A Critical Examination of Some Phonological and Morphological Inconsistencies in The Standardisation of Zazaki

Abstract

This study examines a series of phonological, morphological, and syntactic inconsistencies that emerge in the standardisation of Zazaki, with particular reference to the practices adopted by the Vate Studying Group. Focusing on phenomena such as the alternation between pronoun ê/ey, the treatment of personal and demonstrative pronouns, the preservation or loss of consonants in prepositions and postpositions, and the analysis of verbal morphology, the study argues that several standardisation choices conflict with well-established grammatical rules of the language. Through detailed examples drawn from different Zazaki varieties, especially the northern one, the article demonstrates that these inconsistencies may lead to ambiguity, formal contradictions, and deviations from underlying morphological principles. The study advocates for a rule-based approach to standardisation that prioritises the preservation of lexical roots and grammatical symmetry over dialect-specific surface forms. Methodologically, the paper relies on a qualitative, rule-oriented analysis of paradigmatic forms and selected contextual examples from grammars and orthographic guides, evaluating each proposal with respect to morphological symmetry, root recoverability, and functional transparency.