Grammatica e vocabolario della lingua Kurda

Rome 1787

Maurizio Garzoni (1734-1804)

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Grammatica e vocabolario della lingua Kurda, Rome, 1787

The earliest scientific European studies on the Kurdish language and civilization, which date back to the late 18th century, were carried out by missionaries (first by Italian Catholics and later by Anglo-Saxon Protestants). The pioneer of European Kurdish studies was Maurizio Garzoni (1734-1804), a member of the Order of Black Friars, who reached the region of Mosul (Mowsel) in 1762. Two years later he settled in ʿAmādiya, the capital of the principality of Bahdinān, to the northeast of Mosul. There he collected materials for his Grammatica e vocabolario della lingua Kurda, which was published in Rome in 1787. The first of its kind, it remained an important source of information on the Kurdish language until the end of the 19th century.

His colleague, Giuseppe Campanile (1762-1835), was sent to Mosul in 1802 by the Romans. Six years later, he was named Apostolic Prefect for Mesopotamia and Kurdistan. During that period he wrote his Storia del Kurdistan, published in Naples in 1818. This “History of Kurdistan,” the first overview of a Kurdish country, recounts the customs the author observed, the events he witnessed, and the people he met.

 

 

 

 

One of the earliest recorded Kurdishpublication of the Middle Ages of the Kurdish language dates back to 1898 when Miqdad Midhad Baderkhan published the first Kurdish language newspaper in Egypt.

Kurdish is a family of languages composed of various dialects and regional accents. The earliest scientific European studies on the Kurdish language and civilization date back to the 18th century. Missionaries, Italian Catholics, and later English protestants studied Kurdistan, its people and its language, especially during the decline of the Ottoman empire that left power vacuums across the Middle East, where the Kurds live.

Maurizio Garzoni (1734-1804), was a pioneer Kurdologist. He was a member of the Order of Black Friars, who reached the region of Mosul in 1762. At the time, Mosul Velayet (regiional administration) was occupied by Ottomans - today in the Southern Kurdistan region.

In 1764 Garzoni settled in ?Amadiya, the capital of the principality of Bahdinan, to the northeast of Mosul. He collected materials for his 'Grammatica e vocabolario della lingua Kurda,' literally, 'Grammar and Vocabulary of Kurdish Language', published in Rome in 1787. 

The text was the first of its kind. It remained an essential source of the Kurdish language until the end of the 19th century.

The book contains a detailed guide to learning the Kurdish language. The book is made of  289 pages. The book is a guide to learn the Kurdish language. It opens with explaining the Kurdish alphabet, numbers, grammar, and vocabulary. The book's last chapters include a list of essential vocabulary with Italian translations on the opposite side of the page.

In the preface, the author states, 'the Kurdish language is strange to European ears.' A few pages later, he adds, 'This is not a perfect guide to learn the language, but it will be useful for missionaries that visit the Kurdistan. Kurdish was not used in official documents, and state institutions by both the Ottoman and Persian empires because they want to assimilate and destroy Kurdish language and culture.

Kurds have had some autonomy under the sovereignty of the empires that ruled the Middle East. Autonomy was a factor that helped the Kurdish language to survive. Garzoni continues, 'I split Kurdistan between the end of Persia and the Ottoman empire.' The word of Kurdistan was not allowed to be used until the late 19th century when the decline of the ottoman empire led to the rise of Kurdish nationalism.

Kurds were divided among many tribes and subcultures that spoke different dialects and accents, preventing their unity even today.

The book is a historical treasure. Researchers and historians could find many interesting subjects about in the book and compare Kurdish language's development throughout the centuries.

Today, the Kurdish language is studied at some educational institutions in Southern Kurdistan. However, university colleges have adopted English, rather than Kurdish, as the medium of teaching and research, as most private primary and high schools in the region have.

The dictatorships of Iraq and Iran and Soviet Union ware the only country in the world who allowed Kurdish language and literature being published but NOT TURKEY. Kurdish still 2022 is prohibited in Turkey. Officially they say "it is allowed" but in real life many Kurds are being killed in Turkey for just speaking Kurdish.

 


 

 

 

 

READ THE BOOK IN PDF

 

- 1.pdf
- 2.pdf
- 3.pdf
- 4.pdf
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- 8.pdf
- 9.pdf
- 10.pdf
- 11.pdf

 

 

 

Grammatica e vocabolario della lingua Kurda Rome 1787
by

MAURICIO GARZONI

 

 


Foundation For Kurdish Library & Museum