The Linguistic Other in Nali’s Poetry

Abstract

This study is entitled "The Linguistic Other in Nali’s Poetry." It is an attempt to explore and articulate a new perspective on Nali’s poetry and, by extension, Kurdish classic poetry. This perspective often goes unnoticed, especially in political and social dimensions. The aim of this research is to clarify how Nali’s poetry highlights this subject and how, through language, he perceives his counterpart (the "other") and seeks to reach that goal-namely, to define or recognize his others. The topic, in its essence, carries a political context, with attention to the history of Kurdish politics and intellectualism.

The study is conducted using the descriptive-analytical method. Theoretically, it is grounded in postcolonial perspectives and discourses, which are appropriate for analyzing the status of subordinated nations under colonization and their relations with dominant colonial powers. The theoretical framework of the study is thus shaped, and the concept of “the other” within postcolonial readings is further examined and clarified. Then, with a focus on Nali’s poetry, the study seeks to demonstrate how he identifies the linguistic “other” and which of those languages are most significant.

In conclusion, the research finds that Nali’s poetry is not apolitical; rather, it actively works to position the Kurdish language, a significant marker of identity and an essential force in Kurdish intellectual tradition, in contrast to Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. Through this, he marks those languages as linguistic “others.” Undoubtedly, Nali’s choice to engage with those dominant languages to highlight the power and beauty of Kurdish language stems from a long and complex historical political, intellectual, and social struggle between the hegemony of those languages and Kurdish within Kurdish society.