Sorna

The language or dialect of LoriBefore we start describing the language or dialect of Lori, we need to have an exact definition of “language” and “dialect”.Linguists have defined “language” as follows: an ordered collection containing formal symptoms and signs which is used by people of a society to communicate with each other as a social tool.Therefore, language is the character of the society; it means that people of a society have created that to know about others’ ideas and wills and to communicate with each other. (Bagheri.1374.P10)This social tool, from different points of view, has different kinds like official, scientific, literary, slangy and written languages, and etc. but the Persian word “dialect” (Gooyesh) or its Arabic equivalent “Accent” (Lahjeh) doesn’t have an exact definition between linguists or public, for example some say “dialect or accent of Azari” and some others say “Azari language” and also “Lori dialect” or “Lori language”; “Khozi dialect” or “Khosi language”.But, we can say that “dialect or accent” is a type of language specified for an area or a sort of society and also, “Standard Language” is an accent mixed of different accents of a language. In another word, “Standard Language” is an accent of a language which is created because of cultural and social reasons not linguistic reasons and is used in teaching and radio and television. (Nell Smith.1376)With mentioned definitions, we can say that language and slangs of people in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd comparing with standard Farsi which can be taught are all dialects of a language but this case is a little different in Lori. If two Lors talk to each other and there is another one who doesn’t understand what they say, we’ll call it “language” and this is the standard of being a language in dialects of Lori, Azari, Khozi, Baloochi, Laki, Torki, Kurdi, some complicated Lori accents and etc. although some linguists are opponent to this idea. But, if the third part of the conversation understands what they say, we’ll call it “dialect” like Lori in Khorramabad, Farsi in Yazd and so on which other Persian people can understand them. So, we must call them “Lori dialect / Khorramabadi dialect” and “Yazdi dialect”.We have mentioned before that some linguists believe that there is no difference between language and dialect and say that these dialects were separated languages in the past. Therefore, they use words of “language” and “dialect” instead of each other and in a general meaning. (Dr. Sadeghkia.1339.From P.155)Dr. Ehsan yarshater says “we use the word of accent in two different meanings. When we say Shirazi accent, Isfahani accent and Afghani accent, we mean the way they pronounce a word in that language. These are all Farsi but in Isfahan or Kashan they pronounce it differently. But when say Kurdi or Mazandarani or Laari accent, we mean three different languages not three kinds of pronunciation in a language.” (Dr. Ehsan Yarshater. P.94)With this explanation we must say that Lori, Gilaki, Kurdi and etc. which are common inside Iran and Farsi language in Tajikistan and Afghanistan which is common outside of Iran belong to Farsi and Iranian languages and are related to Farsi.These languages themselves have different kinds of dialects e.g. Kurdi in Kermanshah which is different than Kurdi in north of Iraq and Oramani in their grammar and words; It means that we should consider them as three dialects of Kurdi. Also, Lori contains Bakhtiari, Laki and Roostayi which are separated dialects of this language. “Roostayi” is the dialect of Boroojerd, Khorramabad, Malayer, Nahavand and their around villages. It is remarkable that each of these Lori dialects is different in each village or tribe. (Sadeghkia.The Same.P.16)Now, according to above sentences, it must be mentioned that Lori is one the most important languages and dialects in Iran. In addition to Dari which is called the new Farsi and it is the official and cultural language of Iran since 4th century of Hijri, there are still some other dialects which some of them have literary manuscripts and most of them are used in little tribes all around Iran’s plateau such Tajiki, Dari in Afghanistan, Kurdi, baloochi and so on. (Natel Khanlari, Nashre no 1366, History of Farsi, P.296)However Lori which is also called Bakhtiari (Natel Khanlari, the same) is the language of tribes living in Bakhtiari Mountains (Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari), some parts of Fars (Tribes of Bakhtiari and Mamasani), Boyerahmadi (in Kohgilooyeh va Boyerahmad), Lorestan, some parts in the center and the west of Iran and the north of Khuzistan and speak in a dialect related to Kurdi. These dialects which have their own specification are called “Bakhtiari Language” or “Lori Language”. In another hand, all of them are included in one language. (The same, V.1.P.296)But our meaning of “Lori” in this dissertation is the language which is common in Lorestan with kinds of dialects.In addition to Lori, “Laki” is also common there and in some tribes as another important language in Lorestan.So, we can say that Lak tribe and its language is separated from Lor tribe and its language.Although some believe that Laki is related to Kurdi, there is no certain evidence about it.It can be said that because of the lack in history sources and little information about history of Lor and Lak tribes, it is impossible to put Lak tribe in one of the Lor or Kurd tribes certainly. Nevertheless, Laks in Lorestan, know themselves as a Lor not Kurd.Also, it must be said that because of linguistic reasons and some historical researches, Laks in contrast with Lors have immigrated from far areas in the north and lived here since Safavid dynasty. This immigration has been continued after Safavid dynasty too and in the period of Qajar dynasty, many tribes of Laks have been vanished and went to other places because Qajar dynasty wanted to wreak from Zand dynasty.It seems that Laki dialect is one the dialects in the north of Iran. These have been derived from language of Pahlavi-Parthian and from point of history were common in land of Medes and Parthia. The dialect of Lori and its derivatives belong to the southwest of Iran. It has been derived from Pahlavi-Sassanid and it is better to say that it is related to Pahlavi-Sassanid / Middle Persian and in the history, it has been one the most common dialects in Persia. (Azizi.1374.P.23)Language of LakiBesides Lori, Laki has been one the important languages in the land of Persia.Laks are resident in three parts of Lorestan; Chaghloondi or Horrh, Alashtar or Selseleh, Delfan or Delfoo. The most important Lak tribes are “Hassanvand”, “Biranvand” and “Delfan” and each of them are divided into some little tribes. There are just a little and sometimes incorrect information about Laki dialect and the word itself but we can see more information in Farsi encyclopedias and we refer to some of them here.Lak tribe is the most southern Kurd tribes in Iran and because they had been in about one thousand houses, they were called Lak which means “one thousand”.Laks who are living in Lorestan are different than Lors and their language is more similar to Kurdi.Shah Abbas the Great moved them to Lorestan and the tribe of Selseleh which was resident in Mahidasht area of Kermanshah before and the tribe of Delfan which had Tiooli in the north of Lorestan in the 3rd century and the tribe of Bajelan which came from Moosel. Laks’ residential areas contain north and northwest parts of Lorestan which is called “Lakestan” sometimes. (Farsi encyclopedia.Mosahab.Word Lak)Tribes of Lak are living in Horrh, Selseleh and Delfan. In each of these three parts, families and tribes are living and it seems that this large tribe in different periods of time and because of many reasons has immigrated to other parts of Iran. For example, some people of Delfan tribe went to north of Iran and now live in Mekarood, Titdarreh and Kojoor and are known as Delfani. Their accent is Laki and they are followers of the religion of Rahehagh. Also, there is another group who are living in Kelardasht and Kojoor, they are known as the Khajevand and speak in Laki.There is a tribe which is called Kurani derived from Tarahani Laks and has immigrated to Khodaabad and Shahpoor Kazeroon and Chehelcheshmeh in Shiraz. Some have gone to Menokhan in Jiroft (in Kerman) and now they live there and speak in Laki.People in some parts of Kermanshah like villages of Harsin, southern areas of Dorood Kharaman, Osmavand and Khalalvand speak in Laki.Most of the people in some parts of Ilam like Zardelan and Halilan and most of the people in Simereh also speak in Laki.We can see some people in Hamedan - Torkashvands and Khazals – who speak in Laki too.Kakavand and Qiasvand have been abandoned to Qazvin. It seems that Nader shah Afshar did it certainly. This tribe itself is divided into two parts; “Masih Khani” and “Namdar Khani”. Qiasvand tribe has been also abandoned by Mohammad Khan Qajar to Qazvin.According to what we said above, it is no doubt that Laks had been migrants who started living in Lorestan and also other parts of Iran.Their history and race don’t put them as Kurds or Lors but because they have been living in Lorestan for a long period of time, they know themselves as lors.But Laki is different from Lori in the linguistic point. Although still there has been no boundary indicated between these two languages from point of vowel changes in Iranian languages. Some of linguists and researches of Farsi dialects believe that Lori and Laki are included in dialects of southwest of Iran and some believe that Laki belongs to north of Iran and Lori belongs to southwest of this country.In another hand, researches of history of Farsi believe in two groups of languages; Languages of west of Iran and languages of east of Iran. Iranian languages which have come after ancient western dialects are included in languages of west of Iran and ones which have come after ancient eastern dialects are included in languages of east of Iran. Thus, Iranian languages divide into two groups:1) Northwest languages 2) Southwest languagesThe first group is branched of ancient dialects which have been common in the land of Parthia and Medes in the north and northwest of Iran plateau like Kurdi, dialects of Kurd tribes, Goorani, Zaza and…, Baloochi, Taleshi, Gilaki, Mazandarani, dialects of the center of Iran and some Farsi dialects. The second group is branched of ancient dialects of southwest of Iran plateau (Persia).Persian is the most important language between common languages in southwest of Iran and Tati, Lori, Bakhtiari Lori, most dialects in Fars and accent of Koomezari are included in Iranian languages in southwest of Iran.But what make the difference between languages in the northwest and southwest of Iran are vowel changes in ancient, middle and new period of Farsi and its dialects.Therefore, studying words and the structure of Lori and Laki has proved that Lori is included in southwest dialects of Iran and Laki is included in northwest dialects of Iran according to this point that Laks are migrants who have come to Lorestan. To write this part, the followings are used:(Oranski.1358)(Hamid Izadpanah.1363)(Ali Hosoori.1343)