Kurmanji ⇄ English · 180 terms · source-cited

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Pre-publication reference set. The 180-entry launch dataset is technically complete; spellings and interpretive definitions still require the named Yazidi-affiliated or specialist reviewer required by the site’s editorial gate.

25 matching terms.

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ax

earth

Earth, soil, or land.

IPA: /ax/
Arabic reading: اخ

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Başîqa

Bashiqa

A town near Mosul with a long-established Yazidi community, noted together with Behzanê for Arabic-speaking qewal families.

IPA: /baʃiːqa/
Arabic reading: باشیقا

Full entry

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Ba‘adrê

Baadre

A major Yazidi town in the Şêxan area and the traditional residence associated with the Yazidi Mîr.

IPA: /baʕadreː/
Arabic reading: باعادرێ

Full entry

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Behdînan

Bahdinan

A historical and cultural region of northern Iraqi Kurdistan closely associated with Kurmanji-speaking Yazidi communities.

IPA: /bɛhdiːnan/
Arabic reading: بەهدینان

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Behzanê

Bahzani

A town near Başîqa with a long-established Yazidi community and important qewal traditions.

IPA: /bɛhzaneː/
Arabic reading: بەهزانێ

Full entry

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berat

sacred clay token

A small sacred token traditionally made from clay and water associated with Laliş and carried for blessing.

IPA: /bɛrat/
Arabic reading: بەرات

Full entry

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dergeh

sanctuary threshold

A doorway, gate, or sacred precinct; in religious contexts it can refer to the threshold of a sanctuary.

IPA: /dɛrɡɛh/
Arabic reading: دەرگەه

Full entry

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Efrîn

Afrin

A region of north-western Syria with historic Yazidi villages and sacred places.

IPA: /ɛfriːn/
Arabic reading: ەفرین

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Êsiyan

Esiyan

A Yazidi locality in the Şêxan region associated with named families and sacred traditions.

IPA: /eːsɪjan/
Arabic reading: ێسِیان

Full entry

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gor

grave

A grave or burial place; a common Kurmanji equivalent alongside loanwords such as mezar.

IPA: /ɡor/
Arabic reading: گۆر

Full entry

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kanî

spring

A natural spring or fountain; several springs form part of Yazidi sacred geography.

IPA: /kaniː/
Arabic reading: کانی

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Kaniya Spî

White Spring

The White Spring at Laliş, whose water is used in the mor kirin initiation rite.

IPA: /kanɪja spiː/
Arabic reading: کانِیا سپی

Full entry

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kevir

stone

Stone or a stone object; particular stones can form part of local sacred landscapes.

IPA: /kɛvɪr/
Arabic reading: کەڤِر

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Laliş

Lalish

The sacred valley and sanctuary complex north of Mosul, centred on the tomb of Şêx Adî and the main destination of Yazidi pilgrimage.

IPA: /lalɪʃ/
Arabic reading: لالِش

Full entry

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mezar

grave

A grave or burial place.

IPA: /mɛzar/
Arabic reading: مەزار

Full entry

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qub

conical shrine

A shrine or its characteristic conical tower, a recognizable element of Yazidi sacred architecture.

IPA: /qʊb/
Arabic reading: قوب

Full entry

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Şengal

Sinjar

The Kurmanji name for Sinjar, including the mountain, district, and major Yazidi region in north-western Iraq.

IPA: /ʃɛnɡal/
Arabic reading: شەنگال

Full entry

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Şêxan

Sheikhan

A district and traditional Yazidi heartland north-east of Mosul, close to Laliş.

IPA: /ʃeːxan/
Arabic reading: شێخان

Full entry

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sincaq

sacred standard

A sacred peacock standard historically carried by qewals on community visitations.

IPA: /sɪnd͡ʒaq/
Arabic reading: سِنجاق

Full entry

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sitûn

column

A pillar or column, including architectural columns within sacred complexes.

IPA: /sɪtuːn/
Arabic reading: سِتوون

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tawûs

peacock

The peacock, most prominently encountered in the title Tawûsî Melek and in the form of sacred standards.

IPA: /tawuːs/
Arabic reading: تاوووس

Full entry

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tirbe

tomb shrine

A tomb or mausoleum associated with a revered person.

IPA: /tɪrbɛ/
Arabic reading: تِربە

Full entry

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Xankê

Khanke

A town and large displaced-persons area near Duhok with a substantial Yazidi population.

IPA: /xankeː/
Arabic reading: خانکێ

Full entry

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Ziyaret

shrine

A sacred place visited for devotion, vows, blessing, or a local festival.

IPA: /zɪjarɛt/
Arabic reading: زِیارەت

Full entry

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ziyaretgeh

place of visitation

A shrine or designated place of religious visitation.

IPA: /zɪjarɛtɡɛh/
Arabic reading: زِیارەتگەه

Full entry

How to read this lexicon

One canonical form, transparent aids

The lexicon separates sourced lexical content from mechanically generated reading aids. That distinction matters because Yazidi Kurmanji is written in more than one script and spelling practice is not uniform across Iraq, the Caucasus, and diaspora communities.

01
Headword and meaning
The Latin Kurmanji form is the editorial key. Definitions are concise syntheses checked against at least two category-appropriate scholarly sources.
02
Broad IPA
The IPA line maps the written Kurmanji form to a broad, stress-neutral reading. It is a pronunciation aid, not a recording or dialect claim.
03
Script reading variants
Arabic and Cyrillic forms are deterministic transliterations of the Latin headword. They are labelled “reading” forms and must not be mistaken for attested local spellings.
04
Audio slots
Every entry reserves an audio control, but no synthetic voice is substituted for a speaker. Recordings can be attached after speaker consent and dialect metadata are available.

Named authorities

Sources and verification

Definitions are editorial paraphrases, never copied qewl text. Individual entries show a smaller category-specific source set.

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