Judeo-Iranian languages

The Judeo-Iranian languages (or dialects) are a number of related Jewish variants of Iranian languages spoken throughout the formerly extensive realm of the Persian Empire. Judeo-Iranian dialects are generally conservative in comparison with those of their Muslim neighbours. Judeo-Shirazi, for example, remains close to the language of Hafez.

Geographic distribution of Iranian languages, including Judeo-Persian languages

Like most Jewish languages, all the Judeo-Iranian languages contain great numbers of Hebrew loanwords, and are written using variations of the Hebrew alphabet. Another name used for some Judeo-Iranian dialects is Latorayi, sometimes interpreted by folk etymology as "not [the language] of the Torah". This refers to a form of the language in which the number of Hebrew and Aramaic loanwords is deliberately maximised to allow it to function as a secret code. In general, however, the number of such loanwords is small compared with that in other Jewish languages such as Yiddish or Judaeo-Spanish.[1]


  • Dzhidi (literary Judeo-Persian)
  • Luterā'i (Pronounced "looteraiee," a secret language combining an Aramaic and Hebrew vocabulary with Persian conjunctions and grammatical morphemes)[2][3][4]
  • Bukhori (Judeo-Bukharic, Judeo-Tajik, the Jewish language of the distinctive Jewish community centered in Bukhara)
  • Judeo-Golpaygani (the Judeo-Persian language traditionally spoken in the environs of Gulpaigan and western Isfahan Province, Iran)
  • Judeo-Yazdi (spoken in the environs of Yazd and elsewhere in Yazd Province, in central Iran)
  • Judeo-Kermani (spoken in Kerman and elsewhere in Kerman Province, in south-central Iran)
  • Judeo-Shirazi (spoken in Shiraz and elsewhere in Fars Province, in southwestern Iran)
  • Judeo-Esfahani (spoken in Isfahan and environs, as well as elsewhere in central and southern Isfahan Province, Iran)
  • Judeo-Hamedani (spoken in Hamadan and elsewhere in Hamadan Province, in western Iran)
  • Judeo-Kashani (spoken in Kashan,[5][6][7] Abyaneh,[7] and elsewhere in northern Isfahan Province, in western Iran)
  • Luflā'i (Pronounced "looflaiee," a Kashani variation of Luterā'i)[2][3][4]
  • Judeo-Borujerdi (spoken in Borujerd and elsewhere in Lorestan Province, in western Iran)
  • Judeo-Khorramabadi (spoken in Khorramabad and elsewhere in Lorestan Province, in western Iran)
  • Judeo-Nehevandi (spoken in Nahavand and elsewhere in northern Hamadan Province, in western Iran)
  • Judeo-Khunsari (spoken in Khansar and elsewhere in far-western Isfahan Province, in western Iran)
  • Juhuri (Judæo-Tat) (A Jewish-Azari dialect spoken in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Dagestan (North Caucasus) and previous Jewish diaspora in Iranian Azerbaijan.
  • Judeo-Aramaic (not to be confused with several Jewish Neo-Aramaic languages.

See also

References

  1. Habib Borjian, “Judeo-Iranian Languages,” in Lily Kahn and Aaron D. Rubin, eds., A Handbook of Jewish Languages, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2015, pp. 234-295. .
  2. "Judeo-Iranian". Archived from the original on 2016-07-29.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  3. "Encyclopædia Iranica: Loterāʾi". Archived from the original on 2016-07-29.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  4. "Encyclopædia Iranica: Judeo-Persian Communities of Iran x. Judeo-Persian Jargon (Loterāʾi)". Archived from the original on 2016-07-29.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  5. "I Think, Therefore I Am - Original Farsi" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2016-07-25.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  6. "I Think Therefore I am" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  7. http://www.babanouri.com/En/I-Think-Therefore-I-Am.pdf
  • Schmidt, Rüdiger (ed.) (1989). Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum. Wiesbaden: Reichert. ISBN 3-88226-413-6.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)


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