KURDISHENGLISH VOCABULARY

Abbreviations: adj. = adjective; Ar. = Arabic; ccmp. = circumposition; const. =

construct case; demon. = demonstrative; dial. var. = dialectal variant; f = feminine;
impt. = imperative; m = masculine; mil. = military; n.p. = narrative present
(couched in the present tense; past-tense translational value); obl. = oblique; Pers. =
Persian; pl = plural; pron. = pronoun; pres. = present; subj. = subjunctive; Syr. Ar.
= Syrian Arabic; Tk. = Turkish; v.i. = verb intransitive; v.t. = verb transitive (here
transitive means that the past tense is formed on the ergative model, not that the verb
necessarily takes a direct object either in Kurdish or in English); voc. = vocative
*
a = ya; bi ~ in the opinion of: bi a min al1 red
in my opinion
ala = al
abadn eternal
alal tulip
abor economic, financial; f economy; alandin v.t. to twist
~zan economist
alastin als- v.t. to lick
aciz helpless, unable to cope (ji with): ala thatch; ~kir thatched
ez ji kzikan zehf aciz im I am utterly alav f flame
incapable of coping with bugs
alay f troop, regiment
Adar f March
alet m instrument, tool
adet f custom; ~ ordinary
als- alastin
aferde m creature
alfabe f alphabet
afern bravo; ~ ji re good for
alim m scholar
afirandin v.t. to create
al1 m side, part; bi her ~y ve in every
af f poster
direction; dan ~yek v.t. to put aside,
aga aware (li of)
to draw to one side; ji ~yek / ji ~k
agadar f information, announcement;
on the one hand; ji ~y din on the
awareness
other hand; ji ~y ve by (passive
agah = aga
agent), on the part of
agahdar = agadar
al2, ar f help; ~kar helping, helpful;
agir m (obl. gir) fire; ~ dann bi to set
~kar f help, support; ~kar kirin v.t.
fire to
to help: min alkariya w dikir I used
Agir f Ar, in extreme eastern Turkey
to help him
aheng f tune, tone
al3 supreme
ajotin ajo- v.t. to drive (vehicle); to alkar partisan; ~ kirin v.t. to take
pass, last (of time): pir neajotib ku
s.o.s part, be partisan
not much time had passed before, alnegir neutral
v bdangiya han heta sala 1980 ajot Alman German; ~ya f Germany
this silence lasted until the year 1980; aloz scattered, random
~ ser to attack
amade ready; ~ kirin v.t. to make
al1 f flag, banner
ready; xwe ~ kirin f to get oneself

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KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
ready
ambelaj f wrapping, packing
Amerka/Amerqa f America; ~y
American
Amda f Amd, a town in Syria near
Qmishl
an or; ~ na or not; anan eitheror
ancax so much
ann v.t. (pres. ind. tnim, neg. naynim;
subj. bnim, neg. subj. neynim) to
bring
anzaz f cleverness
Anteqye f Antakya, Antioch
anuha = niha
ap, apo m paternal uncle
aqil1 m mind, intelligence
aqil2 intelligent
aqbet f end
ard m fuel
ar (dial. var.) = al2
armanc f aim, goal
arm m a sheaf of grain
armxan m gift
arnawid Albanian
arv f archive
art f army
ark m ceiling
arxayn confident
as rugged, steep; ~geh f fortification
as kirin v.t. to catch
aswar untimely
asiman, asman m heaven; ~ heavenly
asmlasiyon f assimilation
asmle assimilated
aso f horizon
asteng m difficult road, rough terrain,
obstacle
asin m (dial. var.) = hesin
aiq in love; ~ bn to be in love
with
ait f peace, truce; ease, comfort
a = ait
atif emotional
av f water; ~ hewa f climate

ava1 built up, prosperous, developed; ~

kirin v.t. to develop; ~ker m developer, founder
ava2 n v.i. to set (of the sun)
avah f building, edifice
avay = avah
avday tempered (steel)
avj- avtin
av f balm
avtin avj- v.t. to throw, throw away,
throw out; lay (foundation); ~a ji text
de dethronement; dest ~ to touch
s.th.
awa f manner, means; bi ~yek somehow; bi w ~y by this means; bi
hem ~y by all/any means
awaz m voice, sound, singing
awir f glance, backward look
awur (dial. var.) = awir
ax1 sigh, ouch; ~ avtin v.t. to say ouch
ax2 f land, earth, dirt; ~a welat homeland; ~a Sriy the land of Syria
axa m (obl ax) agha, feudal lord, master
axaftin axiv- v.i. to speak
axar ???
axil corral
axiftin (dial. var.) = axaftin
axiret f the other world: mirov axiret
an other-worldly person
axn v.i. to cry, to cry out
axpne f patch of ground, field
AY = Ameriqay Yekby USA
azad free; ~ kirin v.t. to set free; ~ f
liberty
azar f anguish; ~ dan v.t. to torment,
vex
azman m sky
b- birin, bn
ba1 m (obl b) wind
ba2 m turn
ba3 (prep.) with, in front of, in the presence of; li ~ with, chez

197

KURMANJI KURDISH
4

ba m rheumatism; ~w rheumatic
babet f regard: di v babet de in this
regard
babo daddy
ba-dan v.t. to turn, twist, wring
baday turned, twisted
bager f snowstorm
bahar = bihar
bahlif f pillow
bajar m (obl bajr) city; ~ m merchant,
citified; ~van citizen, city dweller;
~van urban: jiyana bajarvaniy urban life
Baku f Baku
bakurofe f gust of wind
bakr m north
bal1 f wing, arm
bal2 f attention, mind, thought; ~ kiandin to attract the attention: wneyn
min bala rojname hunermendan
kiandin my pictures attracted the
attention of newspapers and artists;
~dar attentive, discerning; ~drj patient, careful; ~fireh patient, calm;
~k attractive, interesting
balaxane f balcony
balefir m airplane; ~geh airport
balg m pillow
balf = bahlf
ban m roof
ban ban kirin v.t. to shout, to yell
bandev f summit
bandor f influence
bang f call, cry; ~ dan v.t. to give out a
cry, to herald; ~ kirin v.t. to shout
banz = baz
bar m load; ~ bn to be loaded; to bear
up: avn wan bar nebb they
hadnt been able to bear the sight; ~
kirin v.t. to load up, move (household); ~k m porter
baran f rain; ~din v.t. to rain down
bare: di ~ya de (prep.) about, concerning

bark slender, thin

barn/~iyan v.i. to rain down
bask m arm, wing: bask ep partiya
sosyal-demokrat the leftist wing of
the Social-Democrat Party; ~n xwe
li hev xistin to flap ones wings
ba good; ~ kirin v.t. to improve;
~kirin f improvement
baok(e) falcon
bar m south
bav m (voc. bavo) father; ~t f fatherhood, paternality
bawer believing: ez ~ im ku I believe
that ; ~ kirin v.t. to believe: gelek
kes bawer dikin ku many people believe that; ~ f belief, trust; ~mend
m believer
baw1 m father
baw2 ba4
bawk f yawn
baxe m garden, yard
baz jump, leap; ~ dan v.t. to dance; to
run away in fear, to flee in haste
bazar f market; ~a re black market
beden m body
bedew beautiful, splendid
bedym ill-omened
befr f (dial. var.) = berf
behr f sea
behs f discussion; ~kirin v.t. to discuss
bejin f height, stature; ~bilind tall; ~
bala tall stature
bel straight; ~ kirin v.t. to straighten,
prick up (ears, &c.)
bela f catastrophe
bela for free, gratis
belav widespread, scattered; ~ bn v.i.
to be scattered; ~ kirin v.t. to spread,
broadcast, disseminate; ~ok f publication
belay nav bn v.i. to spread out
through
belediye f municipality
belek speckled, spotted

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KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
belek f water spring
belengaz poor, destitute; ~ f poverty,
destitution
bl yes
belg m leaf
belgih m suit, clothing; ~ girtin v.t. to
garb oneself
belk maybe, perhaps
ben = bend
bend f bond; li ~a for the sake of,
chained to, waiting for: div em d li
benda sibeh ranewestin we shouldnt stand around waiting for tomorrow; ~ kirin v.t. to fetter, arrest; man
di ~a to wait for
benderuh creature
bendewar bn bi to love, be in love
with
benzn f gasoline
beq m frog
ber1 m breast, fore; ber-dan see alphabetically; ~ bi hev hatin v.i. to cooperate; ~ (ve) (adv.) before; ~ ku
(conj.) before; ji ~ kirin v.t. to memorize; ji ~ jmartin v.t. to reel off from
memory; ji ~ ku because (conj.); ji ~
ve (ccmp.) before; ji ~ zann v.t.
to memorize; li ~ (prep.) before, on
account of; li ~ (+ inf.) on the verge
of: ew hviya ku li ber gebn b
ilmis that hope, which was on the
verge of blossoming, withered;
wek(e) ~ as before
ber2 m yield, fruit; ~ wergirtin ji to derive a yield from
beramber equal, equivalent; ~ f equality; ~ kirin v.t. to compare to: w
ew beramber Anton exov dikir he
used to compare him to Anton Chekhov
beran m ram
ber-ann (ber-n) v.t. to imagine
berate f carcass
berban m ceiling

berber f comparison
berbj f prediction
berbiav conspicuous
berbihevhatin f cooperation
berbn f imaginary image, vision
bercnk ???
berav visible, clear, before the eyes; ~
anin v.t. to pay attention
ber-dan v.t. to release, let go; to put on
(clothes); to close, stop, give up: dev
~ ji to close the mouth to, stop, give
up; ~ ser to direct toward; tiving ~ to
fire a rifle at: xulam w ew da ber
tifing his servant fired the rifle at
him; xwe ~ ser to turn oneself toward, direct oneself to
berdest servant
berdewam continual(ly), constant(ly); ~
kirin v.t. to continue
berdl f equivalent; ji ~a instead of
berdlk = berdl; bi ~ equivalent in
value
berebere more and more, ever more;
gradually, little by little
bereket m blessing; bi ~ luckily
berev = berhev
berf f snow
berferih spacious; ~ kirin v.t. to open,
initiate
bergeh f view, vista
berhem m product, literary work; ~bar
productive
berhev gathered, collected; ~ kirin v.t.
to prepare, gather; xwe ~ kirin v.t. to
pull oneself together
berhevok f collection
berik f bullet
beriqn v.i. to glisten
berizn bi v.i. to fight with, do battle
with
ber f pocket
berde perplexed, lost
berk f pocket
ber-ketin v.i. to feel sad

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KURMANJI KURDISH
bermil f load
bername f program
bero f pot, pan
berovaj to the contrary
berp kirin v.t. to suggest, to propose
berpirsiyar responsible; m manager; ~
f responsibility, management
berq f lightning
bersv f answer, reply; ~ dan bi to reply
to, answer; ~a dan to satisfy the
needs of; ~andin v.t. to respond,
reply
berten f trousers
bervaj f opposite side; ji ~y contrariwise, conversely
berv prep. toward
berwar m slope
berx lamb
berxwedan f resistance
bes much, many a; enough
best f plain
best m joy, glee, relish
be m part; ~dar participant; ~dar bn
v.i. to take part, participate
beavend f rhyme
beer f flesh
betal f unemployment, uselessness,
idleness
bexe = baxe
Bexda f Baghdad
bext m luck; ~iyar fortunate, happy;
~iyar f good fortune, happiness; b~
unfortunate
beybn f camomile
bez1 f speed: bi lez ~ quickly, with all
speed; bay ~ the racing wind; ~n
bez- v.i. to run
bez2 m kind, sort
beza fast-running, galloping
bezir lost
b1 ba
b-2 (prefix) without; see compounds alphabetically
baqil stupid

bbawer disbelieving, unsure; ~ f disbelief

bbest uncontrollable
bbext unlucky, unfortunate; ~ f unluckiness, misfortune
bare helpless, poor; ~t f helplessness
bine useless
biqas inordinately
bdar treeless, barren
bdeng silent; ~ f silence, obscurity
bdil halfhearted, unwilling
bfed lack of embarrassment
bgav impossible, helpless
bgot skinny
bguman doubtless(ly)
bhamd reluctantly, unwillingly
bhawe unparalleled, extraordinary
bhay unconscious, unaware; dinyay ~
the subconscious world
bhejiyan livat without movement or
motion
bhejmar innumerable
bhempa unparalleled, peerless
bhv without hope, in despair; ~ kirin
v.t. to make s.o. despair
bhz f weakness, debility
bhiiyar without feeling, numb
bhn1 f breath; ~a min teng b I was
bored; ~a xwe teng kirin to bore oneself, let oneself get bored; ~a
ikandin v.t. to suffocate; ~teng f
boredom
bhn2 f smell, odor; ~ berdan to leave
an odor behind; ~ dan to give off an
odor; ketin ser ~ to pick up a scent;
~ikn dry-smelling
bhteng = bhnteng
b prep. without; ~ ku (conj., + subj.)
without: ro j b ku mirov tu zehmetiyan bikine, mirov bi hsan ji wan
t digih even today one easily understands them without going to any
trouble
bmkan f impossibility

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KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
bj- gotin
bje f word: ~ bi ~ word by word; ~r
speaker
bjing f sieve
bkar unemployed; ~ f unemployment
bkes lonely, alone, unprotected
b li prep. without
bmane fearful, dreadful
bmecal f lack of opportunity
bminet relentless(ly)
bnamus dishonorable
bnav nameless, unnamed
bnavbir incessant
bnihtin v.i. to freeze
bnan spotless
bpar deprived
bpejn f tranquility
bpvan immeasurable
br. See xr.
br f longing; ~ kirin v.t. to long for,
miss
brik = brk
brk f pocket; wek hundir brika
al xwe nasn to know something
like the back of ones hand
Brd f Beirut
bsedem without reason, unprovoked
b serbin endless
berm shameless; ~ f shamelessness
bik doubtless
btar storm
btaw impatient, restless
btir more
btn powerless, weak
bvil, bvl f nose, nostril
bxan homeless
b xay limitless
bxeber unaware (ji of); ji her der ~
totally oblivious
bxew sleepless, suffering from insomnia; ~ f sleeplessness, lack of sleep
bxudan = bxwed
bxweda godless, damned
bxwed godless, ownerless, orphaned,

poor, lonely
by = b
bzar f nuisance, headache
bzaro childless
bi- subjunctive prefix
bi re (ccmp.; bi + w/w > p) by,
with, upon: bi tirn re by train; bi min
re with me; bi bihstina deng re upon
hearing the sound
bi ve (ccmp.; bi + w/w > p)
through, up to: ji w roj p ve from
that day to this
bi- subjunctive verbal prefix
biaqil intelligent, smart; ~ f intelligence
bik little; ~an f childhood, youth
bidardakirin dar
biha bn v.i. to be valuable
bihar f spring, springtime; ~ pertaining
to spring
bihin = bhn; bi ~ with odor, with fragrance; ~dar fragrant
bihimet magnificent
bihit f paradise; ~n paradisiacal, heavenly
bihstin bihs-/bihz- v.t. to hear, listen
bihn = bhn1
bihorn v.i. to pass
bihostin v.t. ???
bihuk insect
bihurandn bihurn- v.t. to spend
(time): ew zaroktiya xwe li Kurdistana Bakr bihurandiye he spent his
childhood in North Kurdistan
bihurtin bihur- v.i. to pass, be spent
bihut f span. See also bihit.
bihr- = bihurbijarte choice, select
bijartin bijr- v.t. to choose
bijiqandin v.t. to tear to shreds
bijjk m physician
bijn lively
bijv f sustenance
bikarann kar
bikr useful

201

KURMANJI KURDISH
bla (+ subj.) let: i dibe bila bibe whatever happens, let it happen
bilbil nightingale
bilez quick, hasty
bilind high; ~ kirin v.t. to raise, to
elevate; ~cih m height, high place
biliyan v.i. to arise (sound)
bil other than, aside from; ~ ji ditto
bilr f shepherds pipe, flute
bin m bottom; di ~ under; ~dest underling, oppressed; ~geh m foundation,
basis; ~geh avetin to lay the
foundation of ; ~gehn basic; ~xet f
south of the Turkish border, i.e. Syria
and Iraq
binr luminous
bipdexistin f advancement, improvement
biqedr worthwhile, valuable
bir m part
bira1 m (obl. pl biran) brother
bira2 = bila
bira3 really
birc f tower
bir hungry; ~n f hunger; ~t f hunger
birvebir m leader
birh m eyebrow
birin b- v.t. to carry, take; ~ jr to
bring/take down/away; ~ jor to bring/
take up
birisqn v.i. to sparkle, shimmer
birn1 f wound; ~ kirin v.t. to wound;
~dar m wounded
birn2 = birrn
birrn v.t. to cut, to cross: w snor birr
he crossed the border
birs hungry
birsn f hunger
birsk f lightning; ~e f telegram
biryar f decision; ~ dan v.t. to decide
biserketin f success
bikul m goat and sheep droppings
biv m buzz
biv nev willy-nilly, like it or not

bivir m ax
biwa (alternative past conditional of
bn) = bya
bixrhatin dan v.t. to welcome
bixwe by oneself, personally
biyan m foreign(er), stranger, alien;
~stan f any foreign place, foreign
parts; ~t f strangeness, alienation:
jiyana biyantiy life of alienation
bizin f goat
bizir m seed
bizivn v.i. to budge
bhin = bhn
bn = bhn
bn- dtin, ann
bna (dial. var.) = mna
bnah f sight
bnan prep. like
bnber m sight
br1 f memory; bi ~ ann v.t. to remember: ba bne bra xwe ku remember
well that; ~a birin to take into
consideration; ~ hatin v.i. to remember: t bra min I remember; ji ~(a)
kirin v.t. to forget; ~ann f memory,
reminiscence
br2 f well
bran f memory
bst1 twenty; ~sal twenty-year-old
bst2 f moment, a short period of time:
bstek nebor it didnt take long before
bstin bs- v.t. to hear
beng f weeping willow
bz- = bihz bihstin
bzbz matted
bo (prep.) for; (conj.) so that, in order
that
bo f tail
boik f tail
bombe f bomb; ~yn destan hand
grenades
bona prep. for: ~ v yek for this reason
borandin v.t. to spend (time), make

202

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
(time) pass
bor f pipe
born v.i. to last, pass (time): end meh
naborin not many months passed
(n.p.); v.t. to excuse: min bibore excuse me
bostan m garden
bo wide, widespread, abundant
boxe f bundle
brat roasted
brsk = birsk
buhar = bihar
buhirn v.t. to take away, clear off
buhurandin buhurn- v.t. to spend
(time); ~n v.i. to pass, pass away
buhurtin buhur- v.i. to pass, pass
away, go out
buhur last, past: sala ~ last year
bulbul nightingale
bk f bride, daughter-in-law; ~an f
wedding
bn b- v.i. to be, become
bs f ambush
byer f incident, event
bz ice
BZ = ber zayn B.C.
ca (used with imperatives): ~ were come
on!; ca bifikire ku just think what it
would be like if
cam f glass
camr courageous, gallant, gentlemanly
cass m spy
car f time; ~ ~an often, many times;
~din again, once again; ~inan from
time to time; ~k = carek once; ~na
sometimes
cax protective fencing
cazbedar interesting
cebhe f front (mil.)
ceger f liver (poetic); ~ rn darling,
beloved
cejin f celebration, festival
celeb m sort, kind: du celeb kes hene:

yn ba yn neba there are two

kinds of people, good and evil
celx m/f slit, crack
cem m group; side; a large basket; li ~
beside, with: li cem wan beside them,
with them
cendek m body, corpse
ceng f battle
cerg f liver
ceribandin v.t. to try, test
cewr m pup; ~ik m puppy
ceza f fine, penalty; ~ wergirtin v.t. to
receive a penalty, to be fined
cid serious
cigar(e) f cigarette
cih m place; pl bed; ~ bi ~ from place to
place; ~ girtin v.t. to take place; ~
kirin v.t. to put, place; ~ li xwe xwe
kirin v.t. to make oneself comfortable; ~ girtin v.t. to take the place
of; ~ local; ~ ~ various, sundry;
~gir occupant; bi ~ ann to bring
about, bring to fruition; bi ~ bn li to
settle in, take up residence in; di nav
~an de in bed
cihan f the world
cil m clothing; ~ berg (pl) clothes
cin djinn, demon; ~anlxist possessed
by demons
cinewir monster
cirecir f talk, chit-chat
civandin civn- v.t. to move, set in
motion
civak society; community; ~ social,
societal; ~nas sociologist; ~nas f
sociology
civat f society, group
civn v.i. to move; ~n f movement
ciwan young, beautiful; ~t f youth
cixar(e) (dial. var.) = cigar
cixiz kirin v.t. to mark, to leave marks
in
c = cih
chan f world

203

KURMANJI KURDISH
chlkirin f surveillance
cran neighbor
cograf geographical
col m pack (of wolves, &c.)
core core various
co enthusiasm, excited
cot1 m pair
cot2 m plow; ~kr f agriculture
cube m robe
cumhriyet f republic
cunta f junta
cure cure (dial. var.) = core core
curet kirin v.t. to dare
cda separate; ~ kirin v.t. to separate
cm bn v.i. to be obscured
- n
ak good
akt m jacket
alak active; ~ f activity
and f culture; ~ cultural
andin n- v.t. to plant
ap f printing; ~ kirin v.t. to print,
publish; ~eman f printed matter, the
press; ne~kir unpublished; ~xane f
printshop
ar four
arove f framework
are f remedy; b~ helpless, poor; ~ns
f remedy; bi ~nsa ve in the interests of; ~ser f solution; ~ser kirin
v.t. to solve, resolve
armerg cross-legged
aref, arev f sheet, womans covering; ~ kiandin v.t. to put a sheet
(on a bed); ~ li xwe kirin v.t. to put
on a veil, cover oneself
av m eye; ~ girtin v.t. to close the eyes;
~ern f expectation; ~n xistin
v.t. to attract the attention of; bi ~ek
neba nrn to have a low opinion of;
~ f eye ailment; ~kan f source,
wellspring; ~in blue-eyed
avnihr bn v.i. to expect, to look

expectantly
awa(n) how?: awan bibe bila bibe be
that as it may; ~ heba somehow or
other; ~ ku as; awah f quality
ax f time: w ax at that time
ay f tea; ~dan f teapot; ~xane f teahouse
e =
ef = kef
ek f weapon; ~dar armed
eleng cute, attractive, good-looking
em m river
en f armpit
end (following word construed as pl.)
how many?; several: di end cihan de
in several places; end hevaln min
several of my friends; ~ik end (+
sing.) several: endik end roj e
its been several days since; ~ odd: bi pncih end saln xwe ve in
his fifty-odd years; ~ for a while
eng f claw; ~ li de cih kirin v.t. to
sink the claw into
engel m hook
eng kirin v.t. to throw, hurl
ente m suitcase
ep left; wrong: ew min ep fahm dike
he misunderstands me
eper f shield, barricade
epik xistin li v.t. to applaud for
er what?
er ku (conj.) as soon as
er m peddler
erkez Circassian
erm m skin, leather; ~n leathern
erx f wheel
etel m fork, forked
ewsandin v.t. to exploit
ewt crooked, awry, wrong
right, okay; ~-bn v.i. to be born; to
be right: nabe tu wisa bik its not
right for you to act thus; dibe ku ez
biim? is it okay for me to go?; ~kirin v.t. to give birth to, to make, fix,

204

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
repair, keep: w dikine bin zindan they keep him in the dungeon,
min di ser xwe e plana ku dikir
I was making a plan in my head to
lik the young of any animal, puppy,
kitten, cub, etc.
l f subject, topic; ~ kirin v.t. to talk
about
re f grazing, pasturage
rn v.i. to graze
tir better
i1 what?; ~ bigire practically speaking,
pretty much
i2 no; ~ tit nothing
iek = ek
iftexas m cotton batiste
ik exhausted; ~ bn v.i. to become exhausted, to sink down (into snow)
ikandin v.t. to drip; to plant (tree); to
push s.th. in as far as it will go
ikn v.t. to plant; to crackle; to dry up
(mothers milk): r ber w ik her
breast milk dried up
iko, iku because
il1 forty
il2 greedy
il3 only in il iya hills and mountains
ile f the coldest period of winter; ~ya
pan January; ~ya pn December
ilmisandin v.t. to make wither
ilmsn v.i. to wither
ilviln = ilwiln
ilwiln v.i. to gleam
ima why?
imk because
iqas how much
iqiq kirin v.t. to rip to shreds
ir, ira why?
ira f lamp, stove
irandin irn- v.t. to tear, tear up
irav f muck
ire why
iriya pa/pan f November

iriya p/pn f October

irisn = irsn
irsn v.i. to sparkle, shine, glow
irsk f spark
iv trick, game; ~ dan xwe v.t. to zigzag
ivanok f a formula used in storytelling
ivik, ivk bird, sparrow
iwal m sack
iya m mountain; ~y mountaineer, hillbilly
ek f flower
l bright
men m grassy meadow
p f calf (of the leg)
rn v.i. to creak
rok f story; ~van storyteller
ya = iya
zzik f buzz
o m stick
og = ok2
ok1 m stream
ok2 f knee
ol f desert, wilderness
ong = ok2
ik f bird
k f bird
n - (subj. stem -/her-) v.i. to go
r a type of sheep
yn v.i. to go
da1 a dialectal variant of de1
da2 a preverb that forms compounds,
generally indicating down
da-ann v.t. to set down, establish: Mam
Red satil dan li dora xwe mze
kir Uncle Rashid set the bucket down
and looked around himself; ~ li xwe
(+ subj.) to lower oneself, deign,
bring oneself to do s.th.: gelek ji wan
j li xwe danaynin bi v ziman xwe
rn bipeyivin many of them cant
even bring themselves to speak this
nice, sweet language
da-avtin v.t. to put together, throw

205

KURMANJI KURDISH
together
da-ikandin v.t. to set up, plant (tree,
flag, &c.)
dad f justice; ~geh f court; ~gr m judge
da-dan v.t. to place, put in, install; to
light (fire)
da-gerandin v.t. to turn, send back
dagirker m occupier
da-girtin v.t. to occupy, take over, to
take down; guhn xwe ~ v.t. to prick
up ones ears
dagirt well-built
dagr kirin v.t. to occupy
dahl f grove
dahn m season, period of time
da-hrandin v.t. to research, investigate
dare f office
da-ketin v.i. to fall down, come down,
swoop down, subside; to be lowered
(gaze); ~ bi to take up, involve oneself with
da ku (+ subj.) in order that
da-kutan v.t. to shake
da-liqandin v.t. to string up, hang
da-liqiyan v.i. to hang, dangle
da-mezran v.i. to be set up, established;
~din da-mezrn- v.t. to set up, establish
dan1 = dahn
dan2 d- v.t. to give
da-nan da-n- v.t. to lay, put down
da-nitin da-ni- v.i. to sit down, alight
dann = da-ann
danstendin f transaction, exchange;
relation
da-qurtandin qurtn- v.t. to swallow
dar f tree, stick, gallows; bi ~ ve kirin
v.t. to hang; bi ~ da-kirin v.t. to
hang; ~istan f forest
dar m wood
darbe f blow; ~ xwarin v.t. to suffer a
blow
darik m stick
darn wooden

davtin = da-avtin
dawe f legal case
dawet f festive occasion
daw f end; ~ ann v.t. to put an end to;
~ hatin v.i. to end, come to an end;
~n (adj) last, final
dax f brand; sorrow
da-xistin v.t. to take down: polsan
tabeleya me daxist the police took
down our sign
daxwaz f request; ~ kirin v.t. to request,
beseech; ~ f desire
dayik m mother; ji ~ bn v.i. to be
born; ~t f motherhood, maternity
dayin = dan
dayn = dan
de1 postposition forms the second part
of a number of circumpositions, generally indicating stationary position in
or at; see the prepositional element
de2 (precedes an imperative): de were
come on!
defter f register, roll, notebook
deh ten
dehl f valley; orchard
dehol f drum
dek f trick
delal dear, beloved
delve f opportunity, occasion
dem1 f time, season; ~a ku (conj.)
when; ~dirj long-term; ~kurt shortterm; ~ dewran f olden times
dem2 steeped; ~ girtin to steep (of tea)
demane f pistol
deng m voice, sound, noise; ~bj m
singer
dengiz sea
depdepe wooden
deq1 f part, region, place: di v deq de
in this place
deq2 m tattoo; ~ bi ~ exactly alike
deqe = deqqe
deqqe f minute
der1 f place; ~ek() somewhere; ev ~

206

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
here; li v ~ here; li ku ~ where?
der2 outside; ~eke foreign: welatn
dereke foreign countries
der3 f door
der-ann v.t. to take out
derb f blow
derbas passing, passsage; ~ bn v.i. to
pass, to pass by (ji); ~ kirin v.t. to
spend (time); ~ hundur bn to enter
derbaz = derbas
derbeder bn v.i. to be driven from
pillar to post
der-bn di to burst out on
derd m pain, trouble: her yek derdek
wan heb everyone had some trouble
derece f degree: di i derecey de to
what degree?
dereng late, long time; ~ man v.i. to lag
behind, be late
derewn lying, false
derxistin = derxistin
derfend f opportunity
derheq: di ~() de about, concerning
deriya = derya
deriz cracked
der1 m door; ~y xwe girtin li ber to
close ones door to; li ~ dan v.t. to
knock at a door; ~ girtin v.t. to shut a
door; ~ li ser xwe girtin to shut oneself up
der2 (prep) outside of
der-ketin v.i. to go in/out, to turn out to
be; ~ li dij v.i. to oppose; ji gra
~ to fail to catch
derman m (obl dermn) remedy, treatment, medicine; ~geh pharmacy; ~
kirin v.t. to treat
derp m underpants; longjohns
ders f lesson; ~ dan v.t. to give lessons
der dor environs; ~a (prep.) around
derve outside; ~kar external: wezr
dervekar minister of foreign affairs;
~y (prep.) outside of: dervey welt
outside of the country; (adj.) foreign;

ji ~ from outside
der-xistin v.t. to bring out (publication),
to issue (an order), to cast out; ji hev
~ to to tell apart, to discern
der-xwendin -xwn- v.t. to take to task
derya f sea; ~ya Sip the Mediterranean
Sea
derz f crack, split; see also jin
derz
dest1 m hand; ~ bi ~ continuously; ~
bn ji to lose, to be left without:
destn me ji te bne we have been left
without you; ~ dan hevdu v.t. to join
hands; ~ kan ji v.t. to let go of; ~
kirin bi (+ inf.) v.t. to start; ~ xwe
kiandin ji to give up, abandon; bi ~
xistin to attain, obtain; di ~n for
to do: di destn min de bi ten
razan mab the only thing I could do
was go to sleep; ji ~ kirin v.t. to lose;
ji bin dest by, by means of ;
xwe avtin ~ lingn kesek to
throw oneself at someones feet, to
beg; xwe dan ~ to let oneself be captured
dest2 f group, set
destan f story
destbirak m blood brother
deste f group, set
destenan loaf of bread
destik m oar
destmal f handkerchief
destpk f beginning
destteng poor
destr f order, command; ~a ziman
grammar
destvala empty-handed
destve-nan v.t. to catch
det f plain
dev m mouth; entrance; ~ berdan ji to
leave, to give up, to stop: te dev ji
kana cixar berdaye? have you
stopped smoking cigarettes?; dev ji
min berde, ez bxew im leave me

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KURMANJI KURDISH
aloneIm sleepy; ~ di da c
kirin to bite down on; (li) ~ () dora
prep. all around
devendet f brush, brambles
dever face down
dev f bush
devken f smile
devk oral: edebiyata devk oral literature
devojen hev bn li ser to squabble
with each other over
devok f accent
dewam kirin v.t. to continue
dewar m domestic animal, cattle
dewir = dewr; f circle; ~ dan v.t. to
circle
dewlemend rich, wealthy
dewlet f state: ~a Frensay the state of
France
dewr f age, time, epoch; role; ~ leyistin
to play a role; ~an f age, time
dews f place, spot, trace
dexisn v.i. to be jealous (ji of)
deyn m debt; ~ dan to pay a debt; ~dar
indebted; ~ indebted to
d1 f (const diya) mother
d2 future auxiliary + subj. for future
tense
d3 3rd-person sing. present indicative
of hatin
dl1 f tail
dl2 f female animal; ~egur f female
wolf; ~ik f female wolf or dog, bitch
drn ancient, of long standing
dv1 m demon
dv2 = dev
dw = dv1
di de ccmp. in: di saln 70 de in the
70s; di destn min de in my hands
di re ccmp. by, via, upon: bi bihstina deng re upon hearing the noise;
av di tifingn wan re dihate xwar
water ran down their rifles
di ve ccmp. through

d- habitual and progressive verbal

prefix
dia = dua
di bareya de ccmp. about, concerning
dibistan f school: dibistana destpk elementary school
Dicle f the Tigris River
didan m tooth
didu two; ~yan second
difin nostril
digel with; ~ ku although
dihan = dian (see ann)
dij, li (prep.) against
dijmin m enemy; ~at f enmity
dijn kirin v.t. to curse
dijwar difficult; ~ f difficulty
dikan f shop
dike nake no matter what s/he did
dil m heart; hope: min dil heye (+ subj.)
I hope to; ~ girtin bi to be offended
by: bi yna min ya hotl dil xwe
girtin they were offended by my
going to a hotel; ~ ewitn bi to feel
sorry for: dil midr bi v xort
eleng evndar xwendin diewite
the principal feels sorry for this attractive young man so avid to study;
~ f heartache; ~germ warm, hearty,
kind; ~ge happy; ~nexwe sorry,
upset, ill at ease; ~pak pure of heart;
~qayim confident; ~qayim f confidence; ~soz sympathetic; ~a happy,
glad; ~ewat heart-rending; ~ikest f
disappointment; ~ikest kirin v.t. to
disappoint, to dishearten; ~teng f
sadness, loneliness; ~xwaz fond of;
b ~ against the wishes of; ne bi ~
min b it did not appeal to me
dilr intrepid
dilnya assured, confident
dilop m drop
dilovan kind, affectionate, dear; ~ f
affection; death (euphemism): ber

208

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
dilovaniya nivskar dilovan bi salek
a year before the dear writer passed
away
diltezn ???
din other
di nav de ccmp. in the midst of: di
nav w erd de in the midst of that
land
din = dinyay (see dinya)
dinya f (obl. dinyay, din) the world,
the weather: dinya pirr sar b the
weather was very cold; bi ~y hatin
v.i. to be born; ~dt worldly, sophisticated
diran (dial. var.) = didan
dirb track, path
dirj long, lengthy; ~ ajotin to last a
long time; ~ kirin to lengthen; ~ f
length; ~ kirin to hand to ;
dest ~ kirin to stretch the hand out
to
diriyan v.i. to be ripped
divab, diviyab (impersonal + pres.
subj.) had to: diviyab ku titek bikin
they had to do something; (impersonal + past cond.) ought to have , was
supposed to have , would have to
: diviyab Sovyet ji ran derketa
the Soviet ought to (was supposed to)
have withdrawn from Iran, divab ku
ew kzik bihata kutin that bug would
have to be killed
div (impersonal + pres. subj.) ought to
dixan f smoke
diyar clear; ~ f clarity
diyar f gift
Diyarbekir f Diyarbekir
diz m thief
diz secret, concealed; bi ~ secretly,
stealthily; ~t f secret
d other; y ~ the other one
dl m prisoner; ~ girtin v.t. to take prisoner; ~ f imprisonment
dlan f dance, dancing

dmen f view, sight, aspect

dn1 m religion; ~it f religiosity; ~,
~dar religious; ~perwer religious
dn2 crazy, mad; ~ bn li ser to go crazy
over; ~ kirin to drive s.o. crazy; ~ik
slightly crazy, screw loose; ~it f
madness
dn3 f gaze, attention
drok f story, history; ~ historical
dsa(n) again, (+ neg) stillnot
dtin bn- v.t. to see
dwan f reception room; collected works
of a poet; ~e f (obl ~) small reception room
dwar f (obl dwr) wall
dz knee
dzik f pan
do = d
dol valley
dom kirin v.t. to continue
doman v.i. to continue
domandin domn- v.t. to continue
dor1 f environs; li ~a (prep.) around;
~hl f environs, parts, region; ~a
girtin v.t. to surround
dor2 m turn; ~al f circumference
dorandor m circumference; li ~ (prep.)
all around
dost friend; ~ane friendly; ~ayet f
friendship
do- dotin
doab m/f grape molasses ???
doeg f mattress
doik = doeg
dot f daughter; ~mam f cousin
dotin do- v.t. to milk
doz f cause, reason; aim, ideal; revenge;
~a kirin to aim for; ~ger vengeful,
litigant
du two
dua f prayer; ~ kirin, ~ xwendin v.t. to
pray
ducar kirin v.t. to repeat
dudil hesitant, of two minds; ~ f hesita-

209

KURMANJI KURDISH
tion
duduyan (dial. var.) = diduyan
duh() yesterday
dunya = dinya
dur hypocritical; ~t f hypocrisy
duemb f Monday
duv = d
duwemn second: er dinyay y
duwemn World War II
duyem(n) second
d1 behind; ~dirj of long standing; ~re
then, afterwards; li ~ hev re one after
the other; li ~ xwe behind oneself; bi
~ ketin v.i. to pursue
d2 m smoke
dkel f smoke
dman f smoke
dpik f scorpion
dr far; ~ xistin v.t. to throw away, exile; bi ~ ketin to go/get away; ~ nzk
sooner or later; ~ah f remoteness,
distance; ~bn farsighted
dre d1
drebn f binoculars
dv m tail, end
dvre = dre
ebeden (+ neg.) never, not at all
ecem Persian
ecb strange; ~may dumbfounded, stupified
edebiyat f literature; ~van literateur
edeb literary
edilandin v.t. to ameliorate, make better
edb m litrateur
efend m westernized gentleman; ~t f
gentlemanliness
efraz up
ef f amnesty; ~ya git general amnesty
egal f headband
eger if
ekb f team

ekol f school
ekonomk economic
elbik f wooden bucket
elektrk f flashlight
elem pain
eleqedar kirin v.t. to concern
eleyh: di eleyh da ccmp. against;
~dar m supporter; ~dar kirin v.t. to
support
elman German; ~ German (language)
em (obl. me) we
emanet m deposit, anything held on
loan or for safekeeping
emir1 f order, command
emir2 m age
emperyalsm f imperialism
enanet traditional
endam m member
enerj f energy
en f forehead; front (mil.)
ensttu f institute
eql m mind, reason
erd f earth; li erd dan to throw to the
ground
erdim f region
erdhj f earthquake
ereb Arab; ~ Arabic
erebe f cart, carriage, any wheeled
vehicle
Erebistan f Arabia
er yea, yes
erk f responsibility
ermen Armenian
ermim silk
Ernewid Albanian
erz f hope; ~a ikandin v.t. to dash
s.o.s hopes
erzan cheap
erzihal f description, report, petition
Erzerom f Erzurum
esas m foundation, basis; ~ basic, essential, original
eser f work, monument: esereke edeb a
literary work

210

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
esil m origin; bi ~ xwe originally
esilzade aristocratic
esker m soldier; ~ f the military; (adj)
military
esman = azman
esmer olive complected
er f tribe; ~t tribal
ekere clear, obvious
ek tek tangled (hair)
ev (obl. masc. sing. v, obl. fem. sing.
v, obl. pl. van) he, she, it, they, this,
these
evn f love, affection; ~dar desirous, in
love: ew evndar xwendin b he
was desirous of studying
evqas so much
ew (obl. masc. sing. w, obl. fem. sing.
w, obl. pl. wan, pl. const. ewn) he,
she, it, they, that, those
ewd m revenge
ewel, ewel first
ewn pl. const. of ew; ~ din the others
ewir = ewr
ewle security, reliance, assurance; ~ bn
to be secure
ewr m cloud
ewraq (pl) papers
Ewrpa f Europe; ~y European
Ewrp European
ewt f bark; ~e ~ constant or repeated
barking; ~n v.i. to bark
eyn the same: di eyn sal de in the
same year
ey O (vocative)
Eyndwer Ayn Dwr, a small place in
Syria south of Cizre
Eyb Job; ~ Job-like
eywan f salon, sitting room
ez (obl. min) I
ezben sir (mode of polite address)
ezman m sky, heaven
ezz dear
Ezrayl Azrael, the angel of death

1 = y
2 future auxiliary + subj. for future
tense
d now; still, yet
gir agir
h: gewro h beravara nedihat
Whitey didnt notice it
n = yn
r = hri
f pain, ache; ~andin n- v.t. to hurt,
cause pain, trouble; ~iyan - v.i. to
hurt, suffer pain: ser av te nee
may your head and eye not suffer
pain, thank you
var f evening
xur m stable
zing m firewood
fahm (dial. var.) = fehim
fal f augury, omen, fate; ~ vekirin to
predict: ev fala ko herkes ji min re
vedikir, wusan derneket the prediction everyone was making for me did
not turn out like that
fam (dial. var.) = fehim
faqa under (prep.); ketin ~ to fall beneath
faris pl Persians; ~ f Persian (language)
fast fascist
fedakar, fedekar self-sacrificing, devoted; ~ f self-sacrifice
fed f embarrassment; ~ kirin to be embarrassed
fed-kirin v.t. to look, watch
fehim kirin v.t. to understand
felat f freedom, liberation
felsefe f philosophy;
felsef philosophical
fen f trick; bi ~ ftan by hook or by
crook
fener f lamp
feodal feudal
feqeh m theology student
feq Muslim cleric; ~t f the clerical pro-

211

KURMANJI KURDISH
fession
feqr poor; ~t f poverty
fer one, single item (of a pair)
ferheng f culture: wezareta ferheng
ministry of culture; dictionary
ferman f order, command; ~a derxistin v.t. to issue an order for
ferm formal
fermo please (said when offering s.th.)
ferq f difference: i ferqa me crann
me dimne? what difference is left between us and our neighbors?; ~iyet f
distinction
ferz kirin v.t. to assume
fetwa legal opinion
fex f trap; xistin fex to put in a trap
feyde f benefit, profit; bi ~ beneficial
fde f (const. fda) benefit: ji bo fda
xwe for ones one benefit, in ones
own interests
fhm = fehim
flbaz f cunning
fre bn v.i. to learn; frey bn to
learn s.th., to become accustomed to
s.th.
fr bn v.i. to learn: ew di demeke
kurt de fr tirk b he learned Turkish in a short time
fiht kirin v.t. to assess, to price
fikar(e) f worry
fikir f idea, thought; ~n v.i. to think,
contemplate
filitn ji v.i. to get rid of
filosof m philosopher
find f candle
fir- firn
firaq m dishes
firar kirin to escape, to flee
firavn f lunch, midday meal
firax (pl) dishes, pots and pans; ~ ustin
v.t. to wash the dishes
fireh open, wide, spacious; ~ kirin v.t.
to open; dil ~ kirin to gladden the
heart

firiyan v.i. to fly away

firn fir- v.i. to jump, fly: Msa ji kfan
difire Musa is jumping for joy
firte m angel
firk a rapid motion
firne f bakery
firotin fro- v.t. to sell
firq = ferq
firtone f storm, gale
fitil dan v.t. to twist and turn
fstan m dress
fort m boast
fransiz m/f French (person)
frens f French (language)
frensiz French (language)
fro- firotin
fursend f opportunity
frn v.i. to bubble, gurgle, boil
galegal f conversation
galon m gallon
gam ox
garan f herd of cattle
garis m millet; ~ misr corn
garsn f village square
gav1 f time; moment, instant; ~a (ku)
when (sub. conj.); ~ saet at all
times; di ~ da in an instant; li ~ de
at that moment
gav2 m step, pace; ~ kirin v.t. to step,
cross; ~ avetin to take steps: edebiyata kurd di van saln daw de
gavine ba avetiye Kurdish literature
has taken some good steps in these
recent years
gavan cowherd; ~t f herding
gazin = gazind
gazind m rebuke, complaint; ~ kirin v.t.
to rebuke, reproach; ~ok rebuking,
complaining
gaz1 m warrior
gaz2 f call, shout; ~ kirin v.t. to call,
speak to
geh when; geh geh sometimes

212

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
sometimes
-geh suffix of place
gehandin (dial. var.) = gihandin
gehtin (dial. var.) = gihtin
gel much, many, most; ~ejmar plural;
~ek() very, a lot, many: ~ek ji wan
many of them; ~r popular
gelemper general, public; bi ~ mostly,
generally
gel m mountain pass, canyon
gelo whether; interrogative particle, I
wonder if
gemar f filth
gem f ship
genim m wheat
ger if; ~i even if, although
gerandin gern- v.t. to turn, rotate; to
take for a walk; to produce
gerden f neck
gerden f necklace
gerdn universal
gerek necessary, should, must, ought to;
~ bn to be necessary
geremol f complexity, confusion
gerihan (dial. var.) = geriyan
geriyan v.i. to go around, roam around;
~ li (pey) to look for
germ warm, hot: ~a havn the heat of
summer; ~a, ~ay f warmth; ~ f
warmth
Germanya f Germany
ger dirty
ge red, blossoming, flaming, happy; ~
bn to blossom, flame up (fire), be
happy; ~ f happiness, flourishment
gevde f mange; bi ~ mangy
gevez crimson
gevizandin v.t. to make writhe; xwe ~ to
roll oneself around
gevizn v.i. to writhe
gewde m body; ~ xwe dan hev to curl
up; ~ xwe girtin to hug oneself
gewr light grey, whitish; ~o whitey
gewre large, big

gj dizzy, spinning; ~ bn v.i. to be

dizzy; ~ kirin v.t. to make dizzy,
make lightheaded: germa havn tu
gj kiriby the heat of summer had
made you dizzy
gr crooked, uneven
grik ant
grt lethargic
ghj- gihtin
giha = giya
gihan gih- v.i. to reach; ~din -gihnv.t. to deliver; xwe gihandine ser to
get oneself to
gihatin gehj- v.i. to reach, arrive; to
mature
gihtin gihj-/gj-/gihj-/ghj- v.i. to
reach, arrive
gihj- gihtin
gijgijn v.i. to be knit (brow)
gincir ???
gir m hill
gir m rancorous, grudging; ~-girtin v.t.
to have a grudge
gir- girtin
giramgr respectful
giram f respect
giran heavy, deep (voice); serious,
grave, plodding; ~ f gravity, weightiness; ~biha precious, expensive; ~
firotin v.t. to sell at a high price,
overcharge
girav f island
girc girc frozen solid
gir f knot, tumor; ~-dan v.t. to tie, to
connect: nav bajr li cem min bi
nav nan firn, ekir helaw hatib
girdan for me the word city was
connected to the words bakery
bread, sugar, and halvah; pita
xwe ~ dan bi to turn ones back on,
to be unmindful of
girk Greek
girik f conundrum; hillock
giriyan v.i. to weep

213

KURMANJI KURDISH
gir m weeping, crying
girn v.i. to weep; f weeping
girng important; ~ f importance
girs great; bi ~ greatly
girtin gir- v.t. to catch, seize
girtgeh f prison
girtxane f prison, place of detention
git general, public; totally
givatin giv- v.t. to press, squeeze
givegiv f gentle blowing of the wind
givn v.i. to roar (wind)
giya f grass, greenery
giyan m soul
gj- = gihjgr f grasp; xistin ~ helboq v.t. to ensnare
grodar f struggle
gr helboq f trap, entrapment
gya = giya
gol f lake: ~a Wan Lake Van
golik m calf
gopal m stick; ~ das sickle
gor1 f method, manner, way; li ~(a)
according to, in the opinion of
gor2 f grave; ~istan f cemetery
gor f sacrifice; ez bi ~ please
gorn f tomb
got m meat
gotar f article
gotin bj- v.t. to say: tu bj nebj no
matter what you say; f word: bi ~eke
din in other words; ji X re Y ~ to call
X Y: gelo mirov kane ji berhemn ku
bi zimann din tne nivsandin re
bibje berhemn kurd? I wonder if
can one call works that are written in
other languages Kurdish works?;
~xwe well-spoken
gotbj f talk, conversation
gov f barn
govend f Kurdish line dance; ~ girtin
v.t. to dance a line dance
goya youd think
gr- = gir- (girtin)

guik m/f ??? ear

guh m ear; ~ dan v.t. to listen; bi ~
girtin v.t. to grab by the ear; ~dar m
listener; ~dar kirin v.t. to listen; ber
guhan ketin v.i. to be heard
guhan m udder
guhar m/f pearl ??? earring???
guharn v.i. to change
guhartin guhr- v.t. to change
guhastin = guhaztin
guhaztin guhz- v.t. to transport, carry,
move; mala xwe ~ to move ones
home
guhdar m listener; ~ kirin v.t. to listen
guherandin guhern- v.t. to change
guhertin (dial. var.) = guhartin
guj fierce (storm)
gujn v.i. to howl
gul f flower
gulan f May
gule f bullet; ~baran kirin v.t. to fire,
open fire on
gulik f flower
gul m braid, tress
gulle = gule
gulte f clump
gund m village; ~ m/f villager; ~t f
rusticity
guneh m sin, fault; ~kar f crime, offense, fault; avtina ~n xwe expiation for ones sins
gungil thick, matted
gunin ??? a thick protective mat
against thorns, etc.
gupe gup kirin v.t. to pound (heart)
gur1 m wolf
gur2 strong, powerful; ~ kirin to fill
gurdar f attention; ~ kirin to pay rapt
attention
gurg = gur1
gur bald, scabby
gurn f clamor, noise
gurmn gurm- v.i. to make a loud noise
gurz m hank of hair

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KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
guvah f testimony
guvatin (dial. var.) = givatin
guveguv (dial. var.) = givegiv
ha = han
hakim m ruler, governor
hal m condition, state; ji ~ ketin to be
exhausted, worn out
halan f yell, shout
halhalk (dial. var.) = alal
han (in constr. w/ word it modifies) this
very, that very: w roja han on that
very day; ev tirsa han bi serphatiya
te girday b this very fear was connected to your experience
hatin y-/wer- (v.i., pres. ind. tm, neg.
naym, pres. subj. bm/werim) to
come; (+ inf.) passive
hat f future
havtin (dial. var.) = avtin
havn f summer
havtin (dial. var.) = avtin
hawrdor f surroundings, environment;
~n w those around him
hawurdor (dial. var.) = hawrdor
hay f feeling, awareness (ji of), attention: ~a min j tune b I had no
awareness of it; ~dar aware
hazir ready, present; ~ f preparation; ~
kirin to make preparations
heb1 m grain, bit; pill: ~ek aqil a grain
of sense; ~ek() a little, a bit, slightly
heb2 f a single thing, item, individual,
one
hebandin v.t. to love
hebe nebe one way or another
hebk = hebek (see heb)
hebn v.i. to exist: di ziman me de pir
gotinn kurd hene ku me nebihstine
there are many Kurdish words in our
language we havent heard; (with
subject + possessive) to have; heb
tuneb once upon a time
hechecik martin, swallow

hecm f attack, assault

he whatever, whoever
hedam sense ???
hedef f goal
heft seven; ~e f week: bi ~yek within a
week; ~ey weekly; ~ seventy
heger if
hej movement; li ~ liv we ketin v.i.
to toss and turn
hej = hez
hejandin v.t. to shake: w ser xwe hejand he shook his head; min dest w
hejand I shook his hand
hejar poor: ~n kurdan the poor Kurds
hejiyan v.i. to move, shake
hejk love, affection
hejn = hejiyan
hejmar f number, issue (of a journal)
hejmartin hejmr- v.t. to count, enumerate: dihatin hijmartin le ser her
deh tiliyn destan they could be
counted on all ten fingers of the hands
hejmr- hejmartin
hek m right; di ~ prep. concerning,
about
heke if
hel m protected place
helaw f halvah
helbest f poetry, verse: ~a serbest free
verse; ~kar m poet; ~van m poet
helbet of course
hel-bijartin v.t. to select, choose
hel-dirandin v.t. to tear apart
Heleb f Aleppo
heliyan v.i. to melt, disappear
heliz an herb
helk bhn breath
hel-pekandin li xew v.t. to rouse from
sleep
helqe f ring
hemhem bothand
hema thus
heman that very
hember equal; ~ f equality; li ~

215

KURMANJI KURDISH
towards, vis--vis, across from
hembz = hemz
hemd m will, volition; b ~ reluctantly,
involuntarily; hatin ser ~ xwe to
come to ones senses
hemdem contemporary
heme always
hemz, hembz f bosom, embrace; ~
kirin v.t. to embrace
hem = hem
hemman scarcely, barely
hem all, every; ~ya(n) all of them
hengam time: di ~ek de at one and the
same time, at once
heps f prison, imprisonment; ~xane f
prison
her every; ~ ~ always and ever; ~ku
-tir the more the more: deng ji
ezmn herku di btir dib the sound
from the sky kept getting louder; ~
ten at least: her ten end heftiyan
carek at least once every few weeks
her- n
herb f war department
herd valley ???
hereherey worldly strife, turmoil
herejor steep
her = er
herm f district, region
herf f letter of the alphabet
herikn v.i. to move, to flow
herimandin v.t. to ruin, make a mess of:
w jiyan li wan herimandiye it has
ruined their lives
her1 very, exceedingly, most (superlative prefix)
her2 f mud
hertim always; ~ usual
herweha thus, so also
herwiha (dial. var.) = herweha
hes f feeling, emotion; ~asiyet f sensitivity
hesibandin v.t. to count, take into consideration: ew xwe weke kurd nahesi-

bnin they dont count themselves as

Kurds
hesin m iron; ~gr m blacksmith; ~
made of iron; ~ker m blacksmith
hesiyan/hesn v.i. to feel; ~ bi to perceive, be aware of
hesp m horse
hesret f pining, longing, regret; li ~a
longing for
hest f feeling
heste f lighter
hestik m bone
hest m bone
he = n
hen green; ~ah f greenness
het eight; ~ eighty
heta even; (prep.) up to, until; ~ (ku)
(conj. + neg. subj.) until: heta ney
guhartin j d wiha bidome until it is
changed it will remain like that
hetan = heta
hev each other, together, co-, same; ba
~ hatin to get together, cooperate; bi
~du re together; bi ~ re with each
other, together; ji ~ ketin to fall apart;
li ~ together; li ser ~ altogether; ~
dan v.t. to collect, put together
heval m/f friend; ~bend m proponent;
~t f friendship
hevedudann v.t. to put together, to
compound
hevd each other
hevgirt assembled
hevr m dough
hevkar m/f co-worker; ~ f cooperation
hevok f sentence; ~saz syntax
hevpeyvn f conversation
hevraz (dial. var.) = efraz
hevrim m silk
hevwelat m/f compatriot
hew no more, not any more: hew dixwim
I cant eat any more
hewa f air, weather; ~ guhastin v.t. to
have a change of climate

216

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
hewale m air
hewandin -hewn- v.t. to give shelter to,
protect
hewcedar needy, in need; ~ f need,
necessity
hewe (dial. var.) = we
hewes f passion
hewg f throat
hewil f attempt; ~-dan v.t. to attempt
hewk = hewg
hewqas that much, so much
hewran m a type of cloak; ~yek re a
black cloak, a sign of mourning
hew f courtyard
hey continuously, (+ verb) to keep on
heya = heta for, up to, until: heya
demeke dirj for a long time; ~ ku
(conj.) while, as long as
heybet m fearfulness; ~girt fearful
heyecan m excitement
heyf f pity; ~a its too bad about ;
~a hatin bi to feel sorry for: heyfa
min bi te t I feel sorry for you
heyhat alas!
heyn v.i. to live
heyran amazing!, incredible!
heyt eight
heyt eighty
heyv f moon, month; ~a arde ev the
full moon
heyran i? what do you mean ?
heywan f animal
hez kirin ji v.t. to like, enjoy: min j hez
kir I liked it
hezar thousand
h still, yet
h furious, quick-tempered
hd hd little by little
hdka slowly, softly
hj still, (with comparative) even
hja valuable, worthy; ne ~ worthless
hk f egg
hl1 f side, direction
hl2 vigor, strength, power; bi ~ vigor-

ously, aloud
hl3 trace, track
hl- hitin
hlan v.t. to leave
hln f birds nest; ~ kirin v.t. to nest,
to settle in
hnik cool; ~ay f coolness
hre kirin v.t. to look
hri f attack; ~ kirin/ann/birdin v.t. to
make an attack: cendirme hri ser
mal dikin the gendarmes are attacking the house
hriker attacking
hrs f anger; ~ kirin v.t. to anger; ~
ketin v.i. to get angry
hsan easy; ~ kirin v.t. to facilitate,
make easy; ~ easy
hsir m tear
hsr captive, prisoner
hstir1 f mule
hstir2 = hsir
hn green (of plants), bluish (of animals); ~ay f greenery, verdure; ~ f
greenery
htir f camel
ht f thigh
hvar = var
hv f hope; ~dar hopeful; b~ hopeless; li ~ya bn to wait for, be in
expectation of ; (li) ~ya man to
lie in wait for
hwan f porch
hwir at rest, calm
hz f strength, power
hicm f attack
hijmartin hijmr- (dial. var.) = hejmartin
hikim m sovereignty, power; verdict,
judgment; hatine ser ~ to come to
power; ~ dayn to make a judgment
hilan kept, preserved
hil-ann (hil-n-) v.t. to take away; to
keep, preserve
hil-avtin v.t. to go, stick (li ra

217

KURMANJI KURDISH
through something)
hil-bijartin v.t. to choose
hil-dan v.t. to lift, raise
hil-dirandin (dial. var.) = hel-dirandin
hil-girtin v.t. to bear, endure; to shoulder (a responsibility, burden)
hil-ketin v.i. to come about by chance
hil-kan v.i. to climb up, out
hil-kutan v.t. to knock, rattle
hilmis poke; ~ dan bi to poke
hil-pekandin (dial. var.) = helpekandin
hil-qedimn v.i. to stand up
hil-andin li ser v.t. to bring down on
hil-weandin v.t. to break up, split
apart: pit hilweandina sstema Sovyet after the break-up of the Soviet
system
hil-wen v.i. to break up, split apart
himhim bothand
himber (dial. var.) = hember
himbz kirin v.t. to embrace
himz armful; ~ kirin = himbz kirin
hin some, a few, several: hin rpel a
few pages, several pages; hin ji wan a
few of them; ~n wan some of them;
~ekan ~ekan some others
hinarok cheek
hind1 = hin; hinde cara hindek every
once in a while
hind2 f measure, extent: ji ber hind j to
a certain extent; ~ik slight, few, little
bit; ~ikah f minority
hinda prep. until
hindav f direction; ~a da toward
hindir = hundur
hiner = huner
hing then, at that time; therefore, for
that reason
hingiv m honey
hing then, at that time
hingr f twilight
hir f wool
hiriyan v.i. to fall down, spill over or

out
hi m awareness, sense; ~ be be quiet!;
bi ~ intelligent, smart
hiin = hn
hik dry, solid, frozen; ~ bn v.i. to
freeze; ~ah f solidity, rigidity; ~asay
f dry, cold air
hitin hl- v.t. to let go, leave, allow;
Xwed te bihle may God preserve
you!
hiyar awake, sober; ~ bn v.i. to
awaken; ~ kirin v.t. to wake
hizandin (dial. var.) = hejandin
hizib f political party
hizir f thought, idea; li hizra da bn
to be thinking about
hm1 m foundation, basis; ~avj m
founder
hm2 = hn2
hn1 still, yet: ew ~ nehatiye he hasnt
come yet; ~ btir even more
hn2: ~ bn v.i. to learn; ~ kirin v.t. to
teach: w ez hn pir titan kirim she
taught me many things; ~ bn to
learn how to (+ inf.)\
hna = hn1
hnga = hing
hs f feeling, emotion; ~ kirin v.t. to feel
htin = hitin
hv (dial. var.) = heyv
hv (dial. var.) = hv
hz m/f skin sack
hogi m mountain ram
hogir accustomed, intimate friend; m
environment
hol f environment, surroundings; xwe
gihandin ~ to come forth, come
about, arrive
hol thus, in this manner; in view
holik f hut
hon (dial. var.) = hun
honik cool; ~ kirin v.t. to cool down;
dil xwe ~ kirin bi to console oneself
with

218

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
hov wild; ~t f wildness
hovan over there
hoy m condition, circumstance: di hoyn
teng de in narrow straits, in a tight
spot
hozant f poetry
h.p. = heta pa etc., et al.
hukum m order; ~dar f rule; ~dar
kirin v.t. to rule
hukmet f government
humanst m humanist; ~ humanistic
hun (obl. we) you (pl.)
hundir (dial. var.) = hundur
hundur m inside; ~ prep. inside of; di
~ de within: di ~ deh salan de
within ten years
huner, hiner f art, skill; ~mend m artist
hur free, at liberty
hurmetgir respectful
hustu m neck
huzr f presence
hn = hun
hr1 small, little; ~ ~ in little bits, in
small pieces; ~ ~() bn v.i. to be
smashed to bits; ~ kirin v.t. to crumble; ~ mr small items, little things
hr2 m paunch
hrik m small piece, bit, sliver; ~ ~
slight(ly)
hwd (her wek din) etc.
(because the distinction between initial i
and is not consistently maintained,
the two letters are alphabetized together)
dam f execution, death sentence
idare kirin v.t. to direct, manage
deoloj f ideology
ifade f testimony
iflas f bankruptcy; ne ~ v.i. to go
broke
lan kirin v.t. to announce
ilham f inspiration
ilm scientific

lon f September
imkan m possibility
mparator f empire
imtihan f examination
imtiyaz f concession: imtiyaza neft oil
concession
nca then, in that case
ngilstan f England
ngilz m/f English; ~ f English language
inkar kirin v.t. to deny
insan human being, one; pl people
ina m composition
iptida elementary
rad f objection
ran f Iran
Iraq f Iraq
ro, roj today
r (dial. var.) = ro
sal this year
sfehan wrought silver
skendern f skenderun, Alexandretta
Islamiyet f the religion and traditional
learning of Islam
ispat kirin v.t. to prove, establish
israf f expenditure: israfeke enerjiy an
expenditure of energy
israr kirin v.t. to insist
istifade kirin ji v.t. to make use of
stgah f station
syan f rebellion
m work, affair, job: i min bi
tirkan re heye? What do I have to do
with the Turks?
ellah God willing, I hope
ev tonight
ik dry
ikence f torture; ~ kirin bi v.t. to torture, torment
ikestin (dial. var.) = ikestin
tiraz f objection
iyar m skin, pelt
jahr (dial. var.) = jehr

219

KURMANJI KURDISH
jan f pain, ache; ~ dan v.t. to pain
jar poor; ~ f poverty
jehr f poison
jendirme f gendarmerie
jengor rusty
j = ji + w/w
jhat worthy
j-kirin v.t. to excise, cut out, cut off
jr down
jrbar heavy laden; ~ f being heavy
laden
ji prep. from, to, for, with
ji re ccmp. with
ji ve ccmp. from
ji ber ve ccmp. before
jibrkirin br
jihevdeket fragmented, fallen apart:
civateke ~ a fragmented society
jimar f number
jin f woman, wife; ~ik f woman
jinvezayin f rebirth, renaissance
ji wedaket scattered about
jiyan1 f life
jiyan2 j- v.i. to live
jiyin = jiyan2
j enclitic also, even, emphasizes preceding word
j- jiyan2, jn
jn j- v.i. to live
jndar alive, living; dinya ~ the world
of the living
jr talented, skillful; ~ f diligence, talent
jmartin jmr- v.t. to count, to enumerate
jor above, up
k- kirin
ka (attention-getting particle): ka mze
ke come, look!; ka li ku ye? now
where is it?
ka f straw, hay
kabs f nightmare
kafiye (dial. var.) = qafiye
kal aged; m old man, grandfather; ~e-

mr m elderly gentleman
kalte m good quality
kalkabs m nightmare demon
kalo m old man
kambax ruined, devastated; devastating;
~ kirin v.t. to ruin, devastate
kan = kan2
kan1 f spring, source
kan2 where is/are?
kann (dial. var.) = karn
kanun pl winter months
kapan a narrow, steep mountain road
kapik f bran
kar1 m job, work; ~bidest m authority;
~ker m/f worker; ~bar m work, business, everything entailed by s.th.; ~
kirin to work, to penetrate; bi~ ann
v.t. to use
kar2 kid (goat, deer, &c.)
karik kid goat
karn (v.i., neg. pres. nkarim, past
(d)karibm, neg. past. nkaribm,
subj. (bi)karibim) to be able (+ subj.
to)
karneval f carneval
karto stale
karxezal baby deer, fawn
karzan expert
kasik m globe
kastn f howl
ka m slope, hill; ~ bn to fall backwards
kat kirin v.t. to divulge
kaxet = kaxez
kaxez f paper
kaxiz = kaxez
kazkaz f wail
keban f lady: kebaniya mal the lady of
the house
ke f girl; ~ik f little girl
ked f stick; ~a kesek xwarin to get
beaten by s.o.
kef1 f foam: ~a sawn soapsuds; ~ dan
v.t. to foam

220

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
2

kef f palm (of the hand)

kefen m burial shroud; ~ kirin v.t. to
shroud
kef f kefiya, Arab headdress
kefteleft f activity, work, enterprise
kej f fur; ~ da-bn v.i. to get long fur
kek m elder brother
kel1 boiling; ~ ger crying and weeping
kel2 m bull
kelandin keln- v.t. to boil
kela m corpse, body
kelber wild
kel f an outcropping of rock
kelem1 oak
kelem2 m thorn; obstacle, difficulty,
trick
kelem3 m cabbage; ~ Bruksel Brussel
sprout
keleme f handcuff; ~ kirin v.t. to handcuff
keln f opportunity, chance
kemn f ambush; ~ girtin to lie in ambush
ken m laughter; ~iyan v.i. to laugh
ken- kenn
kendal f side, slope, bank
keng, keng when?
kenn v.i. to laugh
ker1 donkey; ne ker ketiye, ne hz
diriyaye, ne doab rijiyaye (prov.)
no donkey has fallen, no skein has
been ripped, and no molasses has
been spilled, i.e. nothing at all has
happened
ker2 deaf
ker3 quiet, silent
keramet f miracle
kerb f sorrow, grief; bi ~a n v.i. to
empathize with
kerem generosity, benefit; ji ~a xwe
please, if you would be so kind
ker f herd; piece
kerm f snout

kerp m sun-baked mud brick

kerwan m caravan
keser f sorrow, grief; ~vedan f sorrowing
kesk green
kef kirin v.t. to discover
ket f boat
ketin kev- v.i. to fall; ~ li ber to object to, oppose; bi ser ~ to come up,
to surface
kev- ketin
kevan = keban
kev m spoon
kever spotlessly white
kevin ancient
kevir m stone, rock
kevnar ancient
kevnebajar f ancient seat
kevneperest conservative
kevnesovyet f the ex-Soviet Union
kew partridge
kewan = keban
kewtn v.i. to bark
keys f opportunity, advantage
kezeb f liver; womb; ~ ewitan to feel
sorry, be distressed
kez f braid of hair
kezk f strand of hair
kez kirin v.t. to bite
k k
kf f pleasure, joy: li ~a w nedihat she
wasnt enjoying it; ~xwe happy;
~xwe f happiness, pleasure, rejoicing; ~ sefa pleasure
kl m grave
klek f side, edge
km few, little bit; ~ kirin v.t. to lessen;
~ mab ku (+ subj.) almost: km
mab ku dila te ji kfa ji snga te
derkeve your heart almost leapt out of
your breast from joy; ~an f deficiency, inadequacy; ~as f paucity; ~
zde more or less; b~as flawless(ly); bi ~an f at least

221

KURMANJI KURDISH
1

kr f knife
kr2 f benefit, profit, effect; bi ~
hatin to be of benefit to : bi kr i
t? whats the use of it?; bi~ useful
krk rabbit
ks = keys
kan v.t. to pull, draw; cixar ~ to
smoke cigarettes
kz f bug, insect; ~ik f bug
kibrt match; ~firo matchseller
kif clear, apparent
kil1 f collyrium; ~ kirin to paint the eyes
with collyrium
kil2 kirin v.t. to wave; dest ~ ji re to
wave the hand at
kim m corner
kin short; ~ f shortness; bi ~ shortly,
slightly
kinc pl clothes
kincik m rag
kir kirin
kiras m shirt
kirt ugly, shameful; ~ f ugliness, defilement, shame
kirwe m blizzard
kirin k- v.t. to do; ~ ku (+ pres. subj.) to
make (as if to do s.th.), almost to do
s.th.: w kir ku titek bibje, l ne got
he almost said something, but he
didnt; ji xwe ~ to take off (clothes),
disrobe: min kincn xwe ji xwe kir I
took off my clothes; te dikir nedikir do what you might; min kir
nekir no matter what I did
kirn kir- v.t. to buy
kirmat in stony silence
kiandin kin- v.t. to pull, draw; dest ~
ji to withdraw from
kikiandin v.t. to drag
kitb f book; ~xane f library
kitkit f detail
kiv = kif
k (obl. k) who?
kjan which?

kn f revenge, feud: kna xwe bi hev re

hene they are having a feud; ~ girtin
v.t. to take revenge
knga ever; when
ks m sack, bag; ji ~ xwe out of ones
own pocket
kso f tortoise
klasifikasyon f classification
klankov f Klashnikov rifle
ko = ku2
ko kirin v.t. to decamp, move; ~
kirin to move to
kok1 f stitch
kok2 f root, stub
kolan f street
kolan kol- v.t. to dig, dig out, research;
~din koln- v.t. to dig
kole1 trick, deceit; ~ kirin v.t. to
deceive; ~dar tricky, deceitful
kole2 captive, slave
kolonyalst colonialist
kom f pile, group; ~ bn to gather, assemble; ~a san pack of dogs
komar f republic: Komara Mehabad
the Republic of Mahabad
komel f society, organization: Komela
Karkern Kurd Kurdish Workers
Society; ~ayet social
komik f small group
kon m tent
kongre f congress
kor, kr blind; ~ ~ fikirn to be lost in
thought
kor kend m depression
koik f pavilion
kovar f journal
kov wild, ferocious
kox f coop: koxa mirkan chicken coop
koxik f hut, shack
ku1 where?; ji ~ where from?, li ~
where, where at?
ku2 that (subordinating conj.); unless
ku f large rock
kuder where?

222

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
kufuk m snot; kufk poz snot; kufk
guh earwax; ~girt snotty
kuj m corner
kuj- kutin
kul f wound, pain, suffering; adj. infected, inflamed, suffering
kulav m felt mat
kulek f smoke hole
kulfet f job, duty: xud kulfet employed,
holding down a job; maid, female servant; wife
kulik m finger; ~ek dan ser to put a
finger on, point to
kul f flake of snow
kullk f wild flower
kull cotton
kulm f fist; ~ik f fist
kulmoz m beehive
kultur f culture
kum m cap; kea ~sor Little Red
Riding Hood
kun f hole; kun kun kirin v.t. to poke
holes in
kundk rnitin v.i. to hunker down
kunkun pitted, pockmarked
kur m boy, son
kur kirin v.t. to cut (the hair)
kurd m/f Kurd; ~andin v.t. to Kurdicize; ~istan f Kurdistan; ~ayet f
Kurdishness; ~hiz Kurdophile; ~iyet
f Kurdishness; ~ Kurdish
kurdmanc Kurmanji Kurdish
kurm m worm; ~ik m little worm; ~
wormy, mangy, maggoty
kurs f chair, seat: kursiya eref the
seat of honor
kur f frozen snow; ~enegirt not frozen
solid
kurt short, brief; ~ay f shortness: bi
kurtay briefly; ~erok f short story;
~edem f moment
kuruf f mound of snow
kusan how
kuskusandin v.t. to squint

kutin kuj- v.t. to kill

kut xistin li v.t. to take a puff on (a
cigarette)
kut peck, (dogs) bark; ~ kirin v.t. to
clack, clatter, rattle
kutan v.t. to strike; avn xwe j ~ to
blink the eyes
kutatirn least
kuxn v.i. to cough
kuxuyan v.i. to cough
k call to a dog
ke f (obl k) lane
kik m dog
kd lame
kl f ???
kllk = kullk
kr1 (dial. var.) = kor
kr2 deep; ~ nrn to look closely; ~ah
f depth; ~an f depth
kke small, tiny
kv (dial. var.) = kov
kwr blind
kws, kws (dial. var.) = kso
labrent f labyrinth
lablabik m marsh: kwsiy lablabik
marsh turtle
lak secular
lal mute, speechless
lampe f lamp, light
land f belly
landik f cradle
la m body, corpse
lat f boulder
latn Latin
lava kirin v.t. to plead; ~y f pleading
lavan = lava
law m/f youth, child; ~ik m infant
lawur m wild animal
layiq worthy
lazim necessary
lebitn v.i. to move about
leheng m champion, hero
leh f flood, torrent

223

KURMANJI KURDISH
lekim m/f tentacle ???
lenger f tray
lep m paw
leplep twinkling ???
lerizn = lerzn
lerizner trembling
lerizok trembling
lerz m trembling
lerzandin lerzn- v.t. to shake
lerzn v.i. to tremble, shake
le m body; ~bizdn ???
leker m soldier
lev aimless ???; ~ ketin v.i. to chatter
(of the teeth)
lewa thin flat bread
lewhe f sign
lewma for this reason, therefore
lewra, ji lewra because
leyistin leyiz-, lz- v.t. to play, play (a
part); to play around (bi with): w bi
nivsn min dileyist he used to play
around with my writings
leyiztin (dial. var.) = leyistin
leylan f mirage
Leypiig f Leipzig
lez m haste; ~ kirin v.t. to make haste;
bi ~ in haste, hastily; bi ~ bez in all
haste, as fast as possible
lezandin lezn- v.t. to hasten, to accelerate
lezet f pleasure
l1 but; ~bel on the other hand
l2 = li + w/w
l bn bi to be afflicted with
l-dan l-d- v.t. to strike, play (instrument); cut off: bila mr ser min lbidit let the prince cut my head off
l-gern v.t. collect
lh: di lh de ccmp. for, in support
of
lkoln f research; ~er m researcher
lv f lip, seashore
lvikest with a broken lid
l-xistin v.t. to beat, to play (musical

instrument), to ring (telephone)

li prep. in, at, to; also forms the first element of a number of compound prepositions; see the second element
lib m copy (of a book), flake (of snow),
drop (tear); unit, single item
liberxwe free, unhindered
Libnan f Lebanon
lihf f quilt
lihstin (dial. var.) = lstin
likumn v.i. to trip
ling m foot, leg; li ser ~an standing, on
foot
lipamay backward; ~n f backwardness
liq f branch
liqandin v.t. to hang; xwe ~ to hang
(int.)
liser vebn v.t. to diagnose
liv f motion, movement; ~ l dan, ~ l
xistin v.t. to put in motion
livandin livn- v.t. to move, put in motion: destikn ketiy z dilivandin he
was moving the oars of the boat
quickly
liviyan = livn1
livn1 v.i. to move, be in motion, stir
livn2 m bed, bedding
livok unstable
lixwekirin f manner of dress
llandin v.t. to ululate
ls f high school; ~ xwendin to attend
high school
lstik f game, play, sport
lstin lz- v.i. to play
lz- lstin
lojman f lodging
loma for that reason, therefore
luht naked, bare
luks deluxe
lle f pipe, barrel (of a rifle)
lrn v.i. to bay
lsn v.i. to perch
ma interrogative particle: with affirma-

224

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
tive questions a negative answer is
expected: ma rast e? thats not right,
is it?; with negative questions an affirmative answer is expected: ma ne
rast e? isnt that right?; with other
interrogatives ma gives the sense of
ever: ma tu y i bik bi kr? What
ever are you going to do with a knife?
ma kirin v.t. to kiss
Maden f Maden, also known as Paxirmaden, city northwest of Diyarbekir
maf m share, portion; right; ~nas appreciative
makne f machine, car
mal1 f house, home: mala min mala te
my house is your house; ~bat f family; ~mezin belonging to a great family; ~xw paterfamilias
mal2 m goods, possessions, wealth: ~
ticaret commercial goods
mal- malitin, mitin
malava (vocative particle) hey!, see
here!
malitin mal- v.t. to rub, rub out
maliye f tax office
malmat (pl) information
mam m paternal uncle
mamostat/et f pedagogy; ~at/et
kirin v.t. to teach: w mamostetiya
ziman ereb dikir he used to teach
the Arabic language
mamostay kirin v.t. to teach: w
mamostayiya rewenbr ya gelek
rewenbrn kurd kir he taught many
Kurdish intellectuals how to be intellectuals
mamoste m teacher;
man mn- v.i. to remain, stay, dwell;
ne~ to cease to exist, to be no more:
nema xweya kir he never appeared
again; hindik ~ (+ subj.) to be about
to, to be on the verge of: hindik dima
fener bitemire the lamp was on the
verge of going out

mand exhausted; ~bn f exhaustion

mane (const mana) f meaning; ~w
moral, spiritual
mange f cow
man constraint, obstacle
mantiq m logic
maql reasonable; ~ dtin to consider
reasonable: w pniyaza min maql
dt he considered my proposal reasonable
mar m (obl mr) snake
mar kirin v.t. to marry (li to)
mar f march, anthem
mase f (obl mas) table
mast m yogurt
maellah goodness! (said to ward off
the evil eye when something is admired or praised)
mat silent
matmayn f astonishment
may(n) other
mazlm tyrannized; ~iyet f tyrannization
mazot f kerosene
me em
me- alternative negative subjunctive
and imperative prefix = nemebest f intent
mebin (archaic negative 3rd pl subjunctive of bn) they may not be: gelek
mebin j even though they may not be
many
mecal f opportunity: ta niha mecal tune
b until now there has been no opportunity; ~ birrn v.t. to take an opportunity away
mecbr obliged; ~ kirin v.t. to oblige,
force
meclis parliament
medeniyet f civilization
medin civil
medrese f religious school
mefhm f concept
meh f month

225

KURMANJI KURDISH
Mehabad f Mahabad
mehkeme f court
mehkm condemned; ~ kirin v.t. to
condemn
mehll dissolved; ~ bn to be dissolved
mehr f marriage contract; ~ birn to
conclude a marriage contract
mehrm ji deprived of
meh kirin v.t. to wipe out
mej m marrow
mejl occupied; ~ bn li ser v.i. to be
occupied, busy with
mekan stance, position
mekteb f school
mela m (obl. mel) mulla
mele (dial. var.) = mela
melevan m swimmer; ~ f swimming
melkemot the angel of death
memr government official
mencel a copper pot
mendik an herb
meqale f article
merasm f ceremony
merbend f bond, fetter
mereqdar f interest, inquisitiveness,
curiosity
mereq kirin v.t. to wonder
merg f death
merhele f stage: di merhela ewel de in
the first stage
meriv m person, one (impersonal): gava
meriv li cihek dimne when one stays
in a place
merd m disciple, devotee
merkez f center; ~ central: hukmeta
merkez central government
mesaj f message
mesel f example; ~en for example
mesele f matter
mestir larger, bigger
mesliyet f responsibility
me f walking: mea xwe domand he
continued walking; ~andin v.t. to put
into practice; ~iyan/-n v.i. to walk

metleb ???
mewld f a poem celebrating the birth
of the Prophet Muhammad, traditionally recited on festive occasions
mexsed f intent, intention
meydan f field; ann ~ v.t. to bring to
the fore
meyeldar, meyildar = meyldar
meyn v.i. to remain
meyl f inclination; ~dar predisposed (ji
re to); ~dar f bias, predisposition
mezel1 m grave, tomb
mezel2 f room
mezheb m sect
mezin big, large, great; ~ bn v.i. to
grow up; ~ kirin v.t. to raise, bring
up; ~ah f greatness; bi ~bna as
vast as
m f female
mj long ago; ji ~ ve from long ago
mj f brain, mind
mjn v.i. to suck, suckle
mjvemay remnant, relic
mr1 m man, husband; ~an f manliness;
~ik m fellow, guy; ~xas m gentleman
mr2 mar
mrg f meadow
mrxas brave
m f bee; ~a hingiv honeybee
mtro f metro, subway
mvan m/f guest; ~dar f visit; ~perwer f hospitality; ~xane f reception
room
mze kirin li v.t. to look at, see
mi shut, closed; ~ kirin v.t. to shut,
cover
mideh m period of time
midr m director, principal
mih ???
mihrican f celebration, festival
mij m mist
mijn (dial. var.) = mjn
mijl bi ve occupied, involved with;
~ f occupation, activity

226

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
mikan = mekan
mil m neck, shoulder; support, aid; side,
direction; bi ~ yek girtin v.t. to
come to s.o.s aid, to lessen s.o.s burden; ji ~ din on the other hand
milet m nation; ~perwer nationalistic
mil national
min ez
mindal m child
minet f obligation; b ~ generous
minnet = minet
miqam m musical mode
miraz ??? wish
mircan coral, coral bead
mirin mir-/mr- (dimire, dimre) v.i. to
die
miriyan = mirin
mir dead
mird m devotee
mirk f chicken
mirov m man; f woman; m/f person;
~at f humanity, humaneness, chivalry
mirward m/f ??? pearl
misilman Moslem
Misir f Egypt; misr Egyptian
mit ji full of, filled to the brim with
mitin mal- v.t. to sweep
mit man v.i. not to make a sound
mit mat utterly silent
mixabin unfortunately
mizgn m good news; ~ f present given
to a person bearing good news
m f sheep
mh = m
mn- man
mna (prep.) like; ~ ku (conj.) as, while
mnak equal, similar; m example: weke
mnak for example; ~ f similarity
mr m prince; f princess; ~ek princeling
mohr f seal, stamp; ~ xistin v.t. to seal,
put a stamp on
mor = mohr
more cracked (as a mud wall)

moz(e) flying insect

mr- mirin.
mudet m period
mudr m school principal
muesese f institution
muhlet f grace period, respite
munaqee f debate; ~ kirin v.t. to debate
munasebet f occasion; bi ~a on the occasion of
muxtar m village chief, elder
muzk f music
m m hair, strand of hair; iota: ne mwek not an iota
mr f ant
na- (negative prefix for present indicative verbs) not
naln v.i. to wail, cry out
name f letter
nams f honor; womenfolk
nan m bread; ~pj f bakery
nar m pomegranate
narn delicate
nas acquainted, known, familiar; ~ kirin
v.t. to know, be acquainted with, recognize; ~andin v.t. to introduce,
make known; dan naskirin v.t. to introduce
nasiyar familiar
nasnav m identity
nav1 f middle; di ~a de in the midst
of; li ~ hev de girtin to surround; ~n
middle (adj.), central: Rojhilata Navn
the Middle East
nav2 m name; ~ kirin v.t. to name;
~andin v.t. to name; ~dar famous, renowned; ~no notorious; ~not f notoriety
navbera prep. between, among
naverok f contents
navik f waist
navnetewey international
navnan f address

227

KURMANJI KURDISH
navteng f girth
naxr no
naxir f herd
naxwe this being so
naylon f plastic: trikn ~ plastic bags
naynik = neynik
nazik fine, delicate
ne not; ~ ~ neither nor; ~ l not
but; ne- (negative prefix for subjunctive, imperative, and past-tense
verbs) not
nebeled uninformed, unknowing
near helpless; ~ man to have no alternative; ~ f helplessness; ji ~ with no
alternative
nedar f poverty
ned ve, ji suddenly
nefel f clover
nefes dan v.t. to huff and puff; to be out
of breath
nefret f hatred; ~ kirin ji v.t. to hate,
abhor
nefs f self; ~a xwe karn to control oneself; ~pik humble; ~pik, ~pikah f humility
neft f oil
neh nine
neheq f injustice
nehy prohibition
nejihevdurebyn f indivisibility and
inseparability
nema notagain
nemaze especially
nemir undying, immortal: dibe xwediy
navek nemir he possesses an immortal name
nemirovane unmanly, cowardly
nenas unacquainted, unfamiliar, unknown; ~ unacquainted with
nepixandin nepixn- v.t. to blow up, inflate
nepixn v.i. to swell
neqandin v.t. to select, choose
neraz discontent; ~bn f discontent-

ment
nerind evil
nerm soft, gentle, fine; ~ah f softness,
gentleness; ~ik softly, gently
nesir f prose
nen unhappy
netewe f nation; ~yn Yekby the
United Nations; ~y national; ~yt f
nationalism
nev m/f grandchild, offspring
Nevroz f Persian New Years day
newal f valley
nex miracle; ~n miraculous
nexe f map
nexwe otherwise
nexwe sick, ill; unpleasant; ~ f sickness, disease; ~xane f hospital
nexuyay invisible
neyar m enemy, opponent, foe
neyn f destitution
neynik f mirror
neynok f fingernail, toenail
neynk = neynok
nezan f ignorance
nirvan m hunter
nr f game, prey; n ~ v.i. to go
after game
nrvan m hunter
nrevan m scout
nrn v.i. to look; f view, speculation
nan f target, mark; ~ kirin v.t. to take
aim at, to focus on
nv (dial. var.) = nv
nv (dial. var.) = nv
nzk near; ~ah f proximity; ~ near to,
nearly
nzkat kirin bi v.t. to approach
nifirn f malediction, curse
nif m generation
nifs f identity card
nig m foot; ~n xwe zdey xwe avtin
to overstep ones bounds
nigardar beautiful
niha now; ber ~ before now, ago

228

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
nihe = niha
nihran expectant, apprehensive
nihrn li v.i. to look at, to notice; to
look upon, regard (wek as)
nihrtin (dial. var.) = nihrn
niho (dial. var.) = niha
nijad m race; ~perest racist
nijde f brigandage
nik f side, direction; toward, to; prep.
next to, with, to, for
nikil m beak
nikilandin nikiln- v.t. to peck
nimj f prayer; ~ kirin v.t. to pray
nimne f example: ji bo nimne as an
example, for example; ~nde f example
niqutandin v.t. to drip
niqutn v.i. to drip
nisbet bi relative to
nisxe = nusxe
nian = nan
nik: ji ~ (~a) ve suddenly
nitin n-/ni- v.i. to sit
nitilandin v.t. to draw, to mark
nivistin -niv- v.i. to sleep
niviz ???
nivn1 m (usually pl) bed; ~ nexweiy
sick bed; destek ~ a set of sheets and
bedding material
nivn2 -niv- v.i. to lie down, sleep
nivsandin v.t. to write
nivsar f writing, text
nivsevan m writer
nivsn v.t. to write
nivskar m/f writer; ~ kirin to write,
engage in writing
nivsk written
niv = nif
nivz half
niwal f small valley
niyet f intention
nixabtin = nuxumandin
nixamtin = nuxumandin
nixumandin = nuxumandin

nizar m mountain side (where the sun

never shines)
nizim low
njad = nijad
nn none, nothing
nsan f April
nan f sign, mark, military decoration;
~ dan v.t. to show; ~ kirin v.t. to indicate
nv half; ~ saet half an hour; ~c half
done; ~ ev midnight; ~roj f noon;
~sedsal f midpoint of a century
nvek f half
nveruh half-dead
nvikest cracked
nv f middle, midpoint, half
nzing (dial. var.) = nzk
nod ninety
nojdar f panacea
nok f chickpea; ~a taht pebble
nola (prep.) like: nola hev like each
other
noqim bn v.i. ???
not = nod
nozdeh nineteen
nu new; ji ~ ve all over again
nuby new-born
nudem modern
nuh = nu
nuha (dial. var.) = niha
nuhat new, newly come about: niv
nu the new generation
nuht f newness, novelty
nujen newly invented, new-fangled,
modern
nuka (dial. var.) = nuha
nusxe f copy
nuvejn f renaissance
nuxumandin v.t. to cover, veil
nuxumn v.i. to be covered, veiled
nuyt f novelty
nuzewic newly-wed
n = nu
nh = nu

229

KURMANJI KURDISH
njen = nujen
nner representative
NY = Neteweyn Yekby the United
Nations
oda, ode f (obl od) room
okyans f ocean
ol f religion; ~dar religious; ~ religious;
~perwer religious
ord f army: Ordiya Sor the Red Army
ordu = ord
orre or f roar
orte f middle
Osman Ottoman
otorte f authority
pag stable
pak pure, clean; ~hilann ji v.t. to get
rid of
pakt package
pal1 f mountainside
pal2 dan v.t. to push
palas ???
pale m worker
pan wide, broad
panat f expanse, breadth
pansiman kirin v.t. to bandage
papor f stove
paqij pure, clean; ~ kirin v.t. to clean;
~ f cleanliness
paqi (dial. var.) = paqij
par1 f part, share
par2 last year
par3 f back; ji ~ re from behind
pare, pere m piece: du s pern
kaxizn two or three pieces of paper;
~ bn v.i. to be fragmented; ~ kirin
v.t. to fragment
parastin parz- v.t. to protect, guard
Pars f Paris
pars Persian language
part f political party: partiyn kurd yn
siyas Kurdish political parties
parve kirin v.t. to distribute

paseport f passport
pa m the back; li ~ ser prep. behind;
~ xwe avetin bi v.t. to throw oneself
into s.th.; ~eroj f past, the past; ~ng
later; ~ver backward; ~vert f
backwardness
pail f bosom
pa f end; heta paiy until the end
patik f back of the head
paye f high rank, place of honor; ~t f
honor
payz f autumn
pejirandin v.t. to accept
pekiyan = pekn
pekn pek- v.i. to splash, splatter, rise
up suddenly
pekok: strka pekok shooting star
pel m leaf, page
pelikan stairs, stairway
pelk leaf
pembo m cotton
pena f refuge, asylum; ~ber m/f refugee;
~ber f refugee status
pencere f window
peng ???
pengizandin pengizn- v.t. to make
jump, spurt
pengizn v.i. to spray, spurt
penr m (obl. penr) cheese
per1 m side
per2 m feather
per3 f piece
peran heavy: cezay peran heavy penalty
pere = pare
pern rivet; bi hev ~ kirin to rivet
together, to patch together
perde f (const. perda) curtain
perd f ceiling beam
pere m money
pergal m compass; bi ~ derketin to be
encompassed
perg (+ construct) hatin v.i. to come
across, find; n ~ to go to find

230

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
perpitn v.i. to flutter: dil min diperpite
I get sick at my stomach
perwaz f flight
perwerd f education
pesin m praise; ~andin v.t. to praise, to
approve of; wesf pesn dan to
praise and extol
pesn m trace
petrol f petrolium
pevgirdan f connection
pexan f prose; ~nivskar m prosewriter
pey: li ~ (prep.) behind, after; di ~ de
(prep.) after
peya m man
peya bn v.i. to get out, off, down (from
vehicle)
peyda bn v.i. to be found: min zanb
w saet ava germ peyda nabe I knew
there was no warm water to be found
at that time; ~ kirin v.t. to find
peyitandin v.t. to prove
peyivn v.i. to talk, speak: ez zde p re
nepeyivm I didnt speak to him long
pey hev one after the other
peyman f pact, agreement; ~ girdan
ligel to conclude a pact with
peyv f conversation, talk, words: me
peyv dagerand ser huner edebiyat
we turned the conversation to art and
literature; ~ik f expression
peywend f relation: peywendiyn navnetewey international relations
pez f sheep
pezkv (dial. var.) = pezkv
pezkv mountain sheep
p1 = bi + w/w
p2 m foot
pandin pn- v.t. to wrap, roll
pn p- v.t. to roll, wrap;
pjin f feeling
pjn pj- v.i. to be cooked; v.t. to light
(cigarette)
pk together; ~-ann v.t. to get together,

collect, arrange; ~-hatin v.i. to come

about, come to be; ~-hatin ji v.i. to
consist of
p-ketin v.i. to catch (fire)
pkol kirin v.t. to stick together (snow)
pkva together
p-xistin v.t. to light (fire), to switch on
pl f wave; ~ bn v.i. to spread out
plpl wavy, undulating
pnc five; ~ih, ~ fifty
pra along with him (see p)
prg perg
psr f collar; windpipe; forefront; area
just below the summit of a mountain
p forward: mirov bi p de bie one
will go forward; ~-ketin to advance;
bi ~ derketin to come out to the fore;
~eroj f the future; ~de xistin to promote; ~ket advanced
payk f forefront
pber m guide, leader; ketin ~ to be
faced with; ~ in the lead, leadership,
(prep.) in front of; ~ derketin to
lead, go out ahead of
pdexistin f promotion, advancement
peng m leader, vanguard
pepa, li prep. out in front of
peroj f future
pevan m leader
pgotin f foreword
piya prep. before, in front of
p adj. first: cara p the first time, di
du-s saln p de during the first
two or three years; f advance: ~ya
girtin v.t. to prevent
pk avant-garde, forerunner
pn first
pke f present, gift, tribute; ~ kirin v.t.
to offer (as a gift), to present
pmerge m guerrilla
pniyaz f proposal, suggestion
pveketin f advancement, progress
pt f flame
ptgiran lazy, indolent

231

KURMANJI KURDISH
pwend bi f connection to
pwst necessary; ~ f necessity, requirement
pxember m prophet
p-xistin -x- v.t. to light, turn on (light)
pxwas barefooted
pi small, little; ~ek a little bit, for a
moment; a little thing
pife pif f huff and puff
pif kirin v.t. to blow, puff
pifin kirin v.t. to hiss
pij scattered
pijandin v.t. to cook
pijn v.i. to be cooked
pijiqandin v.t. to make (blood) gush
pijiqn v.i. to explode, to blow up
piling m tiger
pilot m/f spark ???
pilpil ???
piqpiqok f bubble
pir1 very, many, much; ~an f most,
majority: piraniya wan most of them;
pirraniya caran most of the time
pir2 f bridge
pir f body hair
piroze kirin v.t. to tear to shreds
pirs f question; ~ek ji kirin v.t. to ask
a question of s.o.; ~gir skeptic;
~girk f question: pirsgirka kurd
the Kurdish question
pirsan v.t. to ask (a question)
pirtepirt f sputtering ???
pirtik f sheet (glass, paper)
pirtk f paper, sheet of paper
pirtve kirin v.t. to tear to pieces
pisk f cat
pismam m cousin
pispor, pispr m expert; ~ f expertise
piaftin v.t. to assimilate
piirn to ruminate (?)
pit f back, hill; ~a prep. behind, on the
other side of; ~a xwe dan v.t. to turn
ones back; ~ prep. after; ~ ku conj.
after; ~germ supported, protected;

~gir m supporter; ~gir f support; ~re

then,
later,
afterward;
~xwar
hunched-over
piyale f glass, goblet
piyes f play
pizot m torch: avn w wek du pizotn
gir bn his eyes were like two fiery
torches
pjame m pyjamas
pn f kick; ~-avtin v.t. to kick
pne ???
ppoq f glass
pr old; m/f old man, old woman; ~ik f
grandmother
prat f old age
prhepok m monster ???
proz sacred, holy; ~ kirin v.t. to celebrate; to congratulate: ew w roja han
mna karnevalek proz dikin they
celebrate that day like a carneval;
~bah f congratulations; ~wer holy
ps bad, dirty; ~ik nasty, awful; ~it f
obscenity
psr (dial. var.) = psr
pvan f measurement, criterion; ~din
pvn- v.t. to measure
PKK = Partiya Karkern Kurdistan
Kurdish Workers Party
plan f plan; ~ker m planner; ~ kirin to make a plan
pola m steel
poltka f politics; policy
ponijn v.i. to be engrossed in thought
por m hair (on the head); ~re blackhaired; ~zer blonde
poman regretful; ~ bn li to regret
s.th./doing s.th.
poxsde sad
poz m nose, snout
prensp m principle
proje f project
protesto kirin v.t. to protest, go on
strike, boycott
PTT = Post Telefon Telexraf Post, Tel-

232

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
ephone, and Telegraph
p useless, unuseable
pk f snowstorm, blizzard
prt f hair, fur, pelt; ~ per feathery
coat
ptperest idolator; ~ f idolatry
PZ = pit zayn anno domini (AD)
qaax m smuggler
qad f field, place; ~a er field of battle
qaf f head
qahf m cave, cavern
qail bn to accept (bi)
qal f statement; ~ kirin v.t. to state; ~
ceng f fight
qalikday frostbitten ???
qalik m shell, husk
qalind thick, fat
qam f stature, height; measurement for
the height of the sun in the sky
qam m whip
qami reed
qanser f cancer
qann f law
qarn v.i. to cry bitterly
qasid m messenger, envoy
qas ku as much as
qatil m murderer
qayi, qay f strap, thong, belt; rivalry,
competition; bi re ketin ~ to
compete against: te digot qey ew bi
min re ketib qay youd think he
was in competition with me
qaymeqam m provincial governor
qaz m goose
qazax f butane
qe no, none, at all: ez qe naxwnim I
dont read at all
qebl kirin v.t. to accept; wek hatin
qeblkirin to be accepted as
qedandin v.t. to finish, to complete
qedeh f cup, goblet
qeder1 m amount; ~ for the length
of

qeder2 f fate, destiny

qedexe f prohibition; (adj) prohibited; ~
kirin to prohibit, to ban
qedir m worth; qedr zann to appreciate; qedr xwe girtin to esteem
oneself; ~gir appreciative, estimable
qediyan v.i. to end, be finished
qefilandin v.t. to tire
qefiln v.i. to get tired
Qefqasya f the Caucasus
qefsing f breastbone
qehbik f harlot
qehbt = qehpet
qehern (dial. var.) = qehirn
qehir f wrath, rage;
qehirn v.i. to get angry (ji at)
qehpe f prostitute; ~t f prostitution
qehwe f coffee
qela split open, wounded
qelatin -qel- v.t. to split, split open;
qelatina cerah surgical incision
qelaw fat
qelem f pen
qelemrew m realm
qelew (dial. var.) = qelaw
qel- qelatin
qeliandin qelin- v.t. to split, cleave
qelin v.i. to be split
qelizandin v.t. to make disappear; xwe
~ to slip away
qelt f crack
qels weak: kultura devk ya Kurd xurt e
l kultura nivsk qels e Kurdish oral
culture is strong, but the written culture is weak; ~ f weakness
qel = qelt
qelqel cracked
qenc good, pretty, nice; ~ beauty, charitable act, good deed
qerar decision
qerax f edge, shore
qerim wrinkled
qerebalix f crowd, confusion; ~ kirin
v.t. to act up, to flail around

233

KURMANJI KURDISH
qereqol m police station
qerisn v.i. to freeze solid
qermi f wrinkle; ~ wrinkled
qerpee kirin v.t. to hold tightly in
ones embrace
qesir f palace
qest f intention, purpose; ~a kirin
v.t. to head toward
qea f ice
qet (+ neg.) never, not at all
qetan v.i. to be finished; be cut
qetandin qetn- v.t. to finish; break, cut:
kurdn li dervey welt ev zincra
kirt qetandine Kurds outside the
country have broken this shameful
chain; ji hev ~ to part from one
another
qeter m scales, balance; ~ kirin v.t. to
spy (something in the distance)
qetiyan = qetan
qewimn v.i. to happen
qewirandin v.t. to drive away
qewn strong
qewl f promise; ji ~n xwe vekiiyan to
reneg on ones promises, go back on
ones word
qey hey; why?; te digot qey youd
think, it was as though
qeyd f bond, fetter
qeyde f rule
qeytank kirin v.t. ???
qeza1 f district
qeza2 f accident; fate; ~ bela misfortune, calamity
qezenc f profit, earnings, advantage: bi
qezenca to the advantage of ; ~
kirin v.t. to earn, gain, win
qrn v.i. to scream
qijak raven
qijik f crow
qilr(n) filthy
qir kirin v.t. to eliminate, exterminate
qiral m king
qirax (dial. var.) = qerax

qireqir creak, splintering sound

qirdik m clown
qirik1 f crow
qirik2 f throat; ~tal f bitter aftertaste
qir f stem, branch; ~ik f twig
qise f conversation, talk
qismet m fate
qiyamet f resurrection; roja ~ doomsday
qizwan terebinth, a small tree
qjeqj f loud cry, scream
qjiyan v.i. to scream
ql m fang, canine tooth; ber ~an dan to
sink the fangs into
qm f contentment, satisfaction; ~a xwe
ann bi to consent to
qmet f worth, value
qr f cry, shout; ~ kirin v.t. to shout;
~ewr f cry, shout; ~n v.i. to cry out,
screech
qrn v.i. to scream, screech
qz f daughter
qo m horn (of an animal)
qonax f inn; a one-days distance on a
journey
qontrol f check
qufuln v.i. to feel very cold
qul f hole, opening: qula rviyan fox
hole; ~ kirin to pierce
qulibn v.i. to fall down, collapse,
scramble down
quling crane
qulo m league (measure of distance)
quloz bn v.i. to rise up
qulqul full of holes
qulubn = qulibn
qumandan m commandant
qunc f corner; xistine ~ek as to corner
quncik f little bit
quntar f foot of a mountain
quran f the Koran
qurane f hinge
qurban f sacrifice, victim; qurbana
armanca xwe a martyr to ones cause

234

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
qurm m tree stump: mna qurm dara
mir like a dead tree stump
qut cut, cut off; ~ bn v.i. to get cut off
qut f box
quwet power; bi ~ powerful
q f cliff, height, summit
qn f back; ~a iy mountain skirt; li
ser ~ xistin to topple
qntar = quntar
qutk f small box
ra = re
ra-bn v.i. to rise, arise, get up; to
abandon, give up (li s.th.)
ra-girtin v.t. to pick up; xwe ~ to recover
rahet f ease, comfort
ra-hitin v.t. to put down
ra-ketin v.i. to sleep
ra-kirin v.t. to take away, pick up; to
wake up (trs.); to cancel, abolish; ji
nav ~ to eliminate
raman f stance
ra-man -mn- v.i. to stand, stay, remain
standing; to be perplexed
ra-medandin v.t. to lay down
ra-msan -ms- v.t. to kiss
ran m thigh
ra-pelikn v.i. to crawl, creep
ra-pvan v.t. to pick up; gav ~ to tread
rapor f report
raser superior
rast right, correct; ~ hatin li to come
across; ~ kirin v.t. to correct; bi ~
really; ~e prep. straight toward;
~erast really and truly; ~er correct;
~nivsn f orthography
rav f hunting
ra-westan v.i. to stand up, stop, stand
still; li ser ~ to dwell on, stand up
against
ra-westandin v.t. to make stop
ra-westiyan = ra-westan
rawir wild animal

ra-xistin v.t. to spread

ray f opinion
ra-zan -z- v.i. to lie down, sleep
razdar mysterious
raz contented (li with)
re postposition forms the second part of
a number of circumpositions, generally indicating accompaniment; see the
prepositional element
ref m row; flock (of birds)
reh f way, road; artery, vein; root; ~
penc roots
rehet easy, comfortable, quiet; ~ f
comfort, ease
rehm f mercy; ~ kirin li to have mercy
on; ~et the late
rehmet f Gods mercy; n ~ to pass
away
res m head, chief; ~ cumhr president of the republic
rencber f hardship, trouble
reng m color; bi ~ colored, multicolored; bi i ~ how?; ~e~ of all
colors; ~dr f description, quality, adjective; ~n varied, colorful
ren f avalanche
req1 m turtle
req2 stiff; ~ rt stiff as a board
reqem f number
reqisn v.i. to dance
resim m picture
resm official
re black; ~ girdan v.t. to go into
mourning; ~ kirin v.t. to blacken
re reat f anything black or blackish
in color
reat f blackness, darkness
rev f flight, retreat
revan rev- v.i. to run away
revandin v.t. to let escape, to take away
revde m herd, pack; ~ girtin v.t. to form
a pack
revn = revan
rewneq brightness, brilliance

235

KURMANJI KURDISH
rewrewik f mirage
rew f style, manner
rewenbr intellectual
rex m side, edge, shore; (prep.) next to,
beside
rexne f criticism; ~ girtin li v.t. to criticise; ~gir m critic
rext m cartridge belt
reyan v.i. to bark
rez m vineyard, orchard
r f (const. riya) road, way: bi w riy
in that way; bi riya via; ~ girtin v.t.
to block the road, stop, prevent: k r
li ber wan girtiye? whos stopped
them?; (bi) ~ ketin to set off, start
out; ~ kirin to dispatch, send; bi ~
kirin to see off
rbendan f February
rber m leader; ~ f leadership; ~ kirin
to lead
rbwar m wayfarer
re f trace, track; ~ hildan v.t. to pick
up a trail
rj kirin v.t. to wash
rk-xistin v.t. to arrange, put in order
rkxistin f coalition
rl f forest, wood
rncber kirin v.t. to struggle, suffer
hardship
rven f gait, walk
rvebir = birvebir
rv m fox
rvng m traveler
rwit f journey
rw m/f traveler; ~t f journey, trip
rz f line; ~ bn v.i. to line up; ~kirin
v.t. to line up, arrange
rz-girtin ji v.t. to respect, have respect
for
rzik f law, rule
rziman f system, arrangement, grammar
ricaf f shaking, trembling
ricifn v.i. to tremble

rih f beard
rihet (dial. var.) = rehet
rihm (dial. var.) = rehm
rijandin rijn- v.t. to pour out
rijiyan v.i. to flow, to spill
rij f scorched part at the bottom of a pot
rik stubbornness, relentlessness, nervousness
rikrikn v.i. to chatter (of the teeth)
rind good, beautiful; well: ew bi ziman
ngilz rind dizanib he knew English well
risk = rizq
riv (dial. var.) = rv
rivn f flame
riy r
rizan v.i. to rot
rizandin v.t. to let rot
rizgar saved, rescued; ~ bn v.i. to
escape, be rescued; ~ kirin v.t. to
save, rescue; ~kir saved, liberated
riz rotten
rizn di de v.t. to be thrown into
rizq m sustenance
r f beard
rtm m rhythm
ro f sun: di bin ro(ye)ka havn de under
a hot summer sun
roava m west, dusk; ~y western
rohilat m dawn, east
rohn bright
roj f day; ew ~ ev ~ e from that day to
this: ew roj ev roj e malbata min li v
bajar rdin my family has lived in
this city from that day to this; ~ane
daily; ~ava west; ~hilat f east: Rojhilata Navn the Middle East; ~name
f newspaper; ~nameger f journalism
rokrol f role
rom m the Ottoman Empire; Ottoman,
Turk
roman f novel; ~nivs novelist
ronah f light, brightness; bi ~y derketin to come to light

236

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
ronakbr intellectual
ronay = ronah
rondik f tear
ronesans f renaissance
ruh m spirit, soul; ~iyet f morale, spirit
ruhn f brightness; ruhniya avan light
of the eyes, favorite
rutbe m rank
ruv (dial. var.) = rv
r m (const riy, rw) face
rbar m river
rhrn convivial, amusing, lighthearted
rj (dial. var.) = roj; ~k = rojek one
day, some day
rken f smile, smiling
rmet f honor, respect
rn m oil
rnitevan m inhabitant
r-nitin -n- v.i. to sit, dwell (the
present tense is used only for habitual
action; the pres. perf. tense rnitiye
means s/he is sitting, and the past.
perf. tense rnitib means s/he was
sitting); odeya rnitin sitting
room
rpel f page, sheet
rs Russian; ~ Russian (language)
rt naked, bare
rxan v.i. to collapse
rxandin v.t. to destroy
sa f (const. siya) shadow; ser siya
ketin v.i. to get anywhere near
saet f hour
sal f year; ~mezin aged
salon f reception room
san se
sar cold
satil f bucket
saw terror, fear
sawar f bulghur wheat, cracked wheat
sax healthy, well, whole
saxik honest

say bn v.i. to clear up (weather)

saz kirin v.t. to establish
se m (obl. pl san) dog
sebeb m reason
sebir f patience; ~ neman to be impatient: d sebra min nemaye now Ive
lost my patience
sed hundred; ~sal f century; ~sal f centennary; ji ~ per cent; bo ~ per cent
seda m/f sound ???
sedem f reason, cause
seff f classroom
seg m dog
seh f intuition, feeling; ~ kirin v.t. to
understand intuitively
sehol f ice
Seirt f Siirt; ~ native of Siirt
sekinan/-n v.i. to settle down, to be
quiet, to dwell; to tarry; to light
(gaze) (li ser upon): ez dixwazim li
ser pirsek bisekinim I want to dwell
on a question
selik f basket
semax f endurance; ~ kirin v.t. to bear,
to endure
Sen m the River Seine
seqem f dry cold
seqer f Saqar, a poison that drips from a
tree in hell
ser m head; (prep.) to, toward, on, over;
bi ~ ketin v.i. to get ahead, succeed;
n ser v.i. to attack; ~ xwe bi re
andin v.t. to trouble oneself with,
bother with: ser xwe bi kultura kurd
re nanin they dont bother with
Kurdish culture; ~ bin m the ins
and outs, everything: ser bin v
gund ez bikanibim ji v premr
hn bibim I could learn all there is to
know about this village from this old
man; b ~ bin endless
seranser: li ~ (prep.) all over: li seranser dinyay all over the world
serbajar m capital

237

KURMANJI KURDISH
serberday stray, wandering
serbest free; ~ f freedom
serbilind bi proud of; ~ah/~ f pride
serbixwe free; ~bn f liberation
serdar m leader; ~ f leadership, command
serdest m overlord; ~ f mastery, rule; ~
kirin v.t. to rule: yn ku ro serdestiya
kurdan dikin those who rule over the
Kurds today
sereke main
serencam f end, outcome
ser f headache
serfiraz f distinction
sergerdan perplexed
sergevez pride
sergiran important
sergn m dung
sergovend f dance line; bi ser ~ girtin to lead a dance line
serhed f frontier, border
ser m head; ear (of grain); ~ birdin to
complete; ~ hil-dan to rebel; ~ xistin
li to visit; to apply to; n ser to
come to fruition
serhildan f uprising
serjorek serjrek ups and downs
serkar f direction, leadership
serketin f success
serma f cold, coldness
sermawj Libra
sermyan m capital
sernivs f fate
sernuxumand veiled
serok m leader; ~at f leadership; ~cumhr m president; ~er m chieftain;
~wezr m prime minister
serphat f adventure
serqot bare-headed
serraf m jeweler
sersal f new years day
serser careless
ser-utin v.t. to take a bath
sertj towering

serve bn v.i. to be attached

serwer m leader
serwext informed, knowledgeable
sew f level: rojnameyn me yn roja
royn negihtine sewiya wan our
newspapers of today have not reached
their level
sewsen lily
seyda m savant
seyr f view; adj strange
seyran f outing; ~ -kirin v.t. to arrange an outing; ~geh f park, promenade, place for an outing
s1 three
s2 f (constr. siya) shadow; di bin siya
de under the aegis of
sp f tripod
sw m orphan
swlek m sole (of a shoe)
sibat f February
sibeh f morn, dawn: sibeh heta var
from morning till night; ~ tomorrow;
v ~ this morning
sibetir f the next morning; ~a w ev
the morning after that night
sib = sibeh
sih1 angry, irritated; ~it f irritation
sih2 = s2
sij f puss, filth; ~n v.i. to ooze
sik sar very sad (heart) ???
silav f greeting
silawat (pl) benedictions; ~an kandin
v.t. to give benedictions
simbl m mustache
simsimn v.i. to leave tracks, to make a
trail
sincir flaming, burning
sindoq f box, trunk
sing f breast
sinif f class, grade
sipartin sipr- = spartin
sip = sp
sipndar f poplar
sipta f whiteness

238

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
sir f cold wind; ~ seqem, ~ serma f
biting cold weather
sirf only, purely
sirgn f exile; ~ bn to be exiled
sirut f nature
sis three
sist weak; ~ kirin v.t. to weaken, make
weak
sitar f protection
sitrk = strk
sitir m thorn
sitran = stran
siwar mounted, on horseback
siya sa
siyaset f politics; ~van m politician
siyas political
sivik light, not heavy
s1 thirty
s2 f shadow; ~ dan to cast a shadow
sleh (pl) arms, armament: slehn sivik
light arms
sng f breast
snor m border, boundary
sstem m system
stil f (dial. var.) = satil
Swas f Sivas
swaxnekir unpenetrated
sobe f heating stove; ~ vxistin to light
a stove
sof Sufi, respectful term of address for
an old man; ~t f Sufism, mysticism
sohbet f conversation, talk
sol f shoe; ~ker m shoemaker
sond f oath; ~ xwarin to swear an oath
sor red; threshed (wheat); ~ah f redness
sorav red grape; ~(n) dark red
sorgul rose
sosin f iris
sosret unusualness; bi ~ unusual
soz dan v.t. to promise
sparin spr- v.t. to entrust
spartin = sparin
spas thank you; ~ kirin v.t. to thank;
~dar f gratitude

speh good-looking, pretty, attractive

spda, spde f dawn
spr- sparin
sp white; ~t f whiteness
standin (dial. var.) = stendin
stasyon f railway station
stelih ordinary, common
stemkar f oppression
Stenbol f Istanbul
stendin stn- v.t. to take, get; bi pa de
~ to take back
steyr = str
str f star; ~k f star; ~nas m astronomer;
~nas f astronomy
stiran stir- v.t. to sing
stn- stendin
sto = st
stran f song; ~bj singer
st m neck; ~xwar obedient, cowed
stn f column
str thick, stout
sufrik m tablecloth
sur f breeze
suret f speed
surgn = sirgn
suwar on horseback; ~ bn to mount
s m crime, fault
sd m profit; ~ wergirtin ji v.t. to profit
from
sl m waterfall
Sriya f (obl Sriyay, Sriy) Syria
sxte m theological student
Swd f Sweden
a happy, glad; ~ bn bi v.i. to be happy
with, rejoice over s.th.; ~ kirin v.t. to
gladden: w pirtk dil min a kirib
that book had gladdened my heart;
~h f gladness, happiness
afi Shafiite (school of Islamic jurisprudence)
agirt m pupil, apprentice
ah m king
ahd m witness

239

KURMANJI KURDISH
ahk shining, brilliant
ar m poet
al m traditional baggy Kurdish trousers
all m magpie
andin n- v.t. to send
an kirin, ~ dan v.t. to show
ano f stage
ans m chance
areza competent; ~y f competence, expertise
a wrong; ~ bn v.i. to be wrong: ez ne
a bim I wouldnt be wrong; ~ kirin
v.t. to mistake; reya xwe ~ kirin v.t.
to lose ones way; ~ f mistake, fault
afhmkirin f misunderstanding
aik f turban; ~ sp white-turbaned
ax m branch
e = eh
eh m comb; ~ kirin v.t. to comb
ehd m martyr
ehsiwar m expert horseman
ekal f old shoe
ekir m sugar
emitandin v.t. to make slide
emitn v.i. to slip, to slide
eng tuft of hair
ep f blow, slap in the face
epe f snowdrift
epn v.i. to sink down (into snow)
eqeeq noisy sound, chatter
equdeq hard knocks
er m war: er chan y yekemn
World War I; ~ kirin, ~ dan (dayn)
v.t. to fight war
eref f honor
ert f the Sharia, Islamic law
erm f shame; ~dar modest; ~dar f
modesty; ~ kirin ji v.t. to be ashamed
of: min ji xwe erm kir I was ashamed
of myself
erpeze destitute; ~ bn v.i. to be destitute; ~ kirin v.t. to put s.o. in a bad
situation, to best
ert f condition, qualification

ervan m warrior
e six
et sixty
ev f night; ~re f dark night
ewat f fire
ewitandin v.t. to burn
ewitn v.i. to burn
exs person; ~ personal; ~iyet f personality
ewq f light; ~a elektrk flashlight
- iyan
landin ln- v.t. to exploit
l turbid, murky
l (dial. var.) = l
n m inhabitant, (pl) people
rn sweet
x m sheikh
idet violence, strength
ifr m driver
ir f poetry
idandin idn- v.t. to strike (a match)
ik f doubt; b ~ doubtless(ly)
ikandin ikn- v.t. to break
ikeft f cave
ikr m rock, mountain crag
ikestin ik- v.i. to break, be defeated
ikir thanks: ikir ji Xweda re thank
God
ikil form, symbol
il damp, wet; ~ kirin v.t. to wet, dampen
ilftaz buck naked
ip on foot
iqitn v.i. to slip
irket f company
irove f interpretation; ~ kirin v.t. to
interpret
istin o- v.t. to wash
ivan m (obl. ivn) shepherd
ivant f shepherding; ~ kirin v.t. to
shepherd, to be a sheep herder
ivn ivan
ivir m mountain goat
ixul m work; ~n v.i. to work, occupy

240

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
oneself
iyan - v.i. to be able
iyar awake; ~ bn v.i. to wake up; ~
kirin v.t. to wake s.o. up
n1 blue, green
n2 = wn
n- andin
ndar = wndar
r m milk
ret f advice; ~ kirin li v.t. to advise
rn sweet, pretty, nice
t aware, sober
v f sunset; ~a var nightfall
kandin kn- = ikandin
kev f cupboard
o- istin
op f footprint, trace; ~ ji ser xwe
winda kirin to throw a pursuer off
track; ~gern scout, tracker; ~ hitin
v.t. to leave a trace
or1 salty, brackish (water); ~ay f saltiness
or2 talk, words; ~ kirin v.t. to talk, chat
orbe f soup
ore f rebellion, uprising; ~ger m rebel,
revolutionary: oregerek bolevk a
Bolshevik revolutionary
orezar f desert, wasteland
un = n
utin (dial. var.) = istin
uxul m work, occupation; ~ kirin v.t.
to work; ~andin v.t. to put to work;
~n v.i. to work
spouse
jin derz bn v.i. to stand on end
(the hair)
likn v.i. to move stealthily
m gloomy, inauspicious
n f place; track, wake: div ew tkeve
na bav xwe he must follow in his
fathers footsteps; ~a girtin v.t. to
follow in the wake of, take the place
of; ~da after: ji w sal nda after
this year; nuha ~da henceforth; di ~a

ku (conj.) instead of
quick, nimble, sleek; mirina ~ sudden death
a pieces of glass
e f glass
tin (dial. var.) = istin
wn f mourning; ~dar in mourning
ta1 prep. & conj. until: ta niha up till
now
ta2 m fever
tab m illumination; ~ ann v.t. to illuminate
tabet f nature
tacir m merchant; ~ f commerce
taht f rock; noka ~ pebble
tal bitter, sharp
talde f shelter
talyan Italian
tam f taste
tamar = temar
tanq f tank (mil.)
taqet endurance
taqb f surveillance: di bin taqba
polsan de under police surveillance;
~ kirin to keep under surveillance
tar f a path through snow
Taran f Tehran
tar dark; ~t f darkness
tarx f history
tas f bowl
tat m breakfast
tat m rise, hill
tav1 f light, sunlight
tav2 f rainshower
tavik f sunlight
tavil quickly, soon; immediately
taybet special; bi ~ especially
tayek kiandin ji v.t. to shake
tayn kirin v.t. to determine, assign,
appoint
taz naked; ~ kirin v.t. to strip naked
te tu
teb natural

241

KURMANJI KURDISH
Tebrz f Tabriz
tecrube f experience
tedrcen gradually
tefandin -tefn- v.t. to put out (light,
candle)
tefe f face, countenance
tefn v.i. to go out (light, candle)
tefsr Koranic commentary
tehlke f danger
tehqr f deprecation
tehsldar m tax collector
teht m mountain range
tej (dial. var.) = tij
tek single, alone, by oneself; ~ ten
alone, all by oneself
tekane lone
teko alone, singly
tela commotion
telefon f telephone
teletel on tiptoes
televizyon f television
telte f sheet (of ice), crust
tem m fog
temam perfect, complete
temar f artery, vein
temaa kirin v.t. to watch, to look at
temae = temaa
temaevan spectator, watcher
tembel lazy; ~ f laziness
temen m life, lifespan, age
temene respect; bi ~ respectfully
temirn v.i. to die ???
temiz kirin v.t. to clean
temslkar m representative
tena = tenha
tendr f oven, pit; ~a zik the pit of the
belly
ten alone, only, except for; bi ~ only:
em ferz bikin ku tu bi ten bikarib
Kurdistanek bik lets assume that
you could only create one Kurdistan;
ne bi ~ l j not only but also;
~t f misery, loneliness
teng narrow, tight; ~as f difficulty,

straits
tenha alone; bi ~ xwe by him/her/itself,
alone
tenta next to
teor f theory
tep f tap
tepan mallet
tepandin v.t. to pat, to tap
tepe m summit, mountain top
teperep kirin v.t. to rap
teq f a sharp sound; ~--req loud sound
teqandin teqn- v.t. to burst, explode, to
fire, shoot (gun)
teqn v.i. to burst, explode
ter fresh, verdant; ~ f freshness
terch kirin v.t. to prefer
tercuman m translator
teres pimp
terik chapped
terf kirin v.t. to describe (ji re for,
to)
terqet m dervish order
terk f leaving; ~ dan/kirin v.t. to leave,
abandon: gava terka mala xwe da
when s/he left home
term m corpse
terorzm f terrorism
terpiln v.i. to roll
terr f tail
ter livestock
tesewif Sufism; ~ Sufistic
tesr f influence
teslm kirin v.t. to turn in, to turn over,
to submit
tekl f organization, formation
tet f trough
tewq encouragement; ~ kirin v.t. to
encourage
texele f trouble, turmoil
tetik, tetk f trigger
tev all, entire, altogether; together with;
~a all, entirely, totally; ~ah/~ay f
entirety: di tevayiya Ewrpa all over
Europe; ~da, ~ de altogether, entire-

242

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
ly; bi ~ay entirely, in toto; xwe
~gir-dan v.t. to get oneself together
tevdr f plan
tevger f industry, activity, movement:
Tevgera Rizgariya Kurdistan Kurdish Liberation Movement
teviz numb
tevizn f numbness; ~ok f numb feeling
tev (prep.) along with; ~hev altogether;
~ ku (conj.) although
tevlihev confused, mixed up; ~ f confusion
tevl f awareness
tewqif kirin v.t. to arrest
texik f shelf
texlt sort, kind: her du texlt nivsar
both sorts of writers
texmn f guess, thought; ~ kirin v.t. to
guess, estimate
text m throne
texte m board
teyan a large basin used in bathhouses
teyr, tr m bird; ~ ty birds and fowl
teze new(ly), fresh(ly); ~ kirin to refresh
t1 = di + w/w
t2 = tu +
t3 coming, next: meha ~ the coming
month
t-gihtin v.i. to understand, realize
tk n v.i. to break up, split apart
tkel prep. along with
t-ketin v.i. to go to, wind up (somewhere): ew dixwaze tkeve cepheyan
he wants to go to the fronts; ~ na to
take the place of: keng azad
serbest tkevin na sitemkar
zordariy? when will freedom and independence take the place of injustice
and oppression?
tkil connected; ~bn f connectedness;
~ f connection
t-kirin v.t. to put on
tkoer m activist, combatant

tkon dan v.t. to strive, make an effort

tkz (dial. var.) = tekz
tr1 full, satisfied; ~ bn v.i. to be satisfied (hunger), to be slaked (thirst); ~
kirin v.t. to satisfy, make full, to be
sufficient: emr w tr nekir he didnt
live long enough
tr2 = teyr
tvel various, different
t-xistin v.t. to include; xwe ~ to put
oneself
tif f spit
tifik f bellows, hearth
tifing f rifle
tije brimful
tij full; ~ kirin v.t. to fill
til f finger
tilik, tilk = til
tim1 always; her~ always
tim2 f desire
timobl f automobile
tin (dial. var.) = ten
tiral lazy
tirb f grave, tomb
tirn f train; ~a di bin erd de subway; ji ~ by train
tirimpl f automobile
tirk Turk; ~ Turkish (language); ~nijad
racially Turkish
Tirkiye f (obl Tirkiyey, Tirkiy) Turkey
tirs f fear; ~an va out of fear
tirsandin v.t. to scare; to fear
tirsner frightful, frightening
tirsiyan/tirsn ji v.i. to be afraid of, fear
tir bitter; ry xwe ~ kirin to scowl
tit m thing: titek din something else
titn f tobacco
tiving f (dial. var.) = tufing
tiw = tu w
tixtor m doctor
t thirsty
tfal ???
tj (dial. var.) = tj; ~ hr nrn li to

243

KURMANJI KURDISH
look closely and carefully at, to
scrutinize
tn1 f thirst
tn2 btn
tn- ann
tp f letter of the alphabet; m type, sort
tr thick, dense, dark
traj f print run; km ~ of a small print
run, printed in small numbers
trj f sunlight, ray: trjn hviy rays
of hope
t piece, group
tol f revenge; ~ wergirtin v.t. to extract
revenge
top f cannon, cannonball
topik f pile
torbe sack
torin m person of name, person of renown; descendant, offspring
toz f dust; ~ telaz dust
trimbl f automobile
tu1 (obl. te) you (sing.)
tu2 no, not any, none, nothing; ~ caran
never; ~ kes nobody; ~ tit nothing
tucar never
tuf f spit; ~ kirin v.t. to spit
tufing f rifle, gun; ~ ber-dan to fire a
rifle at
tukes (+ neg.) nobody
tj sharp
tk f hair, fur
tle m pup, cub
tlik m cub
tr m bag; ~ik m sack
trt = turt
ttin f tobacco
ummet f religious community
umr m life
unda (dial. var.) = wenda
unverste f university
uris Russian
usa (dial. var.) = wisa
ustu = st

zez f rumble
va = ve
vala empty; ~ kirin v.t. to empty; ~h f
void; vik~ totally empty
vazo f vase
ve (postposition) forms the second part
of a number of circumpositions, generally indicating motion away from;
see the prepositional element
ve-bn v.i. to open
ve-ceniqn (dial. var.) = ve-ciniqn
ve-ciniqandin v.t. to make tremble with
fear, to make shudder, to startle
ve-ciniqn v.i. to be seized by fright, to
be startled
ve-dan v.t. to give off; deng ~ to echo
veger f return
ve-gerandin -gern- v.t. to turn, to turn
back
ve-geriyan/gern v.i. to return; ~ ser to
turn to
ve-gevizn v.i. to flounder, wallow
ve-hrandin v.t. to grind up, crunch
vehnay spread out
ve-jandin -jn- v.t. to revivify
ve-jenn v.i. to rustle
ve-jinn (dial. var.) = ve-jenn
ve-kirin v.t. to open
ve-kiandin ji v.t. to pull out of, pull
back from, withdraw from
ve-kin v.i. to withdraw
ve-maltin v.t. to roll up the sleeves
ve-man v.i. to bog down
ve-miran (ve-mirn) v.i. to go out (fire,
&c.); ~din v.t. to put out, extinguish,
quell, quench: min lampa xwe vemirand I put out my light
ve-poandin v.t. to cover
ve-qetandin v.t. to distinguish, separate
ve-qetiyan v.i. to get separated: ji ber
perebna welt riyn zaravayn kurmanc soran ji hevdu vediqetin

244

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
after the division of the country the
paths of the Kurmanji and Sorani dialects part from each other; ~ bi to be
distinguished by
ve-qetn = ve-qetiyan
ver-kirin to send off, dispatch
ve-artin -r- v.t. to hide, bury
ve-texirn v.i. to taper off
ve-xistin v.t. to throw down
ve-xwarin v.t. to drink
ve-zelan v.i. to lie down and roll
around; xwe ve-zelandin to throw
oneself down and roll around
ve-ziliandin = ve-zelandin
v ev
vca therefore
vcar then, so
v-geriyan = ve-geriyan
vk re together
vn f wish, desire
v-xistin v.t. to light
vikvala vala.
vir here
vizn v.i. to buzz, to hum
vizvizk tangled, knotted
v ev
vrus f virus
vzevz f blowing, rustling (of wind)
waqewaq squeal of an animal
war1 m = bar
war2 m regard, respect; di ~ de concerning; di v ~ de in this regard, in
this respect
war3 m camp, camping ground; ~geh m
camp site
warkor n to disappear without a trace
we hun
wefakar faithful
wefat f death
weha thus, such
wek (prep.) like; ~e (prep.) like; ~e ku
(conj.) as: weke ku min got as I said;
~ din anything else

wekhev alike, equal; ~ f equality: li ser

esasn wekhev on a basis of equality
wekl advocate, lawyer; ~dar f advocacy
welat m (obl. welt) country, homeland;
~hez lover of the homeland, patriot;
~parz defender of the homeland, patriot(ic); ~perwer patriot
wele = welle
weleh = wel
wel thus, like that
welle by God
wenda lost; ~ bn v.i. to be lost; ~ kirin
v.t. to lose
wer bn di v.i. to fall into
wer- hatin
werger m translator; ~van m translator
wer-gerandin v.t. to transform, translate
wer-girtin v.t. to take up (see ber wergirtin, sd wergirtin, tol wergirtin)
werimandin v.t. to cause to swell
werimn v.i. to swell
wer-kirin li v.t. to wrap around
wesiyetname f will, testament
wers m rope
wesf m attribute, quality; ~ dan to describe
westan west- v.i. to stand, stop; to be
exhausted
westiyan = westan
westiyay exhausted
weandin wen- v.t. to publish
weanxane f publishing house
wext f time: di eyn wext de at the same
time; di wexteke kurt de within a
short time; ~ ku (conj.) when
wezin f poetic meter
wezfe f duty
wezaret f ministry: Wezareta Ferheng
the Ministry of Culture
wezr m minister; ~t f ministry
w1 ew
w2 future auxiliary + subj. for future
tense

245

KURMANJI KURDISH
wje f speech, literature
wne m picture, painting; ~ger m artist,
painter
wran destroyed, ruined; ~ kirin v.t. to
destroy, ruin
wrn v.i. (+ subj.) to dare
winda (dial. var.) = wenda
wir there
wirn (dial. var.) = wrn
wisa(n) thus, such, so
w ew
wjdan m conscience
wucd f existence; hatin ~ to come
into existence
wusan (dial. var.) = wisa
x- xistin
xak f earth, ground
xal f mole
xalxal in spots, spotted
xanim f lady, mistress
xan m house
xapandin xapn- v.t. to deceive, to fool,
to play a trick on: mna ku hatibe
xapandin as though a trick had been
played on him
xapn v.i. to be deceived, to be fooled
xapok deceptive
xapxapok deceitful
xar1 crooked, bent
xar2 (dial. var.) = xwar
xarin (dial. var.) = xwarin
xastin (dial. var.) = xwestin
xask cunning, shrewd
xatir m mind, heart; ~gir considerate,
obliging; ~ girtin to be considerate
of, respect: bik mezinan xatir w
digirtin young and old were considerate of him; ~xwestin f affection; bi
xatir re w ji min re got he said to
me with affection; dan ~ to be
considerate of
xav raw, immature
xayin traitor

xaz m ghazi, holy warrior

xazk ???
xebat f work, struggle
xeber f words, speech: xebera w ye
thats what he says
xeberdan f talk, speech
xebitan li ser v.i. to work on, strive for
xebitn = xebitan
xedar pitiless, cruel
xefk f trap
xelas kirin (v.t. to finish
xelas f liberation; er xelasiy war of
liberation
xelat f prize, reward; ~ kirin v.t. to reward
xelk m (construed as sing. for case but
pl. by sense) people
xem f grief, sadness; ~ xwarin ji v.t. to
sympathize with; ~gn sorrowful;
~gn f sorrow: ez bi xemgn dibjim
ku I say with sorrow that
xemilandin v.t. to adorn
xencer f dagger
xerab ruined; ~-bn to be ruined; ~e
ruined; ~ f harm, ruination
xerez f rancor, grudge; ~kar f holding a
grudge
xerf senile
xerc kirin v.t. to spend
xerb stranger, foreigner, exiled, away
from ones homeland; ~ f estrangement, foreignness, the state of being
away from ones homeland; welat
~y foreign country
xerte f map
xertel f eagle
xesandin xesn- v.t. to twist, wring
xesar f damage, loss; ~ dtin v.t. to suffer loss, be damaged; ~nedt undamaged
xet f line
xew m sleep; ketin ~ to fall asleep; ji ~
ra-kirin to rouse from sleep
xewle lonely, desolate

246

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
xewl f desolation, isolation
xewn f dream; ~ dtin v.t. to dream,
have a dream; ~erojik daydream
xeyal f imagination, fantasy, dream
xeyidn ji v.i. to get angry at
xeyn other; ji ~ (prep.) other than, aside
from: ji xeyn van titan other than
these things
xeyo (Syr. Ar. khayyo, voc. only) fellow, guy, friend
xezal gazelle
xezeb f rage, wrath
xezne f treasury
xezr m father-in-law; f mother-in-law
xr f goodness; ~xwe f chitchat;
bi~hatin dan v.t. to welcome: jinek
bixrhatin da min a woman welcomed me; bi ~a re thanks to; bi ~
br very good; ji ~a re because
of, on account of; ~hatin kirin li v.t.
to welcome; hatin ~ to be a welcome guest
xz f line; ~ik ditto
xidmet f service
xilas kirin to be saved
xilmam = xilma
xilma half asleep, sleepy
xirab bad, evil
xisar f loss
xistin x- v.t. to cast, throw, put in, make
fall; ji hev de ~ to break up; ~ li to
beat
xissiyet = xussiyet
xiikn v.i. to drag along, scrape across
xir m/f ornament ???
xixi f rustling, scratching sound
xitab m address; ~ kirin v.t. to address;
~ kesek kirin to address, speak to
s.o.
xitimandin v.t. to close, seal: r hatine
xitimandin the roads have been closed
xiyal f dream, imagination
xizmet f service; ~ kirin v.t. to serve
xnji (dial. var.) = xeyn ji

xret f zeal, bravery, courage; ~ kirin

v.t. to try hard
xze-xze grating sound
xo f (dial. var.) = xwe; ~a xwe his own
self
xoce m master, teacher
xof f fear; ~ tirs f fear and trembling
xort young, young man/woman; ~an f
youth
xodiv beloved
xu (dial. var.) = xwe
xuda m (obl. xud) God; ~ hefiz goodbye
xudan m owner; b~ godless, Godforsaken, poor, pitiable
xuh f sister
xulam m slave; manservant
xunav f sprinkle, light rain
xur f itch
xure xur f snoring
xurn on an empty stomach
xurn = xurn
xurme f date
xurt strong, powerful; ~ gur strong,
puissant
xur natural
xussiyet f characteristic, distinguishing
feature
xun v.i. to rustle, to gurgle
xuk f sister
xuya clear, obvious; ~ bn v.i. to be obvious, appear, show up; ~ kirin v.t. to
seem, appear: hotel gelek xwe luks
xuya dikir the hotel looked very nice
and deluxe
xuyan v.i. to seem, to appear
xuyan familiar; ~ kirin v.t. to familiarize
xn f blood; ~a ceger livers blood,
metaphor for tears of agony and suffering
xs f snowdrift ???
xyan = xuyan
xwar down; ser da ~ bn to lean

247

KURMANJI KURDISH
over s.th.; ~ bn v.i. to descend; ~
kirin v.t. to lower, take down; hatin
~ to come down
xwarin f food
xwarin xw- v.t. to eat
xwaroviko coiled up
xwaz- xwestin
xwe oneself, -self (refers to the subject
of the clause in which it occurs); ~
girtin li ber to defend oneself
against; ji ~ in and of itself; bi~ himself, herself, itself; li ~ kirin to put
on, wear (clothes)
xwebikdtin f inferiority: kompleksa
xwebikdtin inferiority complex
xwedan m chief, head, leader
xwed m God
xwed m possessor, owner: xwediy
paseporteke Swd bm I possessed a
Swedish passport
xwehesn f self-awareness
xwefadekirin f self-expression
xwel f dust, ash; ~ li ser xwe kirin to
pour dust on ones head, to mourn;
~dan f ashtray
xwen f dream, vision
xwenas self-respecting
xwenav = xunav
xwendin xwn-/xwn- v.t. to read, study
xwende/a learned, literate; ~geh f
school, university; ~kar student;
~van m reader, scholar
xwer independent; pure(ly), exclusive(ly): ev kovar ne xwer bi kurd
ne these journals are not exclusively
in Kurdish
xweser unbridled
xwestin xwaz- v.t. to want, to ask for
xwe nice, pleasant, good; ~bn f success; ~hal pleased, happy; ~haliya
xwe gotin to express ones pleasure;
~ik nice, pretty; ~ f pleasure
xwey = xwe
xweya = xuya

xwey = xwed; ~ kirin v.t. to raise

(animals)
xwez would that, I wish (+ past conditional); ~t f desire, wish
xw f salt; sweat
xwdan v.t. to sweat
xwik f sister
xw m habit, disposition
xwn f blood; ~egot flesh and blood;
~dar bloody; ~germ fervent; ~germ
f fervor; ~rn likeable
xwsgirt damp
xwz f spit, saliva
xwk (dial. var.) = xwik
ya fem. sing. construct extender; bi ~ te
in your opinion
yad (voc. only) mother
yan or; ~ ~ either or
yan that is, i.e.
yar m friend
ya reb O Lord!
yek one; ~ bn v.i. to be united; ~by
united; ~deng f unanimity; ~dest of
one piece; ~ejmar singular; ~emn
first; ~t f unity; ~tiya Neteweyan
the League of Nations; ~netewet f
uninationalism, monoethnicity; ~ser
direct; ~ta peerless, without equal
yekser right away, immediately
y masc. sing. construct extender
yn pl. construct extender
YNK = Yektya Ntmanperwern
Kurdistan Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
yunan Greek
zabit m (obl zbit) m officer
zaf (dial. var.) = zehf
zalim m tyrant, unjust
zang sheer (cliff) ???
zann v.t. to know (neg. present nzanim, past (d)zanibm, subj. bzanibim); ~ bi to know about: xelk bi

248

KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
siyaset nizanin the people dont
know anything about politics
zana = zane
zane learned, wise; ~bn f wisdom;
zanyar f knowledge
zar m language; ~ava m dialect; ~rn
well-spoken, articulate
zaro small, young, m/f youngster; ~k
child; ~kat, ~kt, ~t f youth,
childhood
zarn v.i. to wail, lament
zar z (pl) kids
zava m bridegroom
zayin f birth
zehf many, lots of, very, very much
zehmet f trouble; ~ kiandin v.t. to have
difficulty, go to trouble, be bothered;
~ f ditto; ~k worker, laborer
zef weak, skinny
zelal clear, limpid; ~ kirin v.t. to make
clear, clarify
zelam = zilam
zeliqandin v.t. to stick
zeliqn v.i. to stick
zell m despondent
zeman m time, era
zemzellk f icicle ???
zend f forearm
zengal m/f legging ???
zengil m bell; ~ telefon telephone
call; li ~ dr xistin to ring the doorbell
zengn rich; ~ f wealth
zer yellow; ~at f yellowness; ~by
yellowed; ~ zinar nooks and crannies
zerar f detriment, loss
Zerdet Zoroaster
zev f land, field
zewac f marriage
zewicn bi re v.i. to get married to
zewq m delight
zexim strong, sound; zexm f strength
zbit zabit

zc hide ???
zde much, a lot; ~ bn v.i. to increase;
~ kirin v.t. to increase
zr m gold; ~n golden
zrben ???
zrek f cleverness, intelligence
zihniyet f mentality
zik m belly; ~ek tr xwarin v.t. to eat
to ones fill; ~mak native, inborn
zilam m man, guy, fellow
ziliandin ve-ziliandin
zilik straw
zilim f injustice, tyranny
ziman m (obl zimn) language, tongue;
bi ~ ann v.t. to give voice to, express; ~van linguist; ~van f linguistics
zinar m (obl. zinr) rock
zing ???
zingar f rust; ~girt rusty, rusted; ~ girtin v.t. to rust, get rusty
zincr f chain, bond
zindan f prison
zind alive, energetic, lively
ziving f cave
zivistan f winter
zirav slender, slight
zivir twisted, knotted
zivirandin zivirn- v.t. to turn around,
turn back; avn xwe ~ ji de to
turn ones eyes away from , avert
ones gaze from
zivirn zivir- v.i. to turn, go/come back,
turn around, wander
ziwa dry
zixim (dial. var.) = zexim
zn z- v.i. to live, come to life
zre cumin
zrek clever
ztby ???
zv m silver
zvalzval ???
zving = ziving
zvironek sandy, dusty

249

KURMANJI KURDISH
zman = ziman
zolilk blossom, bloom
zor f force; ~ dan v.t. to force, compel;
~ kirin v.t. to use force; bi (dest) ~
by force; ~bet f oppressiveness; ~dar
forceful, oppressive; ~dar f oppression; ~dest f force, pressure; ~kirin f
violence
zozan m summer pasture, meadow
zuha (dial. var.) = ziwa
zuk f prominent, obvious
zulf m/f tress, lock (of hair) ???
zulum = zilim
zurne f clarion; ~van m clarion player

z quick, fast, soon, early; ~ an dereng

sooner or later; ~ be ~ very quickly; ~
de (+ pres. perf.) for a long time: z
de ye me hev du neditiye we havent
seen each other for a long time;
~brbir f quick thinking; ~ka, ~~ka
hurriedly, hastily, quickly; ~kan f
haste: zkaniya te i ye? whats your
hurry?; ~ ve for a long time, since
long; ji ~ de from early on
zrezr f howling
zrn v.i. to howl
zr man v.i. to be lost

250