DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13730339
title: Kurdish Body Parts Etymology Dataset

description: Overview

 This dataset is a valuable resource for understanding the linguistic history of Kurdish, a language spoken by a significant population in the Middle East and parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. It delves into the etymology of Kurdish words for body parts, tracing their origins back to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) language, the ancestor of many modern European and Indo-Iranian languages.

 Method

 The methodology for collecting this dataset is reflected in:

1. Data Collection: A comprehensive set of Kurdish vocabulary for body parts was compiled.

2. Comparative Analysis: A comparative analysis was conducted between Kurdish terms and their PIE cognates, focusing on identifying sound changes and morphological developments.

3. Etymological Tracing: The etymological development of each Kurdish term was meticulously traced back to its PIE root, taking into account known sound laws and morphological changes.

4. Verification: The accuracy of the etymological connections between Kurdish terms and their PIE origins was verified by cross-referencing with established linguistic resources.

The dataset is structured in a table format, with columns representing:

- Kurdish Term: The Kurdish word for a specific body part.

- Kurdish Meaning: The meaning of the Kurdish word in English.

- PIE Root: The Proto-Indo-European root from which the Kurdish word is derived.

- PIE Meaning: The meaning of the PIE root in English.

- Indo-Iranian Cognates:  Words from Indo-Iranian languages (such as Avestan, Pahlavi, Sanskrit, and Persian etc.) that share the same root as the Kurdish word.

- Indo-European Cognates: Words from other Indo-European languages (such as Hittite, Greek, Proto-Italic, Latin, Germanic, Slavic and Lithuanian, etc. ) that share the same root.

- References: Citations to sources used to verify the etymology of the Kurdish words.

- Notes: Additional information or observations about the etymology of the Kurdish word.

- Gender: Indicate if the word is a noun, adjective, verb, etc.00

-Morphological Features: Include information like gender, number, case, etc. if applicable to the Kurdish language.

- Possessive Form :This column would indicate the gender of the Kurdish term, if applicable. Kurdish is a genderless language, but some terms may have gender implications.

-Syllabification: Show how the word is broken down into syllables.

-Stress Pattern: Indicate where the stress falls in the word.

-Semantic Field: Group words into semantic categories (e.g., body parts, kinship terms, verbs of motion).

-Cultural Significance: If the word has any specific cultural significance, you could note that.

- Etymology: This column can provide a brief explanation of the word's origin and how it evolved in Kurdish.

- Example Sentence: This column can provide an example sentence in Kurdish using the word.

-Cultural Significance: This column can discuss any cultural significance or symbolism associated with the word. 

-Evolution of Meaning: This column would describe how the meaning of the Proto-Indo-European root has evolved over time to become the meaning of the Kurdish term.

-Semantic Shift: This column would describe any changes in meaning that have occurred between the PIE root and the Kurdish term. For example, the PIE root *bʰrew- originally meant "brow," but the Kurdish word birû has come to specifically refer to the eyebrow.

-Sound Changes: This column would describe any sound changes that have occurred between the PIE root and the Kurdish term. For example, the PIE root *bʰrew- has undergone a sound change in Kurdish, where the initial bʰ has become b.

-Phonetic Changes: Changes in the pronunciation of sounds within a language over time. These changes can involve shifts in the place of articulation, manner of articulation, or voicing.

-Grammatical Case: This column would indicate the grammatical case of the Kurdish term, if applicable.

- Kurdish idiomatic expressions: This column explores how the Kurdish words in the table are used in idiomatic expressions, often with figurative meanings and cultural significance.

Usage

The dataset can be used for various research purposes, such as:

- Linguistic Evolution:  How words have evolved and changed over time from a common ancestor (PIE) to the diverse languages spoken today.

- Cultural Connections:  How shared vocabulary reflects historical connections between different language families and cultures.

-Language Reconstruction: How linguistic analysis can help reconstruct ancient languages and their features.

ContactFor any questions, please contact Marwan Hamay <marwan.hamay@rwth-aachen.de>.