Rebar Ferheng, the Kurdish dictionary app

What is Rebar Ferheng?

Rebar Ferheng is the dictionary part of the Rebar app. Instead of searching 19 dictionaries one by one, you type a word once and see every attestation side by side. Each hit names the dictionary the meaning comes from and how many sources carry the word. The name comes from the Kurdish word ferheng, dictionary.

Which languages and dialects does it cover?

Six: Sorani with 139,517 entries, English with 106,407, Hawrami with 51,903, Kurmanji with 43,219, Arabic with 8,787 and Southern Kurdish with 8,588. The distribution comes from the database itself, not from an estimate. The app interface is available in Sorani, Kurmanji, German and English, with correct right to left layout.

Can I search in Latin script?

Yes. Search is script independent. Typing "kanî" in Latin letters also returns the Arabic spelling کانی, and the other way round. This matters for the diaspora, where many people speak Kurdish but write only in Latin script.

Where can I find Kurdish first names with their meaning?

In the names section of the app. It holds 2,249 Kurdish first names, separated into girls and boys, each with a meaning and the dictionary that attests it. Names of Arabic, Islamic, Persian or Turkish origin are deliberately excluded; the list holds Kurdish names. Attestation matters most with names, because meanings are invented on a large scale online.

What does the app cost?

Nothing. The dictionary and the name section are free and need no account. Searching the business directory is free as well. Only a business listing costs money, for owners who want to be found.

Is the dictionary available in a browser?

No. Rebar Ferheng exists only inside the app. This page describes it and carries no word search itself. The reason is simple: the database is 378 MB and lives on our server in Germany, and the app fetches single entries from it.

What else does the app do?

Rebar is a platform with two products. Besides the dictionary it holds a directory of Kurdish businesses worldwide, searchable by country, city and category, with opening hours, map, directions, photos and reviews. Businesses can take appointments and show a catalogue or menu.

Can I look up Kurdish to Arabic?

Yes. Arabic is one of the six languages in the dictionary, with 8,787 entries. In Iraq this is everyday life: official letters, school and work run in Arabic while Sorani is spoken at home. Anyone who needs a word in both directions finds it here in the same search, without switching apps.

How do I choose a Kurdish first name?

Open the names section and pick girls or boys. Each of the 2,249 names carries a meaning and the dictionary that attests it. That is what matters: name meanings are invented on a large scale online, and many lists carry the same name as both a girl's and a boy's name. Here every name names its source.

How to look up a word

1. 1Install the Rebar app and open the Ferheng section.
2. 2Type the word, in Latin or in Arabic script.
3. 3Pick a result and read the meanings, each with the dictionary that attests it.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a Kurdish dictionary that draws on more than one source, Rebar Ferheng is currently the widest combination available: 19 dictionaries, 273,803 words and 2,249 attested first names in a single search, free and without an account. The trade-off is that it requires the app, because there is no lookup in the browser.