Semnani language

Semnani
سمنی زفون
Semani zefön
RegionIran
EthnicitySemnani
Dialects
  • Biyabanaki
Language codes
ISO 639-3smy
Glottologsemn1249
ELPSemnani
Semnani is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO
Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Semnani (سمنانی زفون, Semani zefön) is the main language of the Semnan province of Iran and has several branches. The language belongs to the Northwestern branch of the Western Iranian languages. Spoken in south of the Caspian Sea, Semnani is linguistically closely related to Zaza language, another northwestern Iranian language spoken in Anatolia. It is suggested that Semnani and Zaza are descended from a common ancestor. Like other Caspian languages, it bears some resemblance to the Old Iranian Median language and was influenced by Parthian in a later process.

Similiar to Zaza, the noun, adjective systems and verb conjugation exhibit two genders (masculine and feminine) and two numbers in Semnani.