The Turkic languages are a group of languages spoken across Central Asia, West Asia, North Asia as well as Eastern Europe. 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]

NumberBranchLanguagesStatusNative SpeakersMajorityMain Writing System
1Oghuz languages8Normal121,000,000Latin
2Karluk languages4Normal43,500,000Latin
3Kipchak languages12Normal27,000,000Cyrillic
4Siberian Turkic languages9Vulnerable800,000Cyrillic
5Argu languages1Vulnerable50,000Persian
6Oghuric languages1Vulnerable1,200,000Cyrillic
TotalTurkic languages35Normal193,800,000'Latin

Turkic languages by the number of speakers

Further information: 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:[1][2]

NumberNameBranchStatusNative SpeakersMain CountryMain Writing System
1Turkish languageOghuz languagesNormal83,000,000Latin
2Uzbek languageKarluk languagesNormal32,000,000Latin
3Azerbaijani languageOghuz languagesNormal30,000,000Latin
4Kazakh languageKipchak languagesNormal19,000,000Cyrillic
5Uyghur languageKarluk languagesNormal13,000,000Perso-Arabic
6Turkmen languageOghuz languagesNormal7,000,000Latin
7Tatar languageKipchak languagesNormal5,500,000Cyrillic
8Kyrgyz languageKipchak languagesNormal5,000,000Cyrillic
9Bashkir languageKipchak languagesVulnerable1,500,000Cyrillic
10Chuvash languageOghuric languagesVulnerable1,200,000Cyrillic
11Qashqai languageOghuz languagesNormal1,000,000Perso-Arabic
12Khorasani Turkic languageOghuz languagesVulnerable1,000,000Perso-Arabic
13Karakalpak languageKipchak languagesNormal650,000Latin
14Crimean Tatar languageKipchak languagesSeverely endangered600,000Latin
15Kumyk languageKipchak languagesVulnerable450,000Cyrillic
16Karachay-Balkar languageKipchak languagesVulnerable400,000Cyrillic
17Yakut languageSiberian Turkic languagesVulnerable400,000Cyrillic
18Tuvan languageSiberian Turkic languagesVulnerable300,000Cyrillic
19Urum languageKipchak languagesDefinitely endangered200,000Cyrillic
20Gagauz languageOghuz languagesCritically endangered150,000Latin
21Siberian Tatar languageKipchak languagesDefinitely endangered100,000Cyrillic
22Nogai languageKipchak languagesDefinitely endangered100,000Cyrillic
23Dobrujan Tatar languageKipchak languagesSeverely endangered70,000Latin
24Salar languageOghuz languagesVulnerable70,000Latin
25Altai languagesSiberian Turkic languagesSeverely endangered60,000Cyrillic
26Khakas languageSiberian Turkic languagesDefinitely endangered50,000Cyrillic
27Khalaj languageArgu languagesVulnerable20,000Perso-Arabic
28Äynu languageKarluk languagesCritically endangered6,000Perso-Arabic
29Western Yugur languageSiberian Turkic languagesSeverely endangered5,000Latin
30Shor languageSiberian Turkic languagesSeverely endangered3,000Cyrillic
31Dolgan languageSiberian Turkic languagesDefinitely endangered1,000Cyrillic
32Krymchak languageKipchak languagesCritically endangered200Hebrew
33Ili Turki languageKarluk languagesSeverely endangered100Cyrillic
34Tofa languageSiberian Turkic languagesCritically endangered100Cyrillic
35Karaim languageKipchak languagesCritically endangered100Cyrillic
36Chulym languageSiberian Turkic languagesCritically endangered50Cyrillic
TotalTurkic languagesCommon Turkic languagesNormal193,700,000'Latin

Endangered Turkic languages

Main articles: 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]

NumberNameStatusSpeakersMain Country
1Bashkir languageVulnerable1,500,000
2Chuvash languageVulnerable1,200,000
3Khorasani Turkic languageVulnerable1,000,000
4Crimean Tatar languageVulnerable600,000
5Kumyk languageVulnerable450,000
6Yakut languageVulnerable400,000
7Karachay-Balkar languageVulnerable400,000
8Tuvan languageVulnerable300,000
9Urum languageDefinitely endangered200,000
10Gagauz languageCritically endangered150,000
11Siberian Tatar languageDefinitely endangered100,000
12Nogai languageDefinitely endangered100,000
13Dobrujan Tatar languageSeverely endangered70,000
14Salar languageVulnerable70,000
15Altai languageSeverely endangered60,000
16Khakas languageDefinitely endangered50,000
17Khalaj languageVulnerable20,000
18Äynu languageCritically endangered6,000
19Western Yugur languageSeverely endangered5,000
20Shor languageSeverely endangered3,000
21Dolgan languageDefinitely endangered1,000
22Krymchak languageCritically endangered200
23Tofa languageCritically endangered100
24Karaim languageCritically endangered100
25Ili Turki languageSeverely endangered100
26Chulym languageCritically endangered50

Extinct Turkic languages

NumberNameTime of Extinct
-Proto TurkicReconstructed language
1Old Turkic8th century
2Old Anatolian Turkish11th century
3Pecheneg12th century
4Orkhon Turkic13th century
5Khazar13th century
6Old Uyghur14th century
7Khorezmian14th century
8Bulgar14th century
9Middle Turkic15th century
10Mamluk-Kipchak16th century
11Cuman1770
12Volga Türki19th century
13Fergana Kipchak1920s
14Chagatai1921
15Ottoman Turkish1928
16Fuyu Girgis20th century
17Soyot20th century
18Dukhan21st century

Well-known Turkic Dialects

Main articles: Turkish dialects and Azerbaijani dialects
NumberDialectMain Language
1Rumelian dialectTurkish language
2Cypriot dialectTurkish language
3Afshar dialectAzerbaijani language
4Sonqori dialectAzerbaijani language
5Lop dialectUyghur language
6Baraba dialectSiberian Tatar language

Ancestral

Common Turkic (Shaz Turkic / Z Turkic)

Siberian Turkic

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
            • Tuha
            • Tsengel Tuvan
          • 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:
              • Ovyur
              • Bii-Khem
            • 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)
          • Yenisei Turkic
      • North Siberian

Karluk (Southeastern)

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)

Kipchak (Northwestern)

Main article: Kipchak languages

Oghuz (Southwestern Turkic)

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)
        • Azerbaijani (Azeri Turkic, has an Iranian substrate from the Old Azeri language, an Indo-European language
          • South Azerbaijani
            • 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
        • 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
                • Edirne
              • 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
    • Pecheneg

Arghu

Oghur (Lir Turkic / R Turkic)

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 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

  1. ^ "Turkic". Ethnologue. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Welcome to Glottolog 5.0". Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  3. ^ Dybo A.V., Chronology of Türkic languages and linguistic contacts of early Türks, Moscow, 2007, p. 766, "Хронология тюркских языков и лингвистические контакты ранних тюрков (Chronology of Turkic languages and linguistic contacts of the early Turks)". Archived from the original on 2005-03-11. Retrieved 2005-03-11. (In Russian)
  4. ^ "UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in danger"
  5. ^ "Atlas of languages in danger | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization"
  6. ^ The Sounds of Tatar Spoken in Romania: The Golden Khwarezmian Language of the Nine Noble Nations (Academia.edu)
  7. ^ Holcombe, Charles (2001). The Genesis of East Asia: 221 B.C. - A.D. 907. p. 132.

Further reading

  • Hahn, Reinhard F. "Zhōngguó Tūjué yŭzú yŭyán cíhuìjí Collected glossaries of China's Turkic languages." (1992): 124-128.
  • 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. (in Russian)
  • Akhatov G.Kh. 1963. "Dialect West Siberian Tatars" (monograph). Ufa. (in Russian)
  • Baskakov, N.A. 1962, 1969. Introduction to the study of the Turkic languages. Moscow. (in Russian)
  • Boeschoten, Hendrik & Lars Johanson. 2006. Turkic languages in contact. Turcologica, Bd. 61. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. ISBN 3-447-05212-0
  • 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. ISBN 0-415-08200-5.
  • Johanson, Lars (1998). "The history of Turkic". pp. 81–125.
  • 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. ISBN 0-415-14198-2
  • 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. ISBN 90-04-13153-1
  • Voegelin, C.F. & F.M. Voegelin. 1977. Classification and index of the World's languages. New York: Elsevier.