ABSTRACT
The approximate present distribution of the Iranian languages is illustrated in the attached sketch-map. The languages currently spoken, according to their genetic relations within Iranian (see below) are:
South-West Iranian: Persian (Iran, Persian Gulf); Dari (Afghanistan); Tajiki (USSR); Luri and Bakhtiari (nomadic, Iran); Kumzari (Persian Gulf); non-Persian dialects of Fars province, centred on Shiraz, Kazerun, Sivand and Lar (Iran); Tati (USSR).
North-West Iranian: Kurdish (Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, USSR); Talishi (USSR, Iran); Balochi (Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, USSR, Persian Gulf); Gilaki (Iran); Mazandarani (Iran); Zaza (Turkey); Gurani (Iran, Iraq); Bashkardi (Iran); Parachi (Afghanistan); Ormuri (Afghanistan, Pakistan); Semnani and related dialects (Iran); ‘Tat’ dialects, centred on Tabriz, Zanjan, Qazvin and Saveh (Iran); Vafsi and Ashtiyani (Iran); dialects of central Iran, centred on Kashan, Esfahan, Yazd, Kerman and the Dashte-Kavir (Iran).
South-East Iranian: Pashto (Afghanistan, Pakistan); Yazgulami (USSR); Shughni (USSR, Afghanistan); Roshani (USSR, Afghanistan); Bartangi (USSR); Oroshori (USSR); Sarikoli (China); Ishkashmi (Afghanistan, USSR); Sanglechi (Afghanistan); Zebaki (Afghanistan); Wakhi (Afghanistan, USSR, Pakistan, China); Munji (Afghanistan); Yidgha (Pakistan).
North-East Iranian: Ossete (USSR), Yaghnobi (USSR).
It will be noted that the names of the genetic groups do not always accurately reflect the geographic location of the modern languages. In particular, Ossete, which belongs to the North-East group, is spoken in the Caucasus, which represents the north-west of the present Iranian language area, and Balochi, which belongs to the North-West group, is located in the extreme south-east on either side of the Iran-Pakistan border. In fact, the geographic nomenclature is more closely tied to the distribution of extinct Iranian languages from the Old Iranian (up to the fourth/third centuries BC) and Middle Iranian (from the fourth/third centuries BC to the eighth/ninth centuries AD) periods.