Kuhmareyi language
# Kuhmareyi language

Kuhmareyi is one of the languages of southwestern Fars. It is a cluster of disparate dialects; the one illustrated here is the Davani dialect (Davani: devani; Persian: دوانی, transliteration: Davāni) of the village of Davan, 12 kilometers north of Kazerun city in southern Iran. Davani had an estimated 1,000 speakers in 2004.

## Phonology

The transcription used here is only an approximation.

### Vowels

short: a, e, i, o, u long: â, ā, ē, ī, ō, ū

### Consonants

* voiced dental fricative: ð, generally after vowels, like in, 'bað' (bad).
* voiced velar fricative: γ, like in "γal'ati" (shroud).
* alveolar trill: like in 'borrâ' (flail).
* palatalization: inclination for 'g' and 'k' before front vowels, like in 'bega' (say).
* voiceless alveolar affricate: ts, like in 'tse' (what), and voiced dz, like in andzi (fig).

## Grammar

### Verbs

Davani is ergative in past transitive constructions. For example (Persian transliterations are in UniPers):

English: Hasan saw Ali in the garden. Persian: Hasan, Ali-râ tuye bâq did. Davani: hasan-eš ali-a tu bâγ di.

Infinitive markers include -san, -tan, -dan, -ðan.

### Nouns

The suffix -aku makes nouns definite. For example:

bard "stone" → bard-aku "the stone"

The plural is marked by the suffix -gal. -u is exceptionally used for "man". For example:

sēv "apple" → sēv-gal "apples" merd "man" → merd-u "men"

### Pronouns

Personal Pronouns :

| Person | Singular | Plural |
| - | - | - |
| 1st | ma | mu |
| 2nd | to | shumu |
| 3rd | u oy | unā ushu |

## Vocabulary

| English | Davani | Persian (Unipers) |
| - | - | - |
| beautiful | ju, jônek | zibâ, xoščehre |
| blood | xin | xun |
| bread | nu, nen | nân |
| bring | avâðan | âvardan |
| brother | borâk, borâ | barâdar |
| come | ameðan, aneðan | âmadan |
| cry | gerīðan | geristan |
| dark | târīk | târik |
| daughter | dōt, dōðar | doxtar |
| day | ru, rez | ruz |
| do | kētan | kardan |
| door | dar | dar |
| die | mordan | mordan |
| donkey | xar | xar |
| egg | xoy | toxme morq |
| earth | zimi | zamin |
| eye | čiš | čašm |
| father | bu, bâva, bova | pedar |
| fear | ters | tars |
| fiancé | numzâð | nâmzad |
| fine | xoš | xoš |
| finger | pinja, piling | angošt |
| fire | tiš | âtaš, âzar |
| fish | meyi | mâhi |
| food / eat | xorâk/ xâtan | qazâ, xorâk / xordan |
| go | šeðan | raftan |
| god | xoðâ | xodâ |
| good | xūv | xub |
| great | got, γoč | bozorg, gonde, gat |
| hand | das | dast |
| English | Davani | Persian (Unipers) |
| head | tek, kalla, ser | sar, kalle |
| heart | del | del |
| horse | asp | asb, astar |
| house | xuna | xâne |
| language/tongue | zavu | zabân |
| laugh | xanda kētan | xandidan |
| man | merd | mard |
| moon | mā | mâh |
| mother | deyi, dey | mâdar, mâmân |
| mouth | kap, kač | dahân |
| name | num | nâm |
| night | šô | šab |
| open | vâkētan | bâz kardan |
| peace | sōl | âshti, ârâmeš, ârâmi |
| place | jo | jâ |
| read | xondan | xândan |
| say | gâ:tan | goftan, gap zadan |
| scratch | kerniðan | xârândan |
| sister | xāk, xā | xâhar |
| small | xujak, kem, xordek, rēz, vahila | kucak, kam, xord, riz |
| son | pos, keraku | pesar, pur, bacce |
| tall | boland | boland, bârez, derâz |
| three | so | se |
| water | ô | âb, ow |
| weave | vâtseriðan | bâftan |
| when | ki | key |
| wind | bâð | bâd |
| woman | zan | zan |
| yesterday | dig | diruz |

## Example sentences

| English | Davani | Persian | Unipers |
| - | - | - | - |
| What is this? | i tsi-yen? | این چیست؟ | In cist? |
| Where is Ali? | ali an kâ? | علی کجاست؟ | Ali kojâst? |
| This horse is white. | i asp-e espe-hâ. | .این اسب سفید است | In asb sefid ast. |
| Go (and) chain Rostam's hand (and) bring him here, so that I give you the crown and the kingdom. | beða dass-e rostam huven-eš bâ injo ke-t ma tâj šâi hâðe. | .برو دست رستم را ببند، اینجا بیاور تا من تاج شاهی را به تو بدهم | Boro daste Rostam râ beband, injâ beyâvar, tâ man tâje šâhi râ be to bedaham. |
| They say he works 10 hours a day. | mege-yen rez-i dā sât kâr mēku. | .میگویند روزی ده ساعت کار میکند | Miguyand ruzi dah sâat kâr mikonad. |
| I have two small brothers and sisters. | dikko-m borô xey-e xord-ek he. | .دو برادر و خواهر کوچک دارم | Do barâdar va xâhare kucak dâram. |
| If you will go just once to their village, you won't forget the hospitality of its people. | agar hami akeš-a šesse-bi-ya velât-ešu hargese-tu meymu dâri-šu az yâð nemēšu. | .اگر تنها یکبار به ده آنها رفته باشی، مهمان‌نوازی مردم آنجا را هرگز از یاد نخواهی برد | Agar tanhâ yekbâr be dehe ânhâ rafte bâši, mehmânnavâziye mardome ânjâ râ hargez az yâd naxâhid bord. |
| Who called me? | ke-š čer-om ze? | چه کسی مرا صدا زد؟ | Cekasi marâ sedâ zad? |
