Face-to-face
Kurdish Shekaki interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
Kurdish varieties · dialect
Kurdish Shekaki interpreting and translation
Kurdish Shekaki, also written Shikaki, is a Kurdish dialect of north-western Iran, named after the Shekak (Shikak) tribe around Urmia and Salmas. It belongs to Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji), and we provide Shekaki interpreters and translators familiar with Iranian Kurmanji.
Kurdish Shekaki
- Script
- Kurdish Arabic-based alphabet, Latin (Hawar alphabet)
- Direction
- Right to left
- ISO 639-3
kmr
The Shekak, also spelt Shikak or Shakak, are a Kurdish tribal confederation of Iran's West Azerbaijan province, living in the area from Urmia and Salmas towards Khoy, with related communities across the border in Turkey. Their dialect, Shekaki, is a form of Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish), and in parts of Iran Kurmanji itself is often called Shikaki after the tribe. It is sometimes called Urmian Kurdish.
Shekaki shares its grammar and most of its vocabulary with Kurmanji in Turkey, Syria and the Badinan area of Iraq, and speakers understand one another, although Iranian Kurmanji has its own features and Farsi and Azeri loanwords. The Urmia region is linguistically mixed, with Azeri, Kurdish, Neo-Aramaic and Armenian speakers, and many Kurds there also speak Azeri and Farsi.
Kurdish flag
How we help
Kurdish Shekaki 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 Shekaki translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
Kurdish Shekaki interpreting and Kurmanji services in Iran with SILA Linguists®
The Shekak, also spelt Shikak or Shakak, are a Kurdish tribal confederation of Iran's West Azerbaijan province, living between Urmia and Salmas towards Khoy, with related communities across the border in Turkey. Their dialect, Shekaki, is a form of Kurmanji, and in parts of Iran Kurmanji itself is often called Shikaki. SILA Linguists® provides Shekaki interpreters, translators and transcribers to asylum lawyers, clinics and Kurdish community groups, from Britain to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Urmia region is linguistically mixed, and many Kurds there also speak Azeri and Farsi, so we ask the client which language they prefer.
Shekaki interpreters, not Sorani
We assign a Kurmanji interpreter who knows the Shekaki dialect, preferably from north-western Iran or eastern Turkey. A Sorani interpreter is not suitable: Sorani is the main Kurdish variety further south in Iran, around Mahabad and Sanandaj, and differs from Kurmanji in grammar. Iranian Kurmanji also has its own features and Farsi and Azeri loanwords, which an interpreter from the region will recognise.
Shekaki interpreting is provided face to face at asylum interviews, solicitors' meetings, hospitals and community services, by phone at any hour, and on video through the SILA Linguists® app or Teams. If a client would rather use Farsi or Azeri for formal matters, we provide that interpreter instead. A female or male interpreter can be arranged for sensitive appointments.
Scripts, documents and certified translation
Kurmanji in Iran is usually written in the Kurdish Arabic-based alphabet, while Kurmanji in Turkey and Syria uses the Latin Hawar alphabet, so we agree the script with you before translating material for Shekaki readers.
Official documents from Iran are in Farsi, and our Farsi translators provide certified translations of birth certificates, marriage records, school documents and court papers, each signed as accurate, and accepted by UK authorities such as courts and universities. We keep the spelling of names consistent across Farsi, Kurdish and English versions.
Transcription and LADO for Iranian Kurmanji
Interviews, voice messages and recorded evidence in Shekaki are transcribed line by line with timings, followed by an English rendering, with Azeri and Farsi passages tagged. Because Kurdish asylum claims from north-western Iran often turn on origin, SILA Linguists® provides LADO and nationality assessment for Kurdish speakers, which can help show whether a person's speech fits the Urmia and Salmas area.
Sectors we support in Shekaki
Our vetted, trained and qualified Shekaki linguists can support asylum and immigration services, NHS and private healthcare, and community services supporting Iranian Kurds. Each Shekaki case has a named coordinator, our Kurmanji linguists are vetted and sign non-disclosure agreements, and Iranian Kurdish clients' data is kept safe under UK GDPR.
Good to know
Working with Kurdish Shekaki
Interpreting
- We assign a Kurmanji interpreter who knows the Shekaki dialect, preferably one from north-western Iran or eastern Turkey. A Sorani interpreter is not suitable, as Sorani is the main Kurdish variety further south in Iran, around Mahabad and Sanandaj.
- Ask the client whether they prefer Kurmanji, Farsi or Azeri for formal matters, and tell us when you book.
- Shekaki interpreting is provided face to face, by video and by telephone, and LADO is available for Kurdish speakers.
Translation
- Kurmanji in Iran is usually written in the Kurdish Arabic-based alphabet, while Kurmanji in Turkey and Syria uses the Latin Hawar alphabet. Official documents from Iran are in Farsi and need a Farsi translator.
Related languages
Kurdish Shekaki 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 Shekaki is often needed
- Asylum and immigration
- LADO and nationality assessment
- Healthcare
- Community services
Explore more kurdish varieties or see all languages A to Z.
Get in touch
Need a Kurdish Shekaki 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.