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 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: â, a, e, i, o, ulong: â:, ā, ē, ī, ō, ū
Consonants
- voiced dental fricative: ð, generally after vowels, like in, 'bað'.
- voiced velar fricative: γ, like in "γal'ati".
- alveolar trill: like in 'borrâ'.
- palatalization: inclination for 'g' and 'k' before front vowels, like in 'bega'.
- voiceless alveolar affricate: ts, like in 'tse', and voiced dz, like in andzi.
Grammar
Verbs
Davani is ergative in past transitive constructions. For example :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
| Person | Singular | Plural |
| 1st | ma | mu |
| 2nd | to | shumu |
| 3rd | u oy | unā ushu |
Vocabulary
| English | Davani | Persian |
| 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 |
| 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 |