslems! They are carrying me at the crack of dawn. O, they are taking me away with a pistol on the[ir] waist. They took me to the vicinity of the Turkmen [tribes]. Turkmen [are] unbelievers and the bullet [is] ruthless. gεtε, ašun xō badimā mεn še Ali-rε sio dasmāl davέsso še gali-rε age xā́nnε bā́urεn ámi badi-rε bázεne xεrusεk šέme gali-rε volvol sar-e dār gέnε εy zāri-zāri me gol dāš báio sarbāz-e Sāri He would say, Last night I dreamed my Ali. He [had] wrapped a black kerchief [round] his throat. If it is their intention is malignant about us, May croup-cough attack your throat! The nightingale on the tree constantly bemoans (?) My dear brother drafted in Sāri. Quatrains sang by Sabura Azizi, transcribed and translated by Habib Borjian; Ref. Habib Borjian and Maryam Borjian, “Mysterious Memories of a Woman: Ethno-Linguistic Materials from Rural Mazandaran,” Iran and the Caucasus 11/2, 2007.

ozεrε-vâ énε dámbe sεvâí
iấnnε búye dεlbárrε dεvấi
qam o qossέye dεl vónε kεnârí
me jấne gεl dénε búye xεdâí

At break of dawn blows the cool breeze.
It brings over the healing odor of the beloved.
The sorrow of the heart will go away.
My dear flower smells like God.

basutέ sinέye miónnε hấreš!
tévεsse – nấzεnin! – baímε nâxεš
tε armúne dέl i, εy nâzεnin yâr!
tévεsse mέsle bεlbεl zámbε nâlεš

Look at the middle of the burnt chest!
For you – O loveable! – I am unwell.
You are the heart’s aspiration, O beloved!
For you I moan like a nightingale.

 

Dεl-e armun “Heart’s Aspiration”
Rezaqoli Mohammadi Kordekheyli
Transcribed and translated by: Habib Borjian

References

General

Notes

  1. ^ [1], p.66)
  2. ^ Mazandarani Language, Ethnologue.
  3. ^ a b c http://www.tc.columbia.edu/students/sie/LCEjr05/pdfs/Borjian.pdf
  4. ^ Windfuhr, G. L., New Iranian languages: Overview. In R. Schmitt. (Ed.), Compendium linguarum Iranicarum (pp. 246-49). Wiesbaden: L.Reichert, 1989.
  5. ^ a b c d Dalb, Andrew (1998). Dictionary of Languages: The Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages. Columbia University Press, 226. ISBN 0231115687. 
  6. ^ [2]
  7. ^ Habib Birjian (2006) "Mazandarani: language or dialect" Iranshenasi 18/1, 2006, pp. 43-49.
  8. ^ She means only her `husband':
  9. ^ [3]
  10. ^ http://www.language-keyboard.com/resource/indo-euro/mazanderani.htm
  11. ^ Jahangir Nasr Ashrafi, 2005, Dictionary of Tabari, Vol 5, comparison between Mazanderani and Turkmen

Further reading

Recent Studies

  • Habib Borjian, Archiv Orientálni, 2006, The Oldest Known Texts in New Tabari: The Collection of Aleksander ChodŸko, 74/2, pp. 153-171.
  • Dr. Borjian, Habib; 2006; Amir Pazevari (legendary poet of Mazandarani language), University of Minnesota, United States
  • Habib Borjian, Iranian Studies, 2006, A Mazandarani account of the Babi Incident at Shaikh Tabarsi, 39/3, pp. 381-400.
  • Habib Borjian, Guyesh-shenâsi, 2006, Textual sources for the study of Tabari language I. Olddocuments, no. 4.

Other Studies

  • Nawata; 1984; Mazandarani; Asian and African Grammatical Manual, No 17, Tokyo, ILCAA

Bibliography

  • Johannes Albrecht Bernhard Dorn, 1860-66, Masanderanische Sprache (I-II/1, 3, St. Petersburg)
  • Satoko Yoshie, 1998, Sari Dialect (of Mazandarani language), Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokio, Japan [4][5][6]
  • Dr. Shokri, Guiti; 1995, Sari Dialect (of Mazandarani), Tehran, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies.
  • Dr. Shokri, Guiti; 2006, Ramsari Dialect , Tehran, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies.

More references

  • Chodzko, Alexander, 1842, Specimens of the popular poverty of Persia as found in the adventures and improvisations of Kurroglou, the bandit- minstrel of Northern Persia; and in the songs of the people inhabiting the shores of the Caspian Sea. Orally collected and translated, with philological and historical notes, London, pp. 510- 517, 568- 581.
  • Christensen, A.; 1995 (tr); Contributions a la dialectologie iraniene, Dialect Guiläki de Recht, (Guyesh –e Gilaki-ye Rasht) translated, with notes by Ja‘far Khomāmi Zāde, Tehran.
  • DeMorgan,J., 1904, Mission Scientifique en Perse, vol.5,Etudes linguistiques(I.) Dialectes du Kurds. Langues et dialects du nord de la Perse, Paris, pp.200-246.
  • Geiger, w., &., Wilhelm Kuhn, 1898–1901; Die Kaspischen Dialekte;Grundriss der Iranischen Philologie , 1Band, 2Ab., Strassburg. Pp.344-380..
  • Dorn B. (ed.); 1860-1866; Kenntniss der Iranischen Srachen, St. Petersburg.
  • Lambton, A.K.S.; 1938, Three Persian Dialects, London.
  • Le Coq, P.; 1989; Les dialects Caspiens et les dialects du nord- ouest de l, Iran in Schmitt, R. (ed), Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum, pp.296-312, Wiesbaden.
  • Makenzi, D.; 1969; Iranian Languages, in Sebeok, Thomas, A. (ed), Current Trends in Linguistics, Vol.5, pp. 450-477, Nederland. MG.
  • Melgounof, G., 1868, Essai sur les dialects du Masenderan et du Guilanla pronunciation locale, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Geselaschaft, vol.xxII, pp. 195-224.
  • Mozaffari, M., V., 1979, Noqāndāri, Langrud.
  • Nowata, T., 1948, Māzandarāni, (Asian and African Grammatical Manual, No 17), ILCAA, Tokyo.
  • Oranski, I., M., 1979, (tr.), Moqaddame –ye Feqholloqe- ye Irani, translated by Kešāvarz, Tehran.
  • Purriyahi, M., 1971, Barresi-ye dastur-e Guyesh-e Gilaki-ye Rasht (A Grammatical Study of Gilaki dialect of Rasht), (Ph. D Thisis), Tehran University.
  • Sartip pur, J., 1990, Vižegihā-ye Dasturi va Farhang-e vāžehā-ye Gilaki (Grammatical Characteristics and Glossary of Gilaki), Rasht.
  • Shokri, G., 1990, Verb Structure in Sāri dialect, Farhang, Vol.6, pp.217-231, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran.
  • ----------, 1998, Māzi –ye Naqli dar Guyeshhā-ye Gilaki va Mazandarāni (Present perfect in Gilani and Mazandarāni Dialects), Nāme-ye Farhangestān, The Quarterly Journal of Iranian Academy of Persian Language and Literature, vol.4, No.4, Tehran.
  • ----------, 2002, Verb Structure in Rāmsari Dialect, Professor Jes Peter Asmussem, Memorial Volum, Copenhagen, pp. 83-111.
  • ----------, 1356, Farhang e Semnāni, Sorxe i, Lāsgerdi, Sangsari, šahmizādi, Vezārate Farhang o Honar, Tehrān.
  • Sokolova, V.S. & Grjunberg, A.L.; 1962; История изучения бесписменных иранских языков (Istorija izuchenija bespis`mennyx iranskix azykov), lzd. AN SSSR, Moscow, pp. 118–147.
  • A manuscript of Maghamat e Hariri in Arabic with translation into Mazandarani Tarjome –ye Maghamat e Hariri, Teheran, Malek library. (600 A.H)
  • Zav`jalova, V:I:, 1956, Novye svedenija po fonetike iranskix jazykov, Gilanskij I mazanderanskij jazyki, Trudy Instituta Jazykoznaija AN SSSR, Moskva, vol.6, pp. 92-112.
  • Yoshie, Satoko, 1996, Sāri Dialect, Iranian Studies, No.10, ILCAA, Tokyo.

See also

External links

Wikipedia
Mazandarani language edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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