Face-to-face
Kurdish Kalhori interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
Kurdish varieties · dialect
Kurdish Kalhori interpreting and translation
Kalhori is a Southern Kurdish variety spoken mainly in Iran's Kermanshah province. It differs from Sorani and Kurmanji, and most speakers are also fluent in Farsi.
کەڵهوڕی
- Script
- Kurdish Arabic-based alphabet, Arabic script
- Direction
- Right to left
- ISO 639-3
sdh
Kalhori takes its name from the Kalhor, a large Kurdish tribal confederation of western Iran. It is spoken in and around Eslamabad-e Gharb and Gilan-e Gharb in Kermanshah province and in neighbouring border areas, extending into Iraq around Khanaqin. Kalhori is classified within Southern Kurdish, the group that also includes Kermanshahi, Ilami and Faili speech. It is grouped under Southern Kurdish.
Southern Kurdish is the least studied of the three main Kurdish groups, and descriptions of its internal divisions differ. Kalhori is sometimes cited as a representative variety of the group. Most Kalhori speakers in Iran are bilingual in Farsi, which is the language of education and administration.
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How we help
Kurdish Kalhori services
Video (VRI)
Secure video interpreting when people are in different places.
Telephone, 24/7
Telephone interpreting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Certified translation
Certified Kurdish Kalhori translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
Kurdish Kalhori interpreters and Southern Kurdish services from SILA Linguists®
Kalhori takes its name from the Kalhor, a large Kurdish tribal confederation of western Iran, and is spoken around Eslamabad-e Gharb and Gilan-e Gharb in Kermanshah province and across the border near Khanaqin in Iraq. It is a representative variety of Southern Kurdish, one of the three main Kurdish groups. SILA Linguists® provides Kalhori interpreters, transcribers and translators for asylum caseworkers, clinics and Kurdish associations wherever they are based, from London to Stockholm, Toronto and Melbourne. Most Kalhori speakers in Iran are bilingual in Farsi, and we ask which language the client wants to use.
Booking a Kalhori or Southern Kurdish interpreter
The best match is a Southern Kurdish interpreter, ideally from Kermanshah. Sorani interpreters may follow some Kalhori, but vocabulary and grammar differ significantly, and Kurmanji is further removed still. For an asylum applicant describing their village, their family and the events that led them to leave, those differences can decide whether the account is understood correctly.
Face-to-face Kalhori interpreting is arranged where a suitable interpreter is within reach; otherwise remote interpreting is the best way to reach one, by phone whenever needed or by video on the SILA Linguists® app. Relay through Farsi can be arranged with the client's agreement, and a male or female interpreter can be booked for sensitive appointments.
Kalhori texts and Iranian documents
Kalhori has no fixed written standard and is written in the Kurdish Arabic-based alphabet or Farsi script with variable spelling. Iranian official documents are in Farsi, and our Farsi translators handle a Kalhori speaker's birth certificate, marriage papers, school records or court documents, certifying each with a signed declaration of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, tribunals and universities.
Kalhori translation is usually requested for recordings, community information and research, and we agree a consistent spelling with you before starting.
Transcribing Kalhori and supporting asylum decisions
We transcribe Kalhori interviews and recordings with timings, flag Farsi passages and supply an English version, which researchers and legal teams can rely on. SILA Linguists® can also arrange LADO for Kalhori speakers whose origin in Kermanshah or the border areas is questioned.
Sectors we support in Kalhori
Our vetted, trained and qualified Kalhori linguists can support asylum and immigration representatives, healthcare providers and community services. Your Kalhori requests go to one contact, linguists are vetted and sign non-disclosure agreements, and clients' details are kept under UK GDPR. If a case continues over months, we aim to keep the same Kalhori interpreter involved, so the client does not have to repeat their story to a stranger each time and terminology stays consistent.
Good to know
Working with Kurdish Kalhori
Interpreting
- Book a Southern Kurdish interpreter, ideally one from Kermanshah. Sorani interpreters may understand some Kalhori, but differences in vocabulary and grammar are significant, and Kurmanji is further removed.
- Many Kalhori speakers are comfortable in Farsi for official matters. Ask the client which language they prefer.
- Remote interpreting by video or telephone is often the best way to reach a suitable interpreter. Relay through Farsi can be arranged with the client's agreement.
Translation
- Kalhori has no fixed written standard. It is written in the Kurdish Arabic-based alphabet or Farsi script, with variable spelling. Iranian official documents are in Farsi and need a Farsi translator.
- Requests for Kalhori translation are usually for recordings, community information and research.
Related languages
Kurdish Kalhori and its neighbours
Choose a language to see its page. Getting the right variety matters: tell us the region or dialect if you know it.
Where Kurdish Kalhori is often needed
- Asylum and immigration
- LADO
- Healthcare
- Community services
Explore more kurdish varieties or see all languages A to Z.
Get in touch
Need a Kurdish Kalhori interpreter or translator?
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.