Morphological Features and the Nominal System in the Zazaki Variety of Gimgim

Abstract

This article focuses on the description of nouns in the Zazaki variety of Gimgim (Varto) and limits the analysis to nominal categories and noun phrases. The aim of this study is to analyse, in a descriptive manner, the morphological features and the nominal system of this variety of Zazaki within the framework of the Gimgim variety. Descriptive linguistics is adopted as the methodological framework of the study. The material discussed in this article is based on two principal sources. The primary source is the author’s own linguistic competence and research, while the secondary source consists of folklore texts collected and published from the Gimgim region. The article describes (i) the gender patterns of nouns, (ii) the formation of singular and plural forms in the nominative and oblique cases, (iii) the nominative-oblique opposition, and (iv) ezafe linkers in nominal phrases. The discussion is deliberately limited to nouns and noun formation and does not address verbal agreement, pronouns, or clause structure except where these are necessary to explain the morphology of noun phrases. The article also examines certain phonetic changes and sound losses that have developed in nouns over time. Where appropriate, these phonetic changes and their differences from other dialects are also discussed.