Qurditsuraya (ܩܘ̣ܪܕܝ̤ܬܣܘ̣ܪܝܝܐ)

Qurditsuraya is a way to write Kurdish languages with the Syriac script devised by Allison Powell. It was devised upon the realization that the Syriac script contains many letters created to suit Kurdish loan words, as well as the presence of many Kurdish words in the Syriac languages. Allison figured that the Syriac script is suitable to write the Kurdish languages themselves, with only a few adjustments.

This adaptation is closely modeled after her Syriac adaptation for English, Inglisuraya, as well as the Soranî alphabet which uses the Arabic script, another script traditionally used as an abjad. However, Qurditsuraya accomplishes the task of writing Kurdish in a way that is neater and simpler.

Like Inglisuraya, Qurditsuraya is an alphabet writing system as opposed to the original abjad system traditionally used to write languages in the Syriac script. The script adaptation contains essentially all the phonemes necessary to write all varieties of Kurdish.

Notable features

Type of writing system: alphabet
Writing direction: right to left in horizontal lines
Used to write: all varieties of Kurdish
Letter forms change depending on their position in a word

Qurditsuraya

Download an alphabet chart for Qurditsuraya (Excel)

Notes

The plural marker (܅) is placed above the final vowel in a plural noun. For example, کتێبەکان (kitêbekan - the books) = ܟܝ̤ܬܥ݄ܒܥ̣ܟܐ̈ܢܢ. Note that this is only used in Central Kurdish (Sorani) and not Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji.) In Kurmanji, plurals are indicated by verb endings, not nouns.
ܥ, ܚ݅, ܔ represent Arabic sounds ع, ح, غ respectively.
The letters ܢܢ and ܢ̇ܢ are doubled Syriac “ܢ”.
The letter ܘ݆ is used in Southern Kurdish dialects.
ܠ݆ is mostly reserved for Central Kurdish (Sorani) for non-initial purposes only. ܠ݆ is only used in the initial position in Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji.)
When ܟ݅ is in the initial and medial positions, the three dots appear on the bottom. When ܟ݅ is in the final position or is by itself, the dots appear on top. For example, note the placement of the dots in the word ״ܟ݆ܝ̤ܘ݅ܐܢܘ̇ܟ״ (çivanok) verses the word ״ܦܥ̣ܪܥ̣ܡܘ̣ܟ݅״ (perremuç).

Sample text in Qurditsuraya

ܗܥ̣ܡܘ݄ ܡܝ̤ܖܘ̇ܘ݅ ܐܙܐܕ ܘ݄ ܕܝ̤ ܘܥ̣ܩܐܖ ܘ݄ ܡܐܦ݆ܐܢܢ ܕܥ̣ ܘܥ̣ܟܗܥ̣ܘ݅ ܬܥ݄ܢ ܕܝ̤ܢܝܐܝܥ݄܀ ܥ̣ܘ ܚܘܥ̣ܕܝ̣ ܗܝ̤ܫ ܘ݄ ܫܘ̣ܘ݄ܖ ܝ̤ܢ ܘ݄ ܕܝ̤ܘ݅ܥ݄ ܠܝ̤ ܗܥ̣ܡܒܥ̣ܖ ܗܥ̣ܘ݅ ܒܝ̤ ܙܝ̤ܗܢܝ̤ܝܥ̣ܬܥ̣ܟܥ̣ ܒܖܐܬܝ̤ܝܥ݄ ܒܝ̤ܠܝ̤ܘ݅ܝ̤ܢ܀

Transliteration (Kurmanji Kurdish)

Hemû mirov azad û di weqar û mafan de wekhev tên dinyayê. Ew xwedî hiş û şuûr in û divê li hember hev bi zihniyeteke bratiyê bilivin.

Transliteration (Sorani Kurdish)

ھەموو مرۆڤ ازاد و دوەقار و مافان دە وەکهەڤ تێن دنیایێ. ئەو خوەدی هش و شوئوورن و دڤێ لهەمبەر هەڤ بزهنیەتەکە براتیێ بلڤن.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Adapted scripts by Allison Powell

Bhalabali, Głagolicy, Inglisuraya, Jawacaraka, Nasema, Qurditsuraya

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