The Atlas of the Languages of Iran (ALI): A Research Overview

There have been a number of important efforts to map out the languages of Iran, but until now no language atlas, or even a comprehensive and detailed country-level language map, has been produced. One of the recent initiatives which aims to fill this gap is the online Atlas of the Languages of Iran (ALI) (http://iranatlas.net). This article delineates objectives of the ALI research programme, atlas architecture, research methodology, and preliminary results that have been generated. Specific topics of interest are the structure and content of the linguistic data questionnaire; the handling of contrasting perspectives about the status of “languages” and “dialects” through a flexible multi-dimensional classification web; and the role of ongoing comparisons between language distribution assessments and hard linguistic data

Building a Persian-English OMProDat Database Read by Persian Speakers

International audienc

The Atlas of the Languages of Iran (ALI): A Research Overview

There have been a number of important efforts to map out the languages of Iran, but until now no language atlas, or even a comprehensive and detailed country-level language map, has been produced. One of the recent initiatives which aims to fill this gap is the online Atlas of the Languages of Iran (ALI) (http://iranatlas.net). This article delineates objectives of the ALI research programme, atlas architecture, research methodology, and preliminary results that have been generated. Specific topics of interest are the structure and content of the linguistic data questionnaire; the handling of contrasting perspectives about the status of “languages” and “dialects” through a flexible multi-dimensional classification web; and the role of ongoing comparisons between language distribution assessments and hard linguistic data

Balanced bilingualism : patterns of contact influence in L1 and L2 Turkic and Bakhtiari speech in Juneqan, Iran

Most studies on language contact in Iran have focused on the effects of Persian on the country's minority languages. There are also many cases where large regional languages such as Azeri, Kurdish, Balochi, Lori and Bakhtiari exert an influence on smaller regional languages, and a few studies have appeared on this topic. This paper examines the effects of language contact in the city of Juneqan in Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari Province, Iran, where the position of two minority languages-Bakhtiari and Qashqai Turkic-appears to be evenly balanced. The analysis is based on a comparison of L1 and L2 speech from two bilingual individuals with a different L1, as found in responses to theAtlas of the Languages of Iran(ALI) questionnaire. Drawing on examples from lexicon, phonology and morphosyntax, the article argues that the equivalent influence of each language on the first- and second-language speech of members of the other language community is likely achieved not by simple equal status, but through the counterbalancing of regional Bakhtiari dominance with majority mother-tongue Turkic population in this city

Bahman Alaeddin and his Undying Life in the Songs of the Tribe: A Linguistic and Literary Study of Two Bakhtiari Poems

This article provides an analysis of two Bakhtiari poems from linguistic and literary perspectives – one by Bahman Alaeddin (šaʋ čārdah ‘Fourteenth Night’) and another one, in praise of Bahman Alaeddin, by Feyzollah Taheri‑Ardali (tā laʋte ġazalxun‑e kon-i bāz be āʋāz ‘As You Open Your Lyrical Lips to the Song’). For this purpose, we first transcribe the two poems in the Bakhtiari orthography proposed by Anonby and Asadi (2018). We then present an English translation as well as an interlinearized Persian translation of these two texts. This is followed by a linguistic analysis of the two poems with a focus on phonological and grammatical structures. Since Bakhtiari is an internally diverse language, our analysis has highlighted the linguistic differences between the two poems. From a literary perspective, we explore salient features such as poetic imagery and analyze stylistic devices in the poem

Contact-induced change in the morphosyntax of Turkic in Boldaji, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari Province, Iran

This paper investigates effects of language contact on a previously undocumented variety of Turkic (Southern West Oghuz) spoken by sedentarized nomads in the city of Boldaji, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari Province, south-west Iran. Located in an area of high linguistic diversity including the Iranic language Bakhtiari and the Charmahali variety of Persian, Boldaji Turkic exhibits numerous contact-induced features. Here, drawing on data collected using the Atlas of the Languages of Iran (ALI) questionnaire, we focus on variation in five primarily morphosyntactic features, several of which have not figured prominently in the literature on contact-induced change in Turkic: (i) restructuring of vowel harmony; (ii) the postposed emphatic definiteness marker jogaz; (iii) an additional oblique pronominal stem based on bela- + possessive suffix; (iv) `can/be able' expressions; and (v) a reduplicated progressive verbal form. In line with well-established criteria from contact linguistics, we assess the probability of contact-induced change for these five features by considering differences with other West Oghuz languages outside the area, namely Turkish and Azeri, to rule out an internal explanation. Unlike previous studies, which use standard-type Persian as the contact language, we show the importance of considering model structures in geographically contiguous languages, with a focus on Bakhtiari and the local Persian variety, to account for areal convergence. Finally, we consider the plausibility of various contact-based explanations in the light of our knowledge of related Turkic varieties in the area. Our data bring into question the common view that contact-induced change is preferentially associated with simplification; rather, we find a mix of structural changes involving both loss and gain of morphological matter, and patterns

Prosodic realization of rhetorical and information-seeking questions in Persian

This paper investigates the prosodic realization of rhetorical questions (RQs) in comparison to information-seeking questions (ISQs) in Persian, an Iranian language. In a lab setting, we recorded polar questions (word order: S-O-V) and whquestions (word order: wh-O-V) in information-seeking and rhetorical contexts. We then analyzed constituent durations, voice quality (breathy, modal, glottalized), and the intonational realization. The results showed that all constituents, except the verb in wh-questions, were significantly lengthened in RQs compared to ISQs. Furthermore, RQs were more often realized with breathy voice quality than ISQs. Intonationally, RQs had lower f0-values than ISQs, in particular towards the end of the questions. This was caused by phonological differences: Polar questions, which were primarily realized with high or downstepped high boundary tones (H%, !H%), differed significantly in whether there was an accent on the verb (ISQ) or not (RQ). In wh-questions, in which the object and the verb were typically deaccented, differed in boundary tone: wh-RQs most often had L% boundary tones and wh-ISQs !H%. The results for Persian align with findings for other, typologically different, languages. Furthermore, they provide data that have not been discussed for Persian yet (e.g., !H% in wh-questions).publishe

Atlas of the Languages of Iran

The Pilot Phase of the Atlas of the Languages of Iran. Here, you'll find the beginnings of an interactive language atlas that brings together insights from linguists in Iran and internationally, statistical and demographic publications by national agencies, and, foundationally, speakers of the many languages and dialects of the country. Rather than communicating a single view of Iran's languages and dialects, the Atlas allows users to enrich their own perspectives on language distribution with location-based language data. Our searchable maps highlight patterns in the phonology (the sounds of language), morphosyntax (grammar) and lexicon (words) of Iran's languages. Users can access, contribute and comment on language data, which are organized in reference to each of the country's some 60,000 towns and cities. We hope you'll enjoy your exploration of the rich and varied linguistic landscape of Iran! (from site summary