Central Plateau languages (Iranian)

The Central Plateau languages (Persian: زبان‌های ایران مرکزی; zabān-hā-ye Irān-e markazī), also called the Central Plateau Dialects (CPD), are a group of Northwestern Iranian languages historically spoken in towns and villages of central Iran, particularly in Isfahan Province, Markazi Province, Yazd Province and Qom Province. Most varieties have become extinct or are endangered within the last century, having largely been replaced by Persian among younger generations.^[1]

The majority of the population of Isfahan once spoke these languages. The process of language shift to Persian accelerated during the Safavid era, when Isfahan was declared the capital.^[2] This trend continues, and many villages inhabited by speakers of the Central Plateau languages—mostly in eastern Isfahan Province—are now undergoing language shift towards Persian.^[3]

The Central Iranian dialects appear to have had a common origin. In the past, they were spoken in many large cities of Iran that have since shifted to Persian. The old dialects of Kerman and Yazd, preserved by the Zoroastrians and Jews of those cities; the former dialect of Isfahan, traces of which survive in the poetry of figures such as Owḥadi of Isfahan; and the speech of the Jewish communities along the Zayandeh River and in Gaz are all considered part of this group. This language group, sometimes referred to as the Rāji language, was also spoken in the cities of Ray, Qom, and Hamadan.^[4] According to Shams-i Qays Razi, the people of Ray and Iraq-i Ajam preferred their own local Fahlavi poetry to Persian verse. In Borujerd and Khorramabad, these dialects were spoken among Jewish communities, and some religious minority groups there have preserved elements of the old speech. The medieval scholar Ibn al-Muqaffa' reported that these dialects were known in earlier periods as Fahlavī, and in even older times as Pahlavī.^[5]

The following classification follows the most recent tree presented by the Iran Atlas.^[1]

• Central Plateau^[1]
  • Judeo-Hamadāni-Borujerdi
    • Judeo-Hamadāni
    • Judeo-Borujerdi
  • Northwest Central Plateau (Western Central Plateau)
    • Judeo-Khunsāri (Judeo-Khānsāri; Judeo-Khwānsāri)
    • Judeo-Khomeini
    • Vānishani
    • [other varieties]
  • Northeast Central Plateau (Rāji group; Kāshān area group; Karkas group; Velāyati-ye Kāshān; Northern-Central Central Plateau)
    • Judeo-Kāshi (Judeo-Kāshāni)
    • Dehi of Kāshān (Velāti-ye Kāshān; Velāyati-ye Kāshān)
    • Old Ārāni (Ārāni)
    • Bidgoli (Vēgoli)
    • Rāji (Rāyeji; Rāyezhi; Rāzhi)
      • Delijāni
      • Neshalji † (Nashalji)
      • Barzoki
      • Viduji
      • Vidujāi (Vidujā’i)
      • Ozvāri
      • Varkāni
      • Tajarai (Tajare’i)
      • Pendāsi (Pandāsi)
      • Āzerāni
      • Jowsheghāni (Jowshaqāni)
      • Kāmui (Kāmu’i)
      • Ghohrudi (Qohrudi)
      • Totmāji (Totmāchi)
      • Buzābādi (Abuzeydābādi)
      • Bādi (Bādrudi)
      • [other varieties]
    • Natanz group
      • Abyānei (Abyāne’i)
      • Yārandi
      • Tekyai (Tekye’i)
      • Farizandi (Farizhandi)
      • Natanzi
      • Tāmai (Tāme’i)
    • Tarqrudi
      • Tarqi
      • Tāri
      • Keshai (Keshe’i, Kashe’i)
    • Meyma group
      • Meymai (Meyme’i, Vazvāni)
      • Viyui (Ziyādābādi)
      • Azāni
      • Vandādi (Vandāde’i)
      • Soi (So’i; Sohi)
    • [other varieties]
  • Southeast Central Plateau (Nāini group; Velāyati-ye Nāin; Eastern Central Plateau)
    • Anāraki
    • Nāini (Nāyini; Na’ini; Nā’ini)
    • Tudeshk group
      • Ābchuyei (Ābchuye’i)
      • Keyjāni
      • Tudeshki
      • Moshkenāni
    • Zoroastrian Yazdi (Pārsi-Dari; Behdini; “Gabri”; “Yazdi”)
    • Pārsi
    • Zoroastrian Dari (“Dari”)
    • Judeo-Yazdi-Kermāni
      • Judeo-Yazdi
      • Judeo-Kermāni
  • Southwest Central Plateau (Esfahān/Isfahān area group; Velāyati-ye Esfahān; Southern Central Plateau)
    • Ardestān group
      • Arsāni (Ardestāni)
      • Kachui (“Gabri”)
      • Gargui of Zavvāreh
    • Borzāvand group
      • Nohuji
      • Mārbini
      • [other varieties]
    • Kupāi group (“Osme-Sigā”)
      • Zefrei (Zefre’i)
      • Kupāi (Kupā’i, Kuhpaye’i, Viri)
      • Sagzi (Segzi, Sagzavi, Sajzi, Sejzi)
    • Rudashti (“Bure-Beshe”)
      • Qeyi (Qehi, Qehavi, Qahvi)
      • Kamandāni
      • Kafrudi
      • Varzanai (Varzane’i)
      • [other varieties]
    • Gargui of Esfahān area (Jarqui, Jarqu’i, Jarquye’i)
      • Dastjerdi (Dastgerdi)
      • Paykāni (Peykāni)
      • [other varieties]
    • Esfahān area Central Plateau group
      • Jidi (Dzhidi; Judi; Judeo-Esfahāni)
      • Gazi group (Borkhār group)
        • Gazi
        • Khorzughi
        • Komshei (Komsheche’i)
      • Varnosfāderāni (“Sedehi”; Old Sedehi)

Sivandi, spoken in Sivand 75 km north of Shiraz, is the only Northwestern Iranian language in southern Iran. Sivandi shares many grammatical and lexical similarities with the Central Iranian dialects.

• Encyclopædia Iranica — Central dialects