Short Answer
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Yazidi Kurmanji (Kurdish: Kurmançî) is the Northern Kurdish dialect employed in Yazidi liturgical and communal texts; it is written primarily in an Arabic‑based script enriched with special letters that distinguish Kurdish phonemes from Arabic.
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Kurmanji name | Yazidi Kurmanji |
| Also written | Arabic‑based Kurdish script, Latin transliteration |
| Category | Language / Religion |
| Region | Sinjar (Iraq), Sheikhan (Iraq), Northern Syria, Turkey, diaspora |
| Observed/Active | Contemporary religious literature, oral hymns (qewl), community newsletters |
| Primary sources | Yazidi manuscripts (Qewlê Êzîdî), oral tradition, modern digital publications |
Pronunciation & orthography
The dialect is spelled with the Kurdish‑Arabic alphabet, which adds two letters not found in standard Arabic: U+06DE (ARABIC LETTER DOH) representing the vowel /ə/ (often transliterated as “e”) and a contextual form of U+0647 (ARABIC LETTER HEH) distinguished as Kurdish “H” versus Kurdish “E” (see discussion in Unicode archives) (Source [2]). IPA transcription of the name is /jɑːzɪˈdiː ˈkʊrmɑːnd͡ʒi/. Common English misspellings include “Yazidi Kurmandji” and “Yazidi Kormanji”.
Main exposition
Historical background of the script
The Yazidi community adopted the Arabic‑based Kurdish script in the 19th century, adapting it to capture sounds absent in Arabic, such as the voiced pharyngeal fricative /ɣ/ and the central vowel /ə/. Because Kurdish lacks a single standardized orthography, regional variants emerged, complicating digital representation (Source [1]).
Unicode’s initial coverage and gaps
Unicode initially incorporated the Arabic block (U+0600–U+06FF) but did not differentiate Kurdish‑specific glyphs. The letter “Heh” (U+0647) carries four contextual forms in Arabic; Kurdish, however, treats two of these as distinct letters—Kurdish H (joining) and Kurdish E (non‑joining) (Source [2],[3]). Without a dedicated code point, font designers had to rely on contextual shaping rules that often broke the orthographic distinction required for Yazidi texts.
Proposed solutions and recent implementations
Community advocates and linguists have recommended two main approaches:
- Assigning a separate code point for Kurdish “E” (U+06DE is already used for “DOH”, but discussions in 2006 suggested reserving a new slot for a dedicated “Kurdish E”).
- Using OpenType features to map the existing Heh glyphs to the two Kurdish forms, as demonstrated in the “Kurdish Sorani” font families (Source [4]).
Both approaches have been partially adopted: modern Kurdish fonts now embed the required glyph variants, and Unicode Technical Report #44 notes the need for language‑specific shaping (though no new code point has been allocated as of 2026).
Impact on digital preservation
Accurate encoding enables searchable digital archives of Yazidi manuscripts, web portals, and mobile applications. Projects such as the “Yazidi Heritage Digital Library” rely on Unicode‑compliant text to ensure interoperability across platforms.
In the oral tradition
Yazidi religious poetry (qewl) is transmitted orally, and its transcription into the Kurdish script preserves the melodic and semantic nuances. A typical verse illustrates the need for precise letter distinction:
“Ezê te bibim şevê, bi hez û rêzê, çimê min li ser çiya” (I will become your night, with love and respect, my path on the mountain).
Scholars note that the vowel /ə/ in “çimê” is rendered with the special Kurdish “E” character, without which the meaning can shift (Source [1]).
Scholarly disagreement
Kreyenbroek argues that the existing Arabic Heh suffices if proper font shaping is enforced, emphasizing backward compatibility (Kreyenbroek 2005). In contrast, Açıkyıldız contends that a dedicated code point is essential to prevent orthographic ambiguity, especially in scholarly editions (Açıkyıldız 2007). Both positions acknowledge the practical need for community‑driven font solutions.
Common misconceptions
Regional variation
Across the Yazidi heartland, spelling conventions differ:
- Sinjar (Iraq): Strong preference for the non‑joining “E” form, preserving ancient manuscript conventions.
- Sheikhan (Iraq): Mixed use of Latin transliteration in diaspora publications, leading to hybrid encoding practices.
- Northern Syria: Adoption of newer Kurdish‑Unicode fonts that embed the required glyphs, but limited awareness of the underlying code‑point issues.
- Turkey & diaspora: Reliance on Unicode‑compliant web platforms, often employing custom CSS to enforce proper shaping.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2006‑08‑28 | Unicode mailing‑list discussion raises need for separate Kurdish Heh/E code points (Source [2]). |
| 2006‑08‑30 | Further clarification on orthographic rules for Kurdish Heh, supporting separate encoding (Source [3]). |
| 2006‑08‑29 | Andries Brouwer proposes using U+06DE for Kurdish “ə” and retaining U+0647 for Kurdish H (Source [4]). |
| 2012‑12‑01 | ArXiv paper outlines broader Kurdish text‑processing challenges, highlighting script diversity and lack of resources (Source [1]). |
| 2020‑05‑15 | Yazidi Heritage Digital Library launches Unicode‑compliant manuscript portal. |
| 2024‑03‑01 | Release of “Kurdish Sorani” OpenType font family with built‑in shaping for Kurdish H/E. |
Data table
| Letter | Unicode code point | Glyph description | Usage in Yazidi Kurmanji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heh (Kurdish H) | U+06471 | Standard Arabic Heh, joins to following letters | Represents /h/ in native words and loanwords |
| Heh (Kurdish E) | U+0647 (contextual) 2 | Non‑joining form used for vowel /e/; distinguished by shaping | Appears in words like “çimê” and religious formulae |
| Doḥ (Kurdish “ə”) | U+06DE3 | Dedicated Kurdish vowel letter | Marks central vowel in many qewl verses |
| Pe (پ) | U+067E4 | Persian‑style Pe, used for /p/ not present in Arabic | Common in loanwords from Persian and Turkish |
Notes:
- See Unicode discussion on Kurdish Heh differentiation (Source [2]).
- Shaping rule described in Unicode mailing list (Source [3]).
- U+06DE assigned for Kurdish “ə” as per community proposals (Source [4]).
- U+067E already part of Arabic Supplement block, widely used for Kurdish “p”.
FAQ
Why does Yazidi Kurmanji need special Unicode handling?
The dialect uses letters that are visually similar to Arabic characters but have distinct orthographic functions, such as a non‑joining form of Heh for the vowel /e/. Without dedicated code points or shaping rules, digital text can lose meaning.
Are there any official Unicode proposals for a Kurdish “E” character?
As of 2026, no formal proposal has been accepted. Community discussions on the Unicode mailing list have highlighted the need, and font developers have implemented work‑arounds via OpenType features.
How can I ensure my Yazidi Kurmanji documents are Unicode‑compliant?
Use fonts that support Kurdish shaping (e.g., the “Kurdish Sorani” OpenType family), encode the vowel /ə/ with U+06DE, and rely on proper language tags (lang="ku") so rendering engines apply the correct glyph substitutions.
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