The Tati language (Tati: تاتی زبون, Tâti Zobun)[3] is a Northwestern Iranian language spoken by the Tat people of Iran which is closely related to other languages such as Talysh, Zaza,[4][5] Mazandarani and Gilaki.

Tati
Tâti
تاتی زبون
Tati written in Nastaliq script (تاتی)
Native toIran
EthnicityTats
Native speakers
410,000 Takestani speakers (2021)[1]
36,000 Harzandi speakers (2021)[1]
Persian alphabet
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
tks – Takestani/Khalkhal
xkc – Kho'ini
hrz – Harzandi
rdb – Rudbari
esh – Eshtehardi
tov – Taromi
xkp – Kabatei
Glottologkhoi1250  Kho'ini
rama1272  Takestani/Eshtehardi
taro1267  Taromi/Kabatei
rudb1238  Rudbari
harz1239  Harzani-Kilit
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.

Old Azeri

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Some sources use the term Old Azeri to refer to the Tati language as it was spoken in the region before the spread of Turkic languages, and is now only spoken by different rural communities in Iranian Azerbaijan (such as villages in Harzanabad area, villages around Khalkhal and Ardabil), and also in Zanjan and Qazvin provinces.[6][7][8] Alongside with Tati dialects, Old Azeri is known to have strong affinities with Talysh and Zaza language. Tati, Zaza and Talysh are considered to be remnants of old Azeri.[9][10] Harzandi dialect that thought to be descendant of the Old Azeri language was positioned between the Talysh and Zaza.[11]

Tati language structure

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In any language, roots and verb affixes constitute the most basic and important components of a language. The root is an element included in all the words of a lexical family and carries the basic meaning of those lexical items. A verb affix is an element added to the root to form a new meaning. In many new Iranian languages, verb affixes have been left almost unnoticed, and it will be possible, by the act of deriving roots, to clear up most of their structural and semantic ambiguities. Unlike the root, verb affixes can be easily identified and described. In many languages, verb affixes act as the base of verb formation and are often derived from a limited number of roots. Tati, Talysh, Mazandarani and Gilaki languages belong to North-western Iranian languages currently spoken along the coast of Caspian Sea. These languages which enjoy many old linguistic elements have not been duly studied from a linguistic perspective.[12][original research?]

In the field of phonetics Tati is similar to the rest of the north-western Iranian languages: it is distinguished by the persistence of Iranian *z, *s, *y-, * v- against the south-western d, h, j-, b-; development /ʒ/ < * j, */t͡ʃ/ against the south-west z, and the preservation of intervocalic and postvocalic *r and even, for a number of dialects, development rhotacism.

In the field of morphology, Tati is less analytical in structure than the south-western Iranian languages. Having lost the ancient foundations of classes and verb, tati preserved case (two case: direct, or subjective, and oblique). It has a grammatical gender feature in many dialects and exhibits two genders[13][14][15][16] just like the Zaza.[17]

Ergative in Tati language

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Tati is, like Zaza of the same linguistic branch,[17] an ergative language, i.e. "with transitive verbs the subject/agent of the verb is expressed by the direct case in the present tenses, but by the oblique in the past tenses, whereas the direct object/patient in the present tenses is expressed by the oblique, but by the direct in the past".[18]
Khalkhali is one of the Tati dialects spoken in Shahrood and Xorsh-rostam districts of Khalkhal. Khalkhali Tati is distinguished from other dialects producing ergative structures, because of the adherence of verb to semantic object, in number, person and specially in gender. Meanwhile, according to some evidence in this dialect, apart from past transitive verbs, some intransitive verbs are influenced by the ergative structure.[19]

Phonology

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Consonants

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The phonology is based on the Southern Tati dialects:[20]

Labial Dental/
Alveolar
Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
Nasal m n
Plosive/
Affricate
voiceless p t t͡ʃ k q (ʔ)[a]
voiced b d d͡ʒ ɡ
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ χ, (χʷ)[b] h
voiced v z (ʒ)[c] (ɣ)[d]
Approximant l j (w)[e]
Trill r
  1. ^ A glottal stop /ʔ/ may only appear after some elongated vowel sounds, and is likely adopted from Persian loanwords.
  2. ^ A labialized sound /χʷ/ occurs only before the vowel sound /ɑ/.
  3. ^ The sound /ʒ/ only occurs before a voiced plosive /d/, and is most likely an allophone of /d͡ʒ/.
  4. ^ In the Takestani dialect, /ɡ/ may have the allophone [ɣ].
  5. ^ The sound [w] does not occur as a phoneme, but it does occur when /u/ is preceding another vowel.

The following sounds /r, v, q/ may allophonically range to the sounds [ɾ, β, ʁ].

Vowels

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Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid e ø (ə) ɔ~o
ɛ
Open æ ɑ

The vowel sound for /e/ is recognized as two sounds [ɛ, e], and allophonically as [ə].

In the Chali dialect, the /o/ phoneme is only realized as a diphthong [ɔu], whereas in Takestani, it is only recognized as ranging from [ɔ~o].[20]

Dialects

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Tati has four main dialects:

  1. South of Qazvin province (Tākestāni, Eshtehārdi, Chāli, Dānesfāni, Esfarvarini, Ebrāhim-ābādi, Sagz-ābādi)
  2. Ardabil province (Khalkhāli)
  3. Alborz mountains range (Damāvandi). This dialect was, probably, used to be spoken around the northern part of Tehran City.
  4. North Khorasan province (Khorāsāni)

Comparison of various Tati dialects[21]

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English Persian Tākestāni Tāti Sagzābādi Tāti Ebrāhimābādi Tāti Ardabilaki Tāti Ziārāni Tāti Tikhuri Tāti Tat Kurmanji Kurdish Sorani Kurdish
Child بچه
Baĉĉe
zārin/bālā
بالا/زارين
zāru
زارو
zāru
زارو
vaĉa
وچه
eyāl
عيال
vaĉa
وچه
Ayal Zārok

Mendal

baĉa

منداڵ
Mendāl / baĉka بەچکە
Rooftop پشت بام
Poŝtebām/Bālābun
bon
بُن
bun
بون
bön
بون
bom
بوم
bum
بوم
bum
بوم
Sarbun Bān بان
Bān
Hand دست
Dast
Bāl
بال
bāl
بال
Bāl
بال
Bāl
بال
Bāl
بال
bāl
بال
Dast Dest / lep دەست
Dast
Sharp تيز
Tiz
Tij
تيج
tij
تيج
tij
تيج
tij
تيج
tij
تيج
tij
تيج
Tij Tûž تیژ
Tiž
Sister خواهر
Xāhar
Xāke
خاکه
Xawaĉe
خواچه
xawāke
خوآکه
xāxor
خاخور
xoār
خُوآر
xoār
خُوآر
Xuvār Xûşk / xweng خوشک
Xûşk
Ablution/Wozu وضو
Wozu/Dastnamāz
dasnemāz
دسنماز
dasta māz
دست ماز
dasnemāz
دسنماز
dasnemāz
دسنماز
dastnemāz
دست نِماز
dastnemāz
دست نِماز
Dastimāz Destnimêj دەستنوێژ
Destniwêj
Housewife کدبانو
Kadbānu
keyvuniye/kalontare zeyniye
کلُونتَره زينيه/کيوونيه
ĉeybānu
چي بنوه
Keywānu
کيوانو
Keywānu
کيوانو
Kalentar
کلنتر
xojirezan
خوجيره زِن
Kebanî کابان
Kaban
Lentil عدس
Adas
marjomake
مرجومکه
marjewa
مرجوه
marjewa
مرجوه
marju
مرجو
marju
مرجو
marju
مرجو
Marjimak nîsk نیسک
Nîsk
Calm آرام
Ārām/Denj
dinj
دينج
dinj
دينج
dinj
دينج
dinj
دينج
dinj
دينج
dinj
دينج
Dinj aram ئارام / بێدەنگ
Aram / Bêdeng
Shout فرياد
Faryād
Harāy
هرای
Harāy/qia
قيه/هرای
harāy/qeya
قيه/هرای
harāy/qiyu
قيو/هرای
Qālmeqāl/harāy
هرای/قال مِقال
Mara
هَرَه
Jirā/Faryād Hewar/qîr هاوار
Hawar
English Persian Pahlavi Avestan Tākestāni Tāti Sagzābādi Tāti Ebrāhimābādi Tāti Ardabilaki Tāti Ziārāni Tāti Tikhuri Tāti Kurmanji Kurdish Sorani Kurdish
Dog سگ
Sag
sege span asbe/māĉĉiye
ماچيه/اَسبه
Asba
اَسبه
asba
اَسبه
Sag
سگ
Sage/māĉĉe
ماچه/سَيگ
Sag/Māĉĉe
ماچه/سَيگ
Kûçik / Seg سەگ
Seg
Bone استخوان
Ostexān
ast/xastak ast esqonj
اسقُنج
Xaste
خسته
Xaste
خسته
Esdeqān
اسدقان
Hasta
هَستَه
hasta
هَستَه
estî / hestî ئێسک / هێسک
Êsk / Hêsk
Lie دروغ
Doruq
drog/droo droj duru
دورو
deru
درو
doru
دُرو
duru
دورو
duru
دورو
duru
دورو
Derew / vir درۆ
Diro
Needle سوزن
Suzan
darzik/darzi dereza darzone
درزُنه
darzena
درزنه
darzena
درزنه
darzan
درزَن
darzen
درزِن
darzen
درزِن
Derzî, Şûjin (big needle) دەرزی
Derzî
Face چهره
Ĉehre
ĉihr/ĉihrak dim
دیم
dim
دیم
dim
دیم
dim
دیم
dim
دیم
dim
دیم
Dêm دەم و چاو/ ڕوو
Dem û çaw / Rû
Groom داماد
Dāmād
zāmāt zāmātar zomā
زُما
Zummā
زوما
zeymā
زیما
zāmā
زاما
zāmā
زاما
zāmā
زاما
Zava زاوا
Zawa
House خانه
Xāne
Mābān ke kiye
کیه
čia
چیه
kia
کیه
Xāne
خانه
Xāneh
خانه
Xāneh
خانه
Xanî خانوو / خانی
Xanû / Xanî
Man مرد
Mard
mart mereta mardak
مردک
miarda
میرده
miarda
میرده
Mardi
مِردی
Mardak
مَردِک
Mardak
مَردِک
Mêr پیاو / مەرد
Piyaw / Merd
Lamb بره
Barre
varrak Ware
وَره
Wara
وره
Wara
وره
vara
وره
vara
وره
vara
وره
Berx بەرخ
Berx
Bride عروس
Arus
vazyok vaze Weye
ویه
Weya
ویه
veya
ویه
ayris/eris
عریس/عَی ریس
ayris/eris
عریس/عَی ریس
Bûk بووک
Bûk
Nose بینی
Bini
Pini Pini vinniye
وینیه
venia
ونیه
venia
ونیه
vini
وینی
vini
وینی
vini
وینی
Poz (nose) /Bîhn (smell) لووت / کەپوو / بۆن
Lût / Kepû / Bon (smell)
Wolf گرگ
Gorg
Gourg vehraka varg
ورگ
varg
ورگ
varg
ورگ
verg
وِرگ
gurg
گورگ
gurg
گورگ
Gur گورگ
Gurg

Other Tati dialects are Vafsi, Harzandi, Kho'ini, and Kiliti Eshtehardi.

Vafsi Tati

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Vafsi is a dialect of Tati language spoken in the Vafs village and surrounding area in the Markazi province of Iran. The dialects of the Tafresh region share many features with the Central Plateau dialects; however, their lexical inventory has many items in common with the Talysh subgroup.

Vafsi has six short vowel phonemes, five long vowel phonemes and two nasal vowel phonemes. The consonant inventory is basically the same as in Persian. Nouns are inflected for gender (masculine, feminine), number (singular, plural) and case (direct, oblique).

The oblique case marks the possessor (preceding the head noun), the definite direct object, nouns governed by a preposition, and the subject of transitive verbs in the past tense. Personal pronouns are inflected for number (singular, plural) and case (direct, oblique). A set of enclitic pronouns is used to indicate the agent of transitive verbs in the past tenses.

There are two demonstrative pronouns: one for near deixis, one for remote deixis. The use of the Persian ezafe construction is spreading; however, there is also a native possessive construction, consisting of the possessor (unmarked or marked by the oblique case) preceding the head noun.

The verbal inflection is based on two stems: present and past stem. Person and number are indicated personal suffixes attached to the stem. In the transitive past tense the verb consists of the bare past stem and personal concord with the subject is provided by enclitic pronouns following the stem or a constituent preceding the verb. Two modal prefixes are used to convey modal and aspectual information. The past participle is employed in the formation of compound tenses.

Vafsi is a split ergative language: Split ergativity means that a language has in one domain accusative morphosyntax and in another domain ergative morphosyntax. In Vafsi the present tense is structured the accusative way and the past tense is structured the ergative way. Accusative morphosyntax means that in a language subjects of intransitive and transitive verbs are treated the same way and direct objects are treated another way. Ergative morphosyntax means that in a language subjects of intransitive verbs and direct objects are treated one way and subjects of transitive verbs are treated another way.

In the Vafsi past tense subjects of intransitive verbs and direct objects are marked by the direct case whereas subjects of transitive verbs are marked by the oblique case. This feature characterizes the Vafsi past tense as ergative.

The unmarked order of constituents is SOV like in most other Iranian languages.

Harzandi Tati

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Harzani is considered an endangered language with a little less than 30,000 speakers in present day.[22] Its speakers principally reside in the rural district of Harzand, particularly in the village known as Galin Qayah/Kohriz. Harzani is also present in the neighboring villages of Babratein and Dash Harzand.[23]

As of now, Harzani has not been formally recognized by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and thus receives no government support.[24]

Like other languages and dialects of the Iranian language family, Harzani follows a subject–object–verb (SOV) word order. It has nine vowels, and shares a consonant inventory with Persian. It further exhibits a split-ergative case system: its present tense is structured to follow nominative-accusative patterning, while its past tense follows ergative-absolutive.

One characteristic that distinguishes Harzani from related Northwestern Iranian languages is its change from an intervocalic /d/ to an /r/.[25] It also has a tendency to lengthen its vowels. For instance, it has the closed vowel /oe/.[citation needed]

Nouns and pronouns in Harzani do not reflect grammatical gender, but they do express case. Nouns, in particular, encode two cases: direct and oblique case, the first of which is not rendered morphologically, but the second is by attaching a suffix. Meanwhile, personal pronouns have three cases: direct, oblique, and possessive.

Verbs in Harzani are inflected for present tense and past tense. Information concerning person and number is reflected in suffixes that attach to these two verb stems. Modal and aspectual information is expressed using prefixes.

Kho'ini Tati

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It is spoken in the village of Xoin and surrounding areas, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of Zanjan city in northern Iran. The Xoini verbal system follows the general pattern found in other Tati dialects. However, the dialect has its own special characteristics such as continuous present which is formed by the past stem, a preverb shift, and the use of connective sounds. The dialect is in danger of extinction.

Nouns have two cases: direct and oblique. Contrary to the often case in Persian, adjective is not Post-positive.

The suffixes may be attached to the verb; the agent of the verb in an ergative construction; an adverb; a prepositional or postpositional phrase; and in a compound verb to its nominal Complement.

The same set of endings is used for the present and the subjunctive. The endings of the preterit and the present perfect are basically the enclitic present forms of the verb 'to be' (*ah-, here called base one). For pluperfect and subjunctive perfect the freestanding auxiliary verb 'to be' (*bav-, here called base two) is utilized. There is no ending for singular imperative and it is -ân for plural. For the inflections of "to be" see "Auxiliary inflection" below.

The past and present stems are irregular and shaped by historical developments, e.g.: wuj- / wut- (to say); xaraš-/xarat- (to sell); taj-/tat- (to run). However, in many verbs the past stem is built on the present stem by adding -(e)st; e.g.: brem-bremest- (to weep).

The imperative is formed by the modal prefix be- if the verb contains no preverb, plus the present stem and without ending in the singular and with -ân in the plural. be- is often changed to bi-, bo- or bu- according to the situation, and appears as b- before a vowel of a verbal stem.

Kiliti Tati

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Kiliti is a Tati dialect of Azerbaijan that is closely related to Talysh. It is spoken in the villages around Kilit, located 12 kilometers southwest from the city of Ordubad in a district with the same name of Nakhchivan in Azerbaijan.

Tati and Talysh

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Tati and Talysh are Northwestern Iranian languages which are closely related. Although Talysh and Tati are two languages that have affected each other in various levels, the degree of this effect in different places are not the same. In fact, the very closeness of the two languages has been a major reason for impossibility of drawing clear borderlines between them. It happens that Tati varieties can be seen in the heart of Talysh districts, or Talysh varieties are found in the center of Tati districts. This claim is supported by focusing on linguistic characteristics of Tati and Talysh, the history of the interrelation between the two languages, geographical parameters of the area, as well as the phonological, morphological, and lexical examples.[26]

Comparison of Talysh and various Tati dialects

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English Persian Astārāi Talysh Tākestāni Tāti Sagzābādi Tāti Ebrāhimābādi Tāti Ardabilaki Tāti Ziārāni Tāti Kurmanji Kurdish
Down پایین
pāyin
jina
جینه
jir
جیر
jirā
جیرا
jirā
جیرا
jir
جیر
jir/jirā
جیرا/جیر
žêr, jêr
Father پدر
pedar
dādā
دادا
dādā
دادا
dada
دده
dada
دده
dādā/piyar
پیر/دادا
dada/piyar
پیر/دده
bav
Bitter تلخ
talx
tel
تِل
tal
تل
tal
تل
tal
تل
tal
تل
tal
تل
tel / tahel
Girl دختر
doxtar
kela
کِلَه
titiye
تیتیه
titia
تی تیه
titia
تی تیه
detari
دتری
detari
دتری
dot (daughter)

keçek (girl)

Mad دیوانه
divāne
tur
تور
tur
تور
tur
تور
tur
تور
tur
تور
tur
تور
tûre, dîn
Woman زن
zan
žen
ژِن
zeyniye
زینیه
zania
زنیه
zania
زنیه
zen
زِن
zenek
زنک
žen, jin
White سفید
sefid
ispi
ایسپی
isbi
ایسبی
esbi
اسبی
sebi
سبی
sivid
سوید
isbi
ایسبی
sepî
Chicken مرغ
morq
kāg
کاگ
karke
کرکه
čarga
چرگه
karga
کرگه
kerg
کرگ
kerg
کرگ
mirîşk [merishk]
Ladder نردبان
nardebān
serd
سِرد
aselte
اَسلته
sorda
سورده
sorda
سورده
palkān/palkāna
پلکانه/پلکان
nêrdevan, pêlik
Face چهره
čehre
dim
دیم
dim
دیم
dim
دیم
dim
دیم
dim
دیم
dim
دیم
dêm

Distribution

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Takestani/Khalkhal at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)  
    Kho'ini at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)  
    Harzandi at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)  
    Rudbari at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)  
    Eshtehardi at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)  
    Taromi at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)  
    (Additional references under 'Language codes' in the information box)
  2. ^ "Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica".
  3. ^ A Grammar of Southern Tati Dialects, Ehsan Yarshater, Median Dialect Studies I. The Hague and Paris, Mouton and Co., 1969.
  4. ^ "Northwestern/Adharic/Zaza". Glottolog. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  5. ^ Henning, Walter Bruno (1955). The Ancient Language of Azerbaijan. Austin & Sons. pp. 174–175.
  6. ^ Paul, Ludwig (1998a). The position of Zazaki among West Iranian languages. In Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference of Iranian Studies, 11-15.09.1995, Cambridge, Nicholas Sims-Williams (ed.), 163-176. Wiesbaden: Reichert.
  7. ^ Andrew Dalby, Dictionary of Languages: the definitive reference to more than 400 languages, Columbia University Press, 2004, pg 496.
  8. ^ "Azari, the Old Iranian Language of Azerbaijan," Encyclopædia Iranica, op. cit., Vol. III/2, 1987 by E. Yarshater. External link: [1]
  9. ^ "Adharic". Glottolog. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  10. ^ Henning, Walter Bruno (1955). The Ancient Language of Azerbaijan. Austin & Sons. pp. 174–175.
  11. ^ Henning, Walter Bruno (1955). The Ancient Language of Azerbaijan. Austin & Sons. pp. 174–175.
  12. ^ Verb Roots and Affixes in Tâti, Tâleshi and Gilaki Dialects, Jahandust Sabzalipoor
  13. ^ Vardanian, A. (2016). Grammatical gender in New Azari dialects of Šāhrūd. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 79(3), 503 511.
  14. ^ Taherkhani, Neda (2017). "A Morpho-phonological Analysis of Vowel Changes in Takestani-Tati Verb Conjugations: Assimilation, Deletion, and Vowel Harmony" (PDF). Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  15. ^ Sabzalipour, Jahandoost; Delgarm, Raheleh (2016). "اَرّانَ مخفیزبان جی دیلی قَرقَهیا نشین خلخال در مناطق تات (Arrānaji or Qarqahdili Argot in Tāti-Speaking Regions of Khalkhāl)" (PDF). Journal of Sociolinguistics. Payame Noor University.
  16. ^ جهاندوست, جهاندوست (2013). "تمايز جنس مؤنث و مذكر در گويش تاتي خلخال" (PDF). پرتال جامع علوم انسانی (Comprehensive humanities portal) (in Persian). Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Todd, Terry Lynn (2008). A Grammar of Dimili (also Known as Zaza) (PDF). Electronic Publication. p. 33. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 28, 2012.
  18. ^ Iranica entry on Eshtehārdi, one of Tati dialects
  19. ^ Ergative in Tāti Dialect of Khalkhāl, Jahandust Sabzalipoor
  20. ^ a b Yar-Shater, Ehsan (1969). A grammar of southern Tati dialects. The Hague: Mouton.
  21. ^ "نگاهی به گویش قزوینی و زبان تاتی استان قزوین".
  22. ^ Harzani at Ethnologue (17th Edition, 2014)]
  23. ^ Karimzadeh, J. 1994: "The Verbal Constructions in Azari (Harzani Dialect)." Master’s thesis, Tarbiat Modarres University.
  24. ^ Harzani Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine at Languages of the World (LLOW)
  25. ^ "Hening Tati".
  26. ^ Tāleshi Indications in Tāti Districts of Khalkhāl, Jahandust Sabzalipoor

Further reading

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  • Majidifard, Ehsan; Mahdi Hajmalek, Mohammad; Rezaei, Saeed (2023). "Attitudes Towards Tati Language Among its Native Speakers in Western Iran". In Sedighi, Anousha (ed.). Iranian and Minority Languages at Home and in Diaspora. De Gruyter. pp. 83–110. ISBN 978-3110694277.
  • Taherkhani, Neda; Nelson, Scott (2024). "Southern Tati: Takestani Dialect". Illustrations of the IPA. Journal of the International Phonetic Association: 559–574. doi:10.1017/S0025100323000270, with supplementary sound recordings.


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