Developments in the use of Latin Character for the Writing of Kurdish

Developments in the use of Latin Character for the Writing of Kurdish

C. J. Edmonds

Royal Asiatic Society

In the Jras. of January, 1931, 1 offered some “Suggestions for the Use of Latin Character in the Writing of Kurdish”, A certain number of changes in these first proposals subsequently appeared desirable in the light of criticism and of further experiment and experience. In the meantime, Tewfiq Wehbi Beg, on whose modified Arabic alphabet my suggestions had been based, finding that his new system made little appeal to his compatriots, decided to abandon it, for the purposes of his future work, in favour of Latin. European students of Iranian philology will welcome the appearance in Latin character of the work of an accomplished native Kurdish scholar; how far the books now in the press and under preparation will appeal to other Kurds remains to be seen.
The following modifications of the first system have recommended themselves :—
(1) The distinction between d and dh, t and th, described ...