Comparative Linguistic Research

Comparative Linguistic Research

Imperfective Aspect in Kurdish: A Typological Analysis

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 University of Kurdistan
2 Department of Linguistics and English Language, Faculty of Language and Literature, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
10.22084/rjhll.2025.29784.2338
Abstract
The varieties collectively referred to as Kurdish Language exhibit more divergences than similarities. While previous descriptive and analytical studies have examined aspect in specific Kurdish dialects, a comprehensive comparative study across a wide spectrum of Kurdish dialects has been lacking. This study aims to adopt a typological approach to investigate the mechanisms of aspect expression in Northern, Central, Southern Kurdish dialects and the Gorani dialects. The theoretical framework adopted in this study is based on Smith's (1997) proposal that divides aspect into viewpoint and situational aspect. Given the scope of this study, only the category of imperfective aspect in Kurdish and Gorani dialects will be examined. The analysis of the collected data reveals that imperfective aspect and its subcategories in Kurdish and Gorani dialects are expressed through auxiliary verbs and different inflectional devices. Non-progressive imperfective aspect in the studied dialects is primarily expressed through aspectual prefixes and verbal affixes.
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