A Study on Language and Society - Kirmanç

While the Dersim-based Kırmanç community defines its mother tongue as Kırmançki, the Palu-Genç Siverek community, which characteristically speaks the same language, defines it as Zaza and calls its language Zazaki. The Zaza community calls itself Kirmanch, but does not call the language it speaks Kirmanchki, as if it is out of definition.

While the Dersimi Kırmanç subject seems to be inclined to share a common life with the Dersimi Kurmanç subject, despite the difference in their mother tongue, they are secretive about this commonality with the Palu-Genç-Siverek community, with whom they share the same mother tongue. In addition to geographical disconnections, this reticence is based on differences in belief.

The Zaza community, which has adopted Sunni Islam, and the Dersimi Kırmanç community, which has internalized the Oliveran-Elevi belief, have not been able to demonstrate the will to realize a common form of social identity.