Less known facts about the Kurdish language

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1. It is one of the official languages of Iraq

Along with Arabic, Kurdish is also the official language of Iraq. It is formed by a variety of dialects that were spoken by Kurdish people.

2. Spoken primarily by the Kurds

The Kurds make up the 4thbiggest ethnic group in the Middle East. 

3. First known Kurdish ruler was Saladin

Saladin ruled over Syria and Egypt. He is known to start the Ayyubid Dynasty. 

4. The language is spoken in countries other than Iraq

Apart from Iraq, it is also spoken in parts of Turkey and Syria. It has been estimated that almost 20% of Kurdish speaking people reside in Turkey.

5. Has 4 different dialects 

The 4 different dialects include:

· Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) is the largest group

· Central Kurdish (Sorani)

· Southern Kurdish (Pehlewani)

· Kurdali (Palai)

6. Has been written using 4 different writing systems 

In Iraq and Iran, it is written using the Arabic script. In Turkey, Syria and Armenia, it is written using a Latin script. During the Ottoman Empire, it was also written using the Armenian alphabets.