Part 1

Yilmaz Algin | ÊzîdîPress

"The Yezidis of Birejik (Turkey) call their language Yezidi (zimane ezdiya)", — noted in 1895 the French researcher Ernest Chantre in "Ethnographic notes on the Yezidis".

The native language of many Yazidis, "Ezdiki", in which most of their sacred texts (Qawls) are written, is known among other things by the name of Kurmanji. Many Kurds consider Kurmanji a dialect of the Kurdish language, and they believe in the existence of a single Kurdish language, divided into different dialects and dialects. However, there is another opinion in the scientific community that Kurmanji is one of several independent Kurdish languages.

Most post-Soviet Yazidis refer to their language as "ezdiki". This word is formed from "ezdi" and the suffix "k", which turns a noun into an adjective, and is translated as "Yazidi". Thus, "Kurmanji", "Yazidi" (Ezdiki) and "Kurdish" (Kurdi) are linguonyms.

Strange as it may seem, there is a certain group of people who categorically do not accept the use of the word "ezdiki" and they are against the Yazidis calling their language that way. Why this happens and what consequences it can lead to, we will first consider in this article.

At present, when the Yazidis of the former Soviet Union call their language "ezdiki", this is met with a negative reaction from nationalist Kurds, among whom there are also Yazidis who have fallen under the influence of Kurdish parties. The mere mention of the word "ezdiki" leads to a discussion in which opponents present rather primitive arguments that stymie absolutely any debate on this issue. It is not uncommon for opponents to say: "there is no such language"; "it is a Kurdish language, not Yazidi»; "if you want to speak Yazidi, then choose another language, any other than Kurdish, because Kurdish is our language" or mockingly "if you speak Yazidi, then others speak Muslim." There are also many other expressions that we consider inappropriate to give in this work. In the same vein, all the negativity is spilled out in relation to Yazidi scientists, activists, journalists, and intellectuals who defend the right to call their language Yazidi. The Yazidi people include the Yazidi identity religion, and language-it is one.

So, is there a Yazidi language at all? We want to study this issue, because thanks to the enlightenment, a consensus is possible, which, in turn, will stop the ideological confrontation.

Language and linguonym

In discussions, it can often be noted that opponents of the concept of the Yazidi language do not distinguish between the concept of language itself, on the one hand, and the name of the language (linguonym), on the other. Statements that "you speak Kurdish, not Yazidi" can be perceived as a contradictory statement, because it is opposed to the linguonym. Often those who talk about it are in the dark. The fact is that "kurmanji" and "ezdiki" are linguonyms. The same language can have different names, and this is not unusual. For example, Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian are different names for the same language. In Pakistan, the name "Urdu "and in India," Hindi " is used for the same language. These are examples of different groups using different names for the same language they speak. Based on this, the use of "ezdiki" is not wrong, because other groups speak the same language, but use different names.