List of Turkic languages explained
The Turkic languages are a group of languages spoken across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, East Asia and Siberia. Turkic languages are spoken as native languages by some 200 million people.
Turkic languages by subfamily
The number of speakers derived from statistics or estimates (2022) and were rounded:[1] [2]
| Number | Branch | Languages | Status | Native Speakers | Majority | Main Writing System |
|---|
| 1 | | 8 | Normal | 121,000,000 | | Latin |
| 2 | | 4 | Normal | 43,500,000 | | Latin |
| 3 | | 12 | Normal | 27,000,000 | | Latin |
| 4 | | 9 | Vulnerable | 800,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 5 | | 1 | Vulnerable | 50,000 | | Persian |
| 6 | | 1 | Vulnerable | 1,200,000 | | Cyrillic |
| Total | Turkic languages | 35 | Normal | 193,800,000 | | Latin | |
Turkic languages by the number of speakers
See also: Lists of endangered languages, List of endangered languages in Russia and List of endangered languages in China.
The Turkic languages are a language family of at least 35 [3] documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples. The number of speakers derived from statistics or estimates (2019) and were rounded:
| Number | Name | Branch | Status | Native Speakers | Main Country | Main Writing System |
|---|
| 1 | | | Normal | 83,000,000 | | Latin |
| 2 | Uzbek language | Karluk languages | Normal | 32,000,000 | | Latin |
| 3 | Azerbaijani language | Oghuz languages | Normal | 30,000,000 | | Latin |
| 4 | | | Normal | 13,000,000 | | Perso-Arabic |
| 5 | | | Normal | 19,000,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 6 | | | Normal | 7,000,000 | | Latin |
| 7 | | | Normal | 5,500,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 8 | | | Normal | 5,000,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 9 | | | Vulnerable | 1,500,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 10 | | | Vulnerable | 1,200,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 11 | | | Normal | 1,000,000 | | Perso-Arabic |
| 12 | | | Vulnerable | 1,000,000 | | Perso-Arabic |
| 13 | | | Normal | 650,000 | | Latin |
| 14 | | | Severely endangered | 600,000 | | Latin |
| 15 | | | Vulnerable | 450,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 16 | | | Vulnerable | 400,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 17 | | | Vulnerable | 400,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 18 | | | Vulnerable | 300,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 19 | | | Definitely endangered | 200,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 20 | | | Critically endangered | 150,000 | | |
| 21 | | | Definitely endangered | 100,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 22 | | | Definitely endangered | 100,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 23 | | | Severely endangered | 70,000 | | Latin |
| 24 | | | Vulnerable | 70,000 | | Latin |
| 25 | | | Severely endangered | 60,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 26 | | | Definitely endangered | 50,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 27 | | | Vulnerable | 20,000 | | Perso-Arabic |
| 28 | | | Critically endangered | 6,000 | | Perso-Arabic |
| 29 | | | Severely endangered | 5,000 | | Latin |
| 30 | | | Severely endangered | 3,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 31 | | | Definitely endangered | 1,000 | | Cyrillic |
| 32 | | | Critically endangered | 200 | | Hebrew |
| 33 | | | Severely endangered | 100 | | Cyrillic |
| 34 | | | Critically endangered | 100 | | Cyrillic |
| 35 | | | Critically endangered | 100 | | Cyrillic |
| 36 | | | Critically endangered | 50 | | Cyrillic |
| Total | Turkic languages | Common Turkic languages | Normal | 193,700,000 | | Latin | |
Endangered Turkic languages
See main article: Endangered language and Lists of endangered languages. An endangered language, or moribund language, is a language that is at risk of falling out of use as its speakers die out or shift to speaking another language. Language loss occurs when the language has no more native speakers and becomes a "dead language".
26 endangered Turkic languages exist in World. The number of speakers derived from statistics or estimates (2019) and were rounded:[4] [5] [6]
| width=30 | Number | width=200 | Name | width=150 | Status | width=100 | Speakers | width=100 | Main Country |
|---|
| 1 | | Vulnerable | 1,500,000 | |
| 2 | | Vulnerable | 1,200,000 | |
| 3 | | Vulnerable | 1,000,000 | |
| 4 | | Vulnerable | 600,000 | |
| 5 | | Vulnerable | 450,000 | |
| 6 | | Vulnerable | 400,000 | |
| 7 | | Vulnerable | 400,000 | |
| 8 | | Vulnerable | 300,000 | |
| 9 | | Definitely endangered | 200,000 | |
| 10 | | Critically endangered | 150,000 | |
| 11 | | Definitely endangered | 100,000 | |
| 12 | | Definitely endangered | 100,000 | |
| 13 | | Severely endangered | 70,000 | |
| 14 | | Vulnerable | 70,000 | |
| 15 | | Severely endangered | 60,000 | |
| 16 | | Definitely endangered | 50,000 | |
| 17 | | Vulnerable | 20,000 | |
| 18 | | Critically endangered | 6,000 | |
| 19 | | Severely endangered | 5,000 | |
| 20 | | Severely endangered | 3,000 | |
| 21 | | Definitely endangered | 1,000 | |
| 22 | | Critically endangered | 200 | |
| 23 | | Critically endangered | 100 | |
| 24 | | Critically endangered | 100 | |
| 25 | | Severely endangered | 100 | |
| 26 | | Critically endangered | 50 | | |
Extinct Turkic languages
Famous Turkic Dialects
See main article: Turkish dialects and Azerbaijani dialects.
Hypothetical ancestors
Hypothetical relation to other language families and their proto-languages
- Proto-Human (?)
- Several unknown language families and links (?)
Ancestral
Siberian Turkic
See main article: Siberian Turkic languages.
- South Siberian
- Altai Turkic
- Northern Altai
- Tuba
- Kumandy/Qumanda
- Turachak
- Solton
- Starobardinian
- Chalkan (Kuu/Qu, Lebedin)
- Chulym Turkic
- Chulym
- Lower Chulym (Küerik) (now believed extinct)
- Middle Chulym
- Upper Chulym
- Sayan Turkic (dialect continuum)
- Tofa
- Tuvan
- Western/Khemchik River (It is influenced by Altai)
- Central (the geographical centrality of this dialect meant it was similar to the language spoken by most Tuvans, whether or not exactly the same). Forms the basis of the standard and literary language and includes:
- Northeastern/Todzhi (it is spoken near the upper course of the Bii-Khem River by the Tozhu Tuvans. The speakers of this dialect utilize nasalization. It contains a large vocabulary related to hunting and reindeer breeding not found in the other dialects).
- Southeastern (shows the most influence from the Mongolian language).
- Taiga
- Orkhon Turkic / Old Turkic / Old Uyghur (extinct) (not a direct ancestor of Uyghur, that descends from Karluk) (not synonymous with Proto-Turkic)
- North Siberian
Karluk (Southeastern)
See main article: Karluk languages. Historically in Central Asia there was a distinction between sedentary, called Sart or Taranchi, and nomadic peoples (regardless of the ethnic group and language). Many times it was used confusingly because it was a generic word for several peoples and their languages (mainly Iranians or Turkics) and also because it had different meanings at different historical times (had shifting meanings over the centuries). Strictly it was not an ethnic or linguistic definition but one of a lifestyle. (strong Iranian substrate)
- Chagatai or Turki (Jağatāy) (literary language of medieval Golden Horde in much of Central Asia) (extinct)
- Pre-classical Chagatai (1400–1465)
- East
- Uyghur (not a direct descendant of the language called Old Uyghur, Old Turkic or Orkhon Turkic)
- Eastern: Spoken in an area stretching from Qarkilik towards north to Qongköl
- Central: Spoken in an area stretching from Kumul towards south to Yarkand
- Southern: Spoken in an area stretching from Guma towards east to Qarkilik
- Lop (Ľor télé) (could be a distinct language)
- Ili Turki (Kipchak substrate) (extinct)
- West
- Uzbek (Karluk Uzbek, Sart Uzbek – Sedentary and Urban Uzbek, “Modern Uzbek”) (strong Iranian substrate from Sogdian and Persian languages)
Kipchak (Northwestern)
See main article: Kipchak languages.
- Kipchak (extinct)
- South Kipchak (Aralo-Caspian Turkic)
- Kipchak-Nogai
- Kyrgyz-Kypchak
- North Kipchak (Uralo-Caspian/Volga-Ural Turkic) (has some Uralic substrate)
- West Kipchak (Kipchak-Cuman/Ponto-Caspian Turkic)
- Cuman (Polovtsian/Folban/Vallany/Kun) (extinct)
Oghuz (Southwestern Turkic)
See main article: Oghuz languages.
- East Oghuz (Eastern)
- Salar, an Oghuz language outlier strongly influenced by Karluk and Kipchak languages and also by non-Turkic languages like Tibetan and Chinese
- Qinghai (Amdo) Salar
- Ili Salar
- Turkmen Teke (Tekke) (basis of the standard Turkmen)
- Nohurly
- Ýomud
- Änewli
- Hasarly
- Nerezim
- Gökleň
- Salyr
- Saryk
- Ärsary
- Çowdur
- Trukhmen
- Transitional East-West Oghuz
- West Oghuz (Western)
-
- Qarapapaq
- Shahsavani (Shahseven)
- Muqaddam
- Baharlu (Kamesh)
- Nafar
- Qaragözlü
- Pishaqchi
- Bayatlu
- Qajar
- Tabrizi (basis of Standard South Azerbaijani but not identical)
- Iraqi Turkmen (South Turkmen)
- North Azerbaijani
- Salyan
- Lenkaran
- Qazakh
- Airym
- Borcala
- Terekeme
- Qyzylbash
- Nukha
- Zaqatala (Mugaly)
- Qabala
- Yerevan
- Ordubad
- Ganja
- Shusha (Karabakh)
- Karapapak
- Shirvan dialect
- Baku dialect (basis of Standard North Azerbaijani, but not identical)
- Shamakhi
- Quba
- Derbend
- Nakhchivan
- Transitional Turkish Azerbaijani-Turkish
- Eastern Anatolian Turkish
- Meskhetian Turkish
- Hemshen Turkish
- Eastern Anatolian Turkish Proper (Kars, Erzurum, other regions)
- Zaza Turkish (Turkish spoken by Zazas, not to be confused with Zaza, which is an Iranian language, Zaza substrate)
- Kurdish Turkish (Turkish spoken by Kurds, not to be confused with Kurdish which is an Iranian language, Kurdish substrate)
- Northeastern Anatolian Turkish (Kuzeydoğu Anadolu Ağızları)
- Laz Turkish (Turkish spoken by Laz, do not confuse with Laz which is a Kartvelian language)
- Trebizond (Trabzon) Turkish
- Old Anatolian Turkish (extinct)
- Turkish
- Anatolian dialects (Anadolu Ağızları)
- Western Anatolian (Batı Anadolu Ağızları)
- Central (Orta Anadolu)
- East central
- West Central
- Mediterranean (Akdeniz)/South (Güney)
- Southwest (Güneybatı)
- Southeast (Güneydoğu)
- Black Sea (Karadeniz)/North (Kuzey)
- Çorum, Çankırı
- East Black Sea Coast
- West Black Sea Coast
- Sakarya-Izmit
- Aegean (Ege)/West (Batı)
- Yörük (Nomadic Anatolian Turkish)
- Istanbul dialect (İstanbul Türkçesi) (basis of Modern Standard Turkish but not identical)
- Syrian Turkmen (Syrian Turkish)
- Cypriot Turkish
- Balkanic/Rumelian/Danubian
- East Balkanic/East Rumelian/East Danubian
- West Balkanic/West Rumelian/West Danubian
- Karamanli Turkish (Turkish of the Karamanlides, Turkish-speaking Greeks, Greek language substrate, not confuse with Cappadocian Greek, a mixed language, or the Cappadocian Greeks, although they are related) (almost extinct)
- Balkan Gagauz Turkish (Balkan Turkic) (Rumeli Türkçesi)
- Gajal
- Gerlovo Turk
- Karamanli
- Kyzylbash
- Surguch
- Tozluk Turk
- Yuruk
- Macedonian Gagauz
- Gagauz
- Bulgar Gagauzi
- Maritime Gagauzi
- Ottoman Turkish(extinct) (not a direct ancestor of Anatolian Turkish but a heavily Persianized and Arabized Turkic language)
- Fasih Türkçe (Eloquent Turkish): the language of poetry and administration, Ottoman Turkish in its strict sense
- Orta Türkçe (Middle Turkish): the language of higher classes and trade
- Kaba Türkçe (Rough Turkish): the language of lower classes.
- South Oghuz
- Afshar (could be a dialect of South Azerbaijani language)
- Aynallu (could be a dialect of South Azerbaijani language)
- Qashqai (closely related to Azerbaijani)
- Sonqori (could be a dialect of South Azerbaijani)
- Pecheneg
Arghu
- Proto-Oghur
- Bulgar/Bolgar (extinct) (had a Uralic substrate)
- Volga Bulgar (extinct)
- Danube Bulgar (extinct in the 10th c. AD assimilated by the Slavic language of the Seven Slavic Tribes, that was close to Old Church Slavonic, but they chose the name Bulgarian as an ethnonym and also for their language because of the origins of much of their ruling class or political elite that was Turkic)
- Khazar (extinct) (the language of the Khazars)
Possible Turkic languages (all extinct)
Unclassified languages that may have been Turkic or members of other language families
- Hunnic / Xiongnu (?)
- Hunnic / Hunnish - the language or languages of the Huns (there are several hypotheses about their language)
- Xiongnu - the language or languages of the Xiongnu (may be the same as the Hunnic language, a closely related one, or not related at all) (there are several hypotheses about their language)
- Jie - the language of the Jie (in today's Northern China), might be a dialect of the Xiongnu language. (possibly the earliest attested Turkic language, or a Yeniseian language)
- Keraite - the language or languages of the Keraites (in today's Central Mongolia) (Mongolized after Temüjin, called Chinggis Khan, conquest in the 13th century) (Qarai Turks, the Kerey Kazakh group of the middle zhuz Argyns, the Kireis, a group of the Kyrgyz and many Torghut may descend from them) (there are several hypotheses about their language)
- Old Naiman - the language or languages of the old Naimans (in today's Western and Southwestern Mongolia) (Mongolized after Temüjin, called Chinggis Khan, conquest in the 13th century) (Naiman, however, is the Mongol name for the numeral eight) (there are several hypotheses about their language)
- Pannonian Avar - the language or languages of the Pannonian Avars (there are several hypotheses about their language)
- Tuoba - the language of Tuoba and possible related to Turkic languages.[7]
Possible Mixed languages
Constructed languages
- Jalpi Türk language (crh) is a constructed language created by Ismail Gasprinsky in the 19th century.
- Ortatürk (tt) is a constructed language created by Baxtiyar Kärimov between 1993-2008.
- Öztürkçe is a semi-constructed, purified and controlled version of Turkish language.
See also
References
- Akhatov G. Kh. 1960. "About the stress in the language of the Siberian Tatars in connection with the stress of modern Tatar literary language" .- Sat *"Problems of Turkic and the history of Russian Oriental Studies." Kazan.
- Akhatov G.Kh. 1963. "Dialect West Siberian Tatars" (monograph). Ufa.
- Baskakov, N.A. 1962, 1969. Introduction to the study of the Turkic languages. Moscow.
- Boeschoten, Hendrik & Lars Johanson. 2006. Turkic languages in contact. Turcologica, Bd. 61. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
- Clausen, Gerard. 1972. An etymological dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Deny, Jean et al. 1959–1964. Philologiae Turcicae Fundamenta. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
- Dolatkhah, Sohrab. 2016. Parlons qashqay. In: collection "parlons". Paris: L'Harmattan.
- Dolatkhah, Sohrab. 2016. Le qashqay: langue turcique d'Iran. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (online).
- Dolatkhah, Sohrab. 2015. Qashqay Folktales. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (online).
- Johanson, Lars & Éva Agnes Csató (ed.). 1998. The Turkic languages. London: Routledge. .
- Web site: Johanson, Lars. 1998 . The history of Turkic. 81–125 .
- Web site: Johanson, Lars. 1998 . Turkic languages . Encyclopædia Britannica Online .
- Menges, K. H. 1968. The Turkic languages and peoples: An introduction to Turkic studies. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
- Öztopçu, Kurtuluş. 1996. Dictionary of the Turkic languages: English, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tatar, Turkish, Turkmen, Uighur, Uzbek. London: Routledge.
- Samoilovich, A. N. 1922. Some additions to the classification of the Turkish languages. Petrograd.
- Schönig, Claus. 1997–1998. "A new attempt to classify the Turkic languages I-III." Turkic Languages 1:1.117–133, 1:2.262–277, 2:1.130–151.
- Starostin, Sergei A., Anna V. Dybo, and Oleg A. Mudrak. 2003. Etymological Dictionary of the Altaic Languages. Leiden: Brill.
- Voegelin, C.F. & F.M. Voegelin. 1977. Classification and index of the World's languages. New York: Elsevier.
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Turkic . Ethnologue . 18 August 2022 . en.
- Web site: Welcome to Glottolog 5.0 . 2024-03-12.
- Dybo A.V., Chronology of Türkic languages and linguistic contacts of early Türks, Moscow, 2007, p. 766, Web site: Хронология тюркских языков и лингвистические контакты ранних тюрков (Chronology of Turkic languages and linguistic contacts of the early Turks) . 2005-03-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050311224856/http://altaica.narod.ru/LIBRARY/xronol_tu.pdf . 2005-03-11 . (In Russian)
- Web site: UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in danger.
- Web site: Atlas of languages in danger | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
- https://www.academia.edu/36788619/The_Sounds_of_Tatar_Spoken_in_Romania_The_Golden_Khwarezmian_Language_of_the_Nine_Noble_Nations The Sounds of Tatar Spoken in Romania: The Golden Khwarezmian Language of the Nine Noble Nations (Academia.edu)
- Book: Holcombe, Charles. The Genesis of East Asia: 221 B.C. - A.D. 907. 2001. 132.
