The Kumzari or Kumzar (کومزاري) are an Iranian ethnic group[citation needed] native to the Musandam peninsula in northern Oman. They speak the Kumzari language along with the Shihuh tribe who are Arabs unlike the Kumzar. They are traditional fisherman.[4]
کومزاري | |
|---|---|
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Oman (Kumzar) | 5,000[1] |
 Iran | 500[2] |
| Languages | |
| Kumzari, Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Islam[3] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Lurs, Shihuh | |
History
editThe Kumzari people are said to have been a Persian-related people who travelled to the northern coast of Oman 500 years ag,[5] with one source claiming they are ethnic Lurs.[5][better source needed][6][failed verification]
Other sources say that the Kumzari originated from the Azd tribe who came to Yemen in the third to fifth centuries AD.[7] The village was ruled by a shaikh who was elected by the Kumzari and Shihuh people of Kumzar.[8] Many Kumzari shaikhs married people outside of their village like Labtiab.[9]
Traditions
editKumzari men perform traditional dances like the Dandana which is a type of dance during Kumzari weddings.[10] They are regarded as semi-nomads and travel to the village of Khasab for trade.[11] They have been regarded as "brave fighters" when it comes to combat.[12]
Language
editThe Kumzari people have spoken the Kumzari language, which has been designated as an Iranian language, but has a huge Arabic influence as well as Portuguese, English, and Balochi.[13][14]
References
edit- ^ https://multicast.aspra.uni-bamberg.de/resources/wowa/data/iranian/kumzari_musandam/wowa_iran_kumzari_musandam__metadata.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ https://multicast.aspra.uni-bamberg.de/resources/wowa/data/iranian/kumzari_musandam/wowa_iran_kumzari_musandam__metadata.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Rare language also under threat in Straits of Hormuz". 13 April 2012.
- ^ Lancaster, William; Lancaster, Fidelity (2011). Honour is in Contentment: Life Before Oil in Ras Al-Khaimah (UAE) and Some Neighboring Countries. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110223392.
- ^ a b IBP, Inc. (2013). Oman: How to Invest, Start and Run Profitable Business in Oman Guide. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781433084225.
- ^ "An Omani Village Emerges from Isolation". NPR.org.
- ^ van der Wal Anonby, Christina (2014). "Traces of Arabian in Kumzari". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. 44: 137–146. JSTOR 43782857.
- ^ Adamec, Ludwig W. (1976). Historical Gazetteer of Iran: Zahidan and southeastern Iran (4 ed.). Akademische Drucku. Verlagsanstalt. p. 273. ISBN 9783201014281.
- ^ Cavendish, Marshall (September 2006). World and Its Peoples (1 ed.). 2006. ISBN 9780761475712.
- ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-couple-document-centuries-old-oral-language-to-sustain-it-1.3219025 [bare URL]
- ^ "Kumzari: The Omani language on the verge of extinction". YouTube.
- ^ "Tribes of Musandam".
- ^ "The hidden world of the kumzaris". 12 June 2019.
- ^ "Why the Kumzari tongue consists of ancient words with a future". 7 December 2012.