Notation and Abbreviations
Since this work is composed in English, I endeavour to exclude non-English words in their original scripts within the main text, preferring instead their simplified transcription. I consistently provide terms, as well as titles of books, journals, and films, in their English translations, and add the original script in parentheses, when I wish to draw the reader’s attention to the original – be it Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Kurdish or Arabic. However, I primarily use the original scripts in footnotes, and cite titles of pre-1917 Russian-language texts in their original pre-reform Cyrillic script to remain true to the original version.
When referring to the names of the Yezidis and Kurds, I do not use the ezafe construction, as it does not exist in the English language. Thus, I write, for instance, Arab Shamo and Amin Avdal instead of Erebê Şemo and Emînê Evdal. Nevertheless, I am not always consistent and occasionally deviate from this rule, when I wish to draw attention to the script used by the Yezidis and Kurds or, for greater precision, in the case of names referring to tribes, clans, and localities.
Additionally, I refer to city names according to the historical periods during which they were in use. For instance, I use Tiflis and Erivan when discussing events predating 1936, and Tbilisi and Yerevan for events occurring after that year.
Throughout the text, I also make use of the following abbreviations:
| IYTA | International Yezidi Theological Academy, Akadêmiya Teolojiya Êzdîtiyê ya Navdewletî; |
| YSCG | Yezidi Spiritual Council of Georgia, Civata Rûhaniya Êzdiyan ya Gurcistanê, |
| YSSC | Yezidi Supreme Spiritual Council, Al-Majlis al-Ruhani al-Yazidi al-A’la, Civata Ruhanî ya Bilind ya Êzdiyan. |