The Western Iranic languages are a branch of the Iranic languages, attested from the time of

Old Persian Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan language, Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native ...

(6th century BC) and

Median In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...

Languages

The traditional Northwestern branch is a convention for non-Southwestern languages, rather than a genetic group. The languages are as follows:Erik Anonby, Mortaza Taheri-Ardali & Amos Hayes (2019) ''The Atlas of the Languages of Iran (ALI)''. Iranian Studies 52
A Working Classification
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Old Iranian period

* Southwest:

†, etc. * Northwest:

†, etc.

Middle Iranian period

* Southwest: Middle Persian†, etc * Northwest: Parthian†, etc.

Modern period (Neo-Iranian)

* Northwestern Iranian **

Balochi Balochi, sometimes spelt in various other ways, may refer to: * Balochi language, a language of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan * an adjective for something related to the Baloch people, an ethnic group of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan * an adjecti ...

(incl. Koroshi) ** Caspian *** Gilaki (incl. Rudbari, Taleqani) *** Mazandarani (incl. Tabari, Shahmirzadi) *** Gorgani† ** Semnani *** Semnani *** Sangisari *** Lasgerdi- Sorkhei (incl. Aftari) ** Kurdic (acc. Anonby) *** Kurdish **** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **** Central Kurdish (Sorani) **** Southern Kurdish (incl. Laki and Kurdali) *** Zaza-Gorani **** Zazaki **** Gorani (incl. Hawrami, Sarli, Shabaki, Bajalani) ** Adharic *** Old Adhari† **** Tatic ***** Talysh (north-central) ***** Gozarkhani (Alamuti) *****North: Harzandi,

Karingani Karingani is a Northwestern Iranian language closely related to Talysh and the Harzandi dialect. It is spoken in East Azerbaijan Province East Azerbaijan Province ( fa, استان آذربایجان شرقی ''Āzarbāijān-e Sharqi''; az-A ...

(Kalasuri, Khoynarudi) ***** Kho'ini *****South ****** Alviri-Vidari (Alviri, Vidari) ****** Ashtiani (Amora’i, Kahaki, Tafreshi),

Vafsi Vafsi ( Tati: , ''Vowsi'') is a dialect of the Tati language spoken in the Vafs village and surrounding area in the Markazi province of Iran. The dialects of the Tafresh region share many features with the Central Plateau dialects. Grammar V ...

****** Razajerdi, Eshtehardi, Takestani (Ramandi, Kharaqani) ****Central *****Khalkhalic: Kajali, Koresh-e Rostam (Karani), Shahrudi (incl. southern Talysh) ***** Maraghei ***** Upper Taromi, Kabatei ** Khuri (Kavir) **Central Plateau (Kermanic) *** Sivandi *** Judeo-Hamadani, Judeo-Borujerdi *** NW = Khunsari (Judeo-Khunsari, Judeo-Khomeini, Vanishani, Mahallati, Vanishani, Judeo-Golpaygani, etc.) *** NE = Kashanic: Soi (incl. Abuzaydabadi), Natanzi *** SW = Gazi (many dialects) *** Southeastern: Zoroastrian Dari (Zoroastrian Yazdi, Judeo-Kermani), Nayini * Southwestern Iranian ** Bashkardi (Southern Bashkardi) ** Garmsiri (Northern Bashkardi, Bandari, Minabi/Minowi–Hormozi: Hormozgan) ** Kumzari ** Achomi (Larestani) **Caucasian Tat (SW Tat): Tat, Judeo-Tat ** Persian (dialects: Iranian Persian & Judeo-Persian, Dari (incl. Madaglashti),

Tajik Tajik, Tadjik, Tadzhik or Tajikistani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Tajikistan * Tajiks, an ethnic group in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan * Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan * Tajik (surname) * Tajik cu ...

Judeo-Bukharic Bukharian (autonym: Bukhori, Hebrew script: בוכארי, Cyrillic: бухорӣ, Latin: ''Buxorī'') is a Judeo-Persian dialect historically spoken by Bukharan Jews of Central Asia. It is a Jewish dialect derived from —and largely mutually in ...

, Hazaragi, Aimaq, Sistani, Pahlavani Persian†) ** Persid *** Shushtari–

Dezfuli Dezfuli (local names: دزفولی ezfulior دسفیلی esfili is a Persian dialect spoken in Dezful in the province of Khuzestan in Iran. It constitutes a language with the Shushtari dialect, which is spoken in Shushtar Shushtar ( fa, ش� ...

***

Luri Luri may refer to: * Luri people or Lurs, an Iranian people * Luri language, Western Iranian language continuum spoken by the Lurs * Luri language (Nigeria), dialect of the Afro-Asiatic language Polci * Luri, Haute-Corse, commune in France * Luri ...

(incl. Bakhtiari) *** Kuhmareyi (incl. Davani) *** (see also

Persid dialects of Khuzestan Khuzestan Province (also spelled Xuzestan; fa, استان خوزستان ''Ostān-e Xūzestān'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it covers ...

) ** Fars (numerous SW Fars dialects: Heshnizi, Gavbandi, Dashtini, Kangani, Jami, Bardesuni (Bardestani), Khenesiri, Bordekhuni, Dashtiyati (Dashti), Tangesiri (incl. Delvari), Khormuji, Khayizi, Ahrami, Bushehri, Bandar Rig (Fars of Bandar Rig), Genaveyi, Deylami (Liravi)†, Dashtesuni (Dashtestani),

Judeo-Shirazi Judeo-Shirazi is a dialect of Fars. It is spoken mostly by Persian Jews living in Shiraz and surrounding areas of the Fars Province in Iran. Vocabulary The following list of words indicates a few isoglosses distinguishing Judeo-Shirazi from th ...

, etc.) There is also a recently described, and as yet unclassified, Batu'i language that is presumably Western Iranian. Extinct

Deilami The Daylami language, also known as ''Daylamite'', ''Deilami'', ''Dailamite'', or ''Deylami'' (Deilami: , from the name of the Daylam region), is an extinct language that was one of the northwestern branch of the Iranian languages. It was spoken ...

is sometimes classified in the Caspian branch. An Iranian Khalaj language has been claimed, but does not exist; the Khalaj speak a Turkic language. Many of the languages and dialects spoken in Markazi and Isfahan provinces are giving way to Persian in the younger generations.Central dialects
Gernot Windfuhr, Encyclopedia Iranica It is to note that the Caspian languages (incl. Adharic), the central dialects, and the Zaza-Gorani languages are likely descended from a later form of

with varying amounts of Parthian substrata, whereas the Semnani languages were likely descended from Parthian. Pierre Lecoq. 1989. "Les dialectes caspiens et les dialectes du nord-ouest de l'Iran," ''Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum''. Ed. Rüdiger Schmitt. Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, p. 297

References

Bibliography

* Pierre Lecoq. 1989. "Les dialectes caspiens et les dialectes du nord-ouest de l'Iran," ''Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum'', ed. Rüdiger Schmitt. Wiesbaden: L. Reichert Verlag, 1989; p. 99.