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.
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 | Oghuz languages | 8 | Normal | 121,000,000 | Turkey | Latin |
2 | Karluk languages | 4 | Normal | 43,500,000 | Uzbekistan | Latin |
3 | Kipchak languages | 12 | Normal | 27,000,000 | Kazakhstan | Latin |
4 | Siberian Turkic languages | 9 | Vulnerable | 800,000 | Russia | Cyrillic |
5 | Argu languages | 1 | Vulnerable | 50,000 | Iran | Persian |
6 | Oghuric languages | 1 | Vulnerable | 1,200,000 | Russia | Cyrillic |
Total | Turkic languages | 35 | Normal | 193,800,000 | Turkey | Latin |
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]
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]
Number | Name | Status | Speakers | Main Country |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bashkir language | Vulnerable | 1,500,000 | Russia |
2 | Chuvash language | Vulnerable | 1,200,000 | Russia |
3 | Khorasani Turkic language | Vulnerable | 1,000,000 | Iran |
4 | Crimean Tatar language | Vulnerable | 600,000 | Ukraine |
5 | Kumyk language | Vulnerable | 450,000 | Russia |
6 | Yakut language | Vulnerable | 400,000 | Russia |
7 | Karachay-Balkar language | Vulnerable | 400,000 | Russia |
8 | Tuvan language | Vulnerable | 300,000 | Russia |
9 | Urum language | Definitely endangered | 200,000 | Ukraine |
10 | Gagauz language | Critically endangered | 150,000 | Moldova |
11 | Siberian Tatar language | Definitely endangered | 100,000 | Russia |
12 | Nogai language | Definitely endangered | 100,000 | Russia |
13 | Dobrujan Tatar language | Severely endangered | 70,000 | Romania |
14 | Salar language | Vulnerable | 70,000 | China |
15 | Altai language | Severely endangered | 60,000 | Russia |
16 | Khakas language | Definitely endangered | 50,000 | Russia |
17 | Khalaj language | Vulnerable | 20,000 | Iran |
18 | Äynu language | Critically endangered | 6,000 | China |
19 | Western Yugur language | Severely endangered | 5,000 | China |
20 | Shor language | Severely endangered | 3,000 | Russia |
21 | Dolgan language | Definitely endangered | 1,000 | Russia |
22 | Krymchak language | Critically endangered | 200 | Israel |
23 | Tofa language | Critically endangered | 100 | Russia |
24 | Karaim language | Critically endangered | 100 | Ukraine |
25 | Ili Turki language | Severely endangered | 100 | China |
26 | Chulym language | Critically endangered | 50 | Russia |
Number | Name | Time of Extinct |
---|---|---|
- | Proto Turkic | Reconstructed language |
1 | Old Turkic | 8th century |
2 | Old Anatolian Turkish | 11th century |
3 | Pecheneg | 12th century |
4 | Orkhon Turkic | 13th century |
5 | Khazar | 13th century |
6 | Old Uyghur | 14th century |
7 | Khorezmian | 14th century |
8 | Bulgar | 14th century |
9 | Saryz | 15th century |
10 | Middle Turkic | 15th century |
11 | Kipchak | 17th century |
12 | Cuman | 1770 |
13 | Old Tatar | 19th century |
14 | Fergana Kipchak | 1920s |
15 | Chagatai | 1921 |
16 | Ottoman Turkish | 1928 |
17 | Fuyu Girgis | 20th century |
18 | Dukhan | 21st century |
Number | Dialect | Main Language |
---|---|---|
1 | Rumelian dialect | Turkish language |
2 | Cypriot dialect | Turkish language |
3 | Afshar dialect | Azerbaijani language |
4 | Sonqori dialect | Azerbaijani language |
5 | Lop dialect | Uyghur language |
6 | Baraba dialect | Siberian Tatar language |
Hypothetical relation to other language families and their proto-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)
Unclassified languages that may have been Turkic or members of other language families