Linguistic Changes of the Kurdish Language on Social Media Platforms

This research examines the transformations within the Kurdish language across social media platforms, focusing specifically on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach and drawing upon sociolinguistic frameworks—such as linguistic diversity and code-switching—the study reveals that social media has fostered a new digital dialect termed "Digital Kurdish." The findings indicate that 55% of vocabulary is abbreviated and 70% of messages contain emoji’s, leading to a decline in lexical expressive capacity and a neglect of grammatical rules. Furthermore, the widespread use of foreign loanwords, shorthand writing, and the mixing of scripts (Arabic and Latin) poses a significant challenge to the unity and stability of the standard language. The study confirms that digitalization presents both opportunities and risks: while it revitalizes the language and bridges communication gaps between users, it simultaneously threatens cultural linguistic identity. Consequently, the research proposes the establishment of a "Soft Digital Standard" theory consisting of three levels: a unified foundational level for orthography and basic grammar; a flexible level to accommodate shorthand and emoji’s, and a technical support level integrated through Unicode fonts and AI-powered keyboards. This framework aims to preserve the Kurdish language within the digital sphere and facilitate its evolution into a global online medium. Keywords: Kurdish Language, Social Media, Linguistic Change, Digital Kurdish, Standardization

Digital media · Orthography · Scripting language · Social media · Sociolinguistics · Unicode · Vocabulary · Digital Communication and Language · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity · Multilingual Education and Policy