Language change among Kalhuri Kurdish speakers in Iran

A gain or in vain

Bibliographic Data

ID21200930
AuthorsJavad Yarahmadi (0000-0003-1495-8589, Ministry of Education Science and Technology, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume13
Issue2
Pages322-340
Publication date2022-06-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePragmatics and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1878-9714 • E-ISSN: 1878-9722
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1075/ps.19064.yar
OpenAlexW4283321345
LanguageEN
References cited31

In the multicultural and multiethnic context of Iran, Farsi (Persian) is the only official and the most prestigious language employed by the people. This article investigates sociolinguistic factors fostering a radical language shift from Kurdish to Farsi among Kalhuri Kurdish speakers in Kermanshah, the biggest Kurdish city in Iran – a trend which has raised many social and cultural controversies within the Kurdish community. Data were gathered through a questionnaire focusing on the attitudinal, economic, and social factors affecting the shift. The participants of the study were 1,000 native Kurdish speakers in Kermanshah; the data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and item percentage. The analysis revealed that social, personal, and economic factors contributed to the shift, even though the economic concerns outweighed the others. The article discusses the implication of the findings in detail

Descriptive statistics · Geography · Language shift · Linguistics · Multiculturalism · Pedagogy · Persian · Political science · Sociology · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Social Psychology · Turkey's Politics and Society

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