Language Shift Among Speakers of Kalhuri Kurdish in Iran

Abstract

In the multicultural and multiethnic context of Iran, Farsi is the only official and the most prestigious language. This article investigates sociolinguistic factors fostering a radical language shift from Kalhuri Kurdish to Farsi in Kermanshah, the largest Kurdish city in Iran. This shift has raised many social and cultural controversies within the Kurdish community. Data was gathered through a questionnaire focusing on attitudinal, economic and social factors affecting the shift. The participants were one thousand native Kurdish speakers in Kermanshah. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and item percentage. The findings revealed that social, personal and economic factors contributed to the shift, with economic concerns outweighing the other factors. In discussion and conclusion, we deal with the implications of the findings.