This text book systematically provides the basis of the Kurdish language (Kurmanji) in a practice-oriented format in 19 chapters. Each chapter consists of an authentic text, vocabulary, grammatical explanations as well as exercises. The texts and several pronunciation exercises can be listened to on the provided audio-CD. The pictures and graphics serve as an illustration of the text contents. The textbook is suitable for self-study or language courses and aimed at students who want to learn Kurdish from the beginning or deepen their knowledge. A comprehensive appendix with a key, a vocabulary list of Kurdish-English and English-Kurdish, a list of the two verb stems as well as a grammar index complete the book.

Includes record reviews.

Ferhenga Biruski Dictionary Volume 2 - M-Z; Ferhenga Biruski is the go-to dictionary for Kurmanji a dialect of Kurdish spoken originally in parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey while also being common among a large diaspora of Kurds in Europe, North America and elsewhere. This comprehensive Kurmanji-English dictionary is prepared in two volumes by Michael L. Chyet, a renowned linguist with extensive knowledge of the major dialects of Kurdish. This dictionary is an essential reference source for linguists and others interested in Kurdish language and people.“The second edition of my Kurmanji-English dictionary, which I would like to call “Ferhenga Birûskî” to honor the memory of my beloved friend and colleague Birûsk Tugan, contains considerably more entries, and in many cases offers fuller information on earlier entries. In addition, I have found and corrected several typographical errors. Moreover, it is to be accompanied by a companion English to Kurdish volume. […] It is my goal to accurately reflect the language as it exists today.”

This indispensable resource for Western readers about the Kurds—an ancient indigenous group that exemplifies diversity in the Middle East—examines their history, politics, economics, and social structure. The Kurds: An Encyclopedia of Life, Culture, and Society provides an insightful examination the Kurds—from their historical beginning to today—through thematic and country-specific essays as well as important primary documents that allow for a greater understanding of the diversity and pluralism of the region. This single-volume work looks at the Kurds from a variety of angles and disciplines, including history, anthropology, economics, religion, geography, and musicology, to cover the ethnic populations of the original Kurdish homeland states as well as of the diaspora. The book evaluates sources in Kurdish (both Kurmanci and Sorani) in addition to information of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish origin to present broad, up-to-date coverage that will serve nonspecialist readers, high school and college students, and professionals, journalists, politicians, and other decision makers who require accurate perspectives on Kurdish history and culture. Additionally, an entire section of the book provides excerpts of primary sources selected for their importance to Kurdish history and identity. These 20 primary source excerpts are accompanied by introductions and analysis that enable readers to fully appreciate their political, religious, and cultural importance.

With an estimated population of over 30 million, the Kurds are the largest stateless nation in the world. They are becoming increasingly important within regional and international geopolitics, particularly since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Arab Spring and the war in Syria. This multidisciplinary Handbook provides a definitive overview of a range of themes within Kurdish studies. Topics covered include: Kurdish studies in the United States and Europe Early Kurdish history Kurdish culture, literature and cinema Economic dimensions Religion Geography and travel Kurdish women The Kurdish situation in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran The Kurdish diaspora. With a wide range of contributions from many leading academic experts, this Handbook will be a vital resource for students and scholars of Kurdish studies and Middle Eastern studies.

Anthropologist Diane E. King has written about everyday life in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which covers much of the area long known as Iraqi Kurdistan. Following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’thist Iraqi government by the United States and its allies in 2003, Kurdistan became a recognized part of the federal Iraqi system. The Region is now integrated through technology, media, and migration to the rest of the world. Focusing on household life in Kurdistan’s towns and villages, King explores the ways that residents connect socially, particularly through patron-client relationships and as people belonging to gendered categories. She emphasizes that patrilineages (male ancestral lines) seem well adapted to the Middle Eastern modern stage and viceversa. The idea of patrilineal descent influences the meaning of refuge-seeking and migration as well as how identity and place are understood, how women and men interact, and how “politicking” is conducted. In the new Kurdistan, old values may be maintained, reformulated, or questioned. King offers a sensitive interpretation of the challenges resulting from the intersection of tradition with modernity. Honor killings still occur when males believe their female relatives have dishonored their families, and female genital cutting endures. Yet, this is a region where modern technology has spread and seemingly everyone has a mobile phone. Households may have a startling combination of illiterate older women and educated young women. New ideas about citizenship coexist with older forms of patronage. King is one of the very few scholars who conducted research in Iraq under extremely difficult conditions during the Saddam Hussein regime. How she was able to work in the midst of danger and in the wake of genocide is woven throughout the stories she tells. Kurdistan on the Global Stage serves as a lesson in field research as well as a valuable ethnography.