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The Irano-Aryan
languages are within a more general branch called Indo-European. Because
of the similarities between Indian languages and Irano-Aryan languages,
during the early stages of the evolution of these languages, a branch
called Indo-Iranian languages has been formed.
The History of the
Irano-Aryan Languages
The history of the
Irano-Aryan languages is divided to three main phases:
1.
Old
Iranian: from early 2nd millennium to 4th & 3rd
centuries B.C.
2.
Middle
Iranian: from 4th &3rd centuries B.C. to 8th
& 9th A.D.
3.
New
Iranian: from 8th & 9th centuries A.D. to today.
The Old Iranian
Undoubtedly Aryan
immigrants dispersed in different parts of Asia. Other languages
previously spoken in those regions subsequently influenced their language.
It was the beginning of several dialects in the Irano-Aryan languages.
One of the deserts
in central
Iran,
Kavir-e-Lut, was the dividing line between the Eastern dialects (Khorasmian,
Sogdanian, Bactrian, Margianean) and the Western dialect (Median).
The only reliable
source to explore the Old Iranian (Persian) language is the cuneiforms
containing kings? orders and the events of that period. Avesta, the holy
book of Zoroastrians, with its two dialects stands as a major source to
explore the Middle Iranian (Persian).
The Middle Iranian
Between the Old
Iranian and the Middle Iranian, there is a six-century gap (4th
century B.C.- 3rd century A.D.) of which no written object has
yet been discovered. But some fundamental changes had occurred in the
whole grammar. Besides, the conjugational system had totally vanished.
The Eastern Iranian
languages had also undergone such changes though in smaller scales. Most
of the writings of this period were derived from Aramaic writing system.
In general, the Middle Iranian was a direct continuation of the Old
Iranian.
Pahlavi was the
language spoken by Iranians during Parthians. When Arabs attacked Iran,
Iranians spoke the Middle Persian. In Sogdiana, there were two dialects
based on their religions: 1) Christian Sogdianian, and 2) Manichean
Sogdianian.
Khorasmian was a
language related to Sogdianian spoken at least from 3rd century
A.D. to 12th and 13th centuries A.D. Between the
Black sea and China, there was spoken another language, Scythian, since 1st
Millennium B.C. for 2000 years. Turkish, later, replaced it. Bactrian was
another language that was spoken at today?s north Afghanistan.
The New Iranian
The
New Iranian, which was spoken in Sassanian court (Darbar) and capital,
Ctesiphon, was called Dary and replaced gradually other Middle Iranian
languages, specially in cities, during the 9th and 10th
centuries A.D. This language has a remarkable share in the world?s culture
and has introduced literary works by the people like Roodaky , Ferdosy,
Khayyam, Hafez, Sa?dy, Jamy, Avicenna, etc.
It turned to become
not only the literary and written language of the Persian speaking people
of central Asia and Iran, but also the language of the Near East and
Middle East people like Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Afghans, Indians, Central
Asians, Turks, etc.
Farsi, the New
Iranian, is the direct continuation of the Middle Iranian?s evolution
although the grammatical system of some parts of speech, like verbs, has
changed. Dary Farsi is the mother language of both contemporary literary
Farsi and contemporary literary Tajiki.
Farsi Today
Today, Farsi is the
language spoken and understood in all corners of Iran. It is the official
language used in education and administration systems of Iran. Farsi is
the mother tongue of the absolute majority of the population in Iran.
Beyond the present borders of Iran, there are small groups of Farsi
speaking people called Iranians.
Other Dialects Spoken Today
Tajiki
dialects are referred to a large variety of dialects spoken in
Afghanistan, being in connection with the Farsi dialects in central Tajiki
dialects, Khorasan province dialects and Sistan province. But, Pashto is
the dominant language spoken in Afghanistan. Since the former Soviet Union
period, Tajiki was the language spoken by the people living in Uzbekistan,
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. It is also the official language of Tajikistan.
Ossetic
dialects are referred to the dialects spoken by Ossetians who are living
in central Caucasia. Their language, including two major dialects, is the
continuation of the western Scythian dialects of antiquity.
Kurdish
is another Iranian language spoken by Kurds in a vast mountainous region
including part of Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria. There are also
Kurdish-speaking minor groups living in Khorasan, Central Turkey,
other parts of Syria, Azerbaijan,
Turkmenistan, Armenia, Georgia, etc.
Lurish
and Bakhtiari dialects are spoken in the south of the region where
Kurds are living in Iran.
Baluchi
is mainly spoken in the historical province
of
Baluchestan
extended from Iran to Pakistan and southern part of Afghanistan. Some
Baluchi speaking-people are also living in Turkmenistan.
Tati
is another dialect of Iranian language spoken in the republic
of Azerbaijan and parts of Dagestan.
Taleshi
is spoken in the republic of Azerbaijan and NW of Iran by the Caspian Sea.
Mazandarani
and Gilaki are other dialects spoken along the southern coast of
the Caspian Sea. They are the continuation of northwest Iranian dialects.
Other Dialects inside
Iran
Almost all of the
above said languages are spoken in different dialects. In addition, there
are many other local dialects in central and western Iran that have not
been satisfactorily investigated.
The geographical
extents to which the Iranian languages have been transferred are, in
short, indicative of the widespread Iranian culture outside of the
geographical borders of present-day Iran.
Written By: Rahman
Mehraby |
