The Tats (Tati: Irünə Tâtün, ) are an Iranian people living in northern Iran, especially in Qazvin province.
The Tats of Iran are mainly Shia Muslims and number about 300,000.Paul, Ludwig (1998a). The position of Zazaki among West Iranian languages. In Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference of Iranian Studies, 11-15.09.1995, Cambridge, Nicholas Sims-Williams (ed.), 163-176. Wiesbaden: Reichert.Andrew Dalby, Dictionary of Languages: the definitive reference to more than 400 languages, Columbia University Press, 2004, pg 496."Azari, the Old Iranian Language of Azerbaijan," Encyclopaedia Iranica, op. cit., Vol. III/2, 1987 by E. Yarshater. External link: it is also spoken in some villages like Vafs and Chehreghan in the central areas of Iran like Gholamhossein Mosahab's The Persian Encyclopedia
Etymology Starting from the Middle Ages, the term Tati was used not only for the Caucasus but also for northwestern Iran, where it was extended to almost all of the local Iranian languages except Persian and Kurdish.
Language The Tats of Iran use the Tati language, a group of northwestern Iranian dialects which are closely related to the Talysh and Zaza. Persian and Iranian Azerbaijani are also spoken.
Currently, the term Tati and Tati language is used to refer to a particular group of north-western Iranian dialects (Chali, Danesfani, Hiaraji, Hoznini, Esfarvarini, Takestani, Sagzabadi, Ebrahimabadi, Eshtehardi, Hoini, Kajali, Shahroudi, Harzani) in Iranian Azerbaijan, as well as south of it in the provinces of Qazvin and Zanjan.Языки мира. Иранские языки. Северо-западные иранские языки. с. 106-107. М., Индрик, 1999 г. These dialects have a certain affinity to the Talysh language, Mazanderani language and may be descendants of the extinct Old Azari language.
Notable Tats Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Iranian footballer who plays for Iran and Feyenoord
See also Tat people (Caucasus) Tati language (Iran) Tat language (Caucasus) History of Tat people
References
External links
Sample of the Gozarkhani language