The northern-central group of the Iranian Central dialects: an areal and diachronic perspective

According to the scientific literature (Krahnke, K.J.: 1976; Lecoq, P.: 1989; Windfuhr, G.: 1992; Windfuhr, G.: 1996) the Central dialects constitute the southernmost group of the so-called Northwest Iranian languages and the area around Kāšān belongs to the northern-central group of the Central dialects including Kāšāni, Ārāni-Bidgoli, Delijāni, Našalji, Abuzaydābādi, Bādrudi, Qohrudi, Kāmu’i, Jowšaqāni, Meyma’i, Abyāna’i, Farizandi, Yārandi, Sohi, Bādi, Naṭanzi, Kaša’i, Tāri, and Ṭarqi. Contemporary Iranian dialectology seems to have put its main emphases on three approaches, namely, linguistic documentation of ethnic or religious minorities living in Iran, defining linguistic macro-areas, and fieldwork on individual dialects. Linguistic micro-areas, on the other hand, have been rather neglected. Research on micro-areas is a desideratum, and zones like that of Kāšān constitute promising starting points as I am going to try to demonstrate. Therefore, this paper is aimed at displaying some phonological and morphological features of the northern-central group of the Iranian Central dialects applying an areal perspective as well as a comparative-historical approach, both very useful for better understanding and preserving this linguistic heritage.