Dialect of Kashan Jews

The dialect of the Jews of Kashan, Iran

Throughout history, as Jewish communities settled in various regions of Iran, a diversity of dialects emerged, rooted in ancient Iranian languages such as Pahlavi and local vernaculars. Some of these dialects have also borrowed vocabulary from Hebrew. In other words, the Jews of Iran hold a precious trust with themselves, and that is these dialects that have evolved since 2,700 years ago, shaping a linguistic heritage carried forward by Iranian Jews through generations. The Jewish dialects preserve ancient Iranian linguistic traits and occasionally go hand in hand with Old Persian to uncover some of the mysteries hidden in the Persian language.

The diversity of Jewish Persian dialects

Scholarly inquiries into these dialects have identified distinct variations, including Isfahani, Yazdi, Kermani, Shirazi, Hamedani, Kashani, Khansari, Mashhadi, Malayeri, Araki, Tuyserkani, Estarabadi, Nahavandi, Boroujerdi, Golpayegani, Kurdish, and Kermanshahi. Notably, separate investigations have been conducted on the dialect of the Jews of Isfahan, Yazd, and Hamedan.

Roots of Jewish Persian dialects

Except for the dialects in Urmia and Kurdistan, where the dialects diverge towards Semitic roots, the majority of these dialects are entrenched within the Persian linguistic sphere. Consequently, they can be categorized into two groups: "Iranian dialects" and "Semitic dialects”.

The genesis of these dialects, intertwined with local languages and customs, primarily served as a mechanism for social security and confidentiality, shielding community discourse from outsiders. These dialects were a sort of social knowledge.

Generally speaking, the dialects used in Kashan, Isfahan, and Semnan have Pahlavi Parthian influences (from the Parthian era). Among the many dialects spoken in the northeastern parts of Iran, primarily Kashan and Natanz, the most northern dialect belongs to the Kashani and their neighbors, Aranis (the people of Aran). The Jewish dialect of Kashan has been studied next to the common Kashani dialect in oriental studies, however, there is ample room for independent studies on the Jewish dialect of Kashan and its comparison to Persian.

Jewish Persian dialects, including the Kashani Jewish dialect, must be studied as a Jaydi or Latorai language. The Kashani Jewish dialect differs with the Kashani dialect in words and expressions, some of which it shares with the Isfahani dialect. A look at some of these words can reveal the similarities between these words and how they are pronounced.

Table 1. A comparison between the Kashani pronunciations of some Persian words

Instances of Kashani Jewish dialect

The short story "Sipak Khi Nia" is a sample of the culture of the people and their literature. Prior to attending school, Jewish children exclusively spoke the Kashani dialect and translated Hebrew theological texts. This dialect was also familiar to Muslims residing in Kashan and Natanz.

Traditionally, Kashani Jews, much like their counterparts in other Iranian cities, inscribed Persian using the Hebrew script. This practice persisted, with some still employing this script in correspondence with their educated offspring until recently.

The dialects of Arun and Bidgol closely mirror those of the Kashani Jews, hinting at a shared linguistic heritage. This convergence might suggest a historical prevalence of Judaism in the region, with subsequent religious conversions possibly prompted by external pressures.

Source:

“Bar Bal-e Kherad” (i.e. On the Wings of Wisdom) by Guel Cohen.