What languages are spoken in Turkey and why?
- Kurmanji 11.97%
- Arabic 1.38%
- Zazaki 1.01%
- Other Turkic languages 0.28%
- Balkan languages 0.23%
- Laz 0.12%
- Circassian languages 0.11%
- Armenian 0.07%
- Other Caucasian languages 0.07%
- Greek 0.06%
What language to they speak in Turkey?
These are four word-classes that are exceptions to the rules of vowel harmony:
- Native, non-compound words, e.g. ...
- Native compound words, e.g. ...
- Foreign words, e.g. ...
- Invariable suffixes: –daş (denoting common attachment to the concept expressed by the noun), –yor (denoting the present tense in the third person), –ane (turning adjectives or nouns into adverbs), –ken ...
What is turkeys official religion?
Turkey is a secular country. In Turkish constitution it's declared that the country has no official religion. Turkey is not an Islamic / ME country. Turks come from Hun empire and gender equility is the main cultural principle of Turks. Raki is the main national drink of the country. You can wear / do whatever you want.
What is the national language of Turkey?
Turkish (Türkçe (), Türk dili), also referred to as Istanbul Turkish (İstanbul Türkçesi) or Turkey Turkish (Türkiye Türkçesi), is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around 70 to 80 million speakers.It is the national language of Turkey.Significant smaller groups of Turkish speakers exist in Iraq, Syria, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Northern Cyprus ...
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What language is mainly spoken in Turkey?
Turkish languageTurkish language, Turkish Türkçe or Türkiye Türkçesi, the major member of the Turkic language family within the Altaic language group. Turkish is spoken in Turkey, Cyprus, and elsewhere in Europe and the Middle East.
Is English spoken widely in Turkey?
Spoken English is not common in Turkey in general. About 17% of Turkey speaks English as a second language. This may seem higher in tourist areas, but according to the English Proficiency Index, Turkey in 2020 was 69th out of the top 100 English speaking countries in the world.
Is Turkish similar to Arabic?
The Turkish language is not related to Arabic. Turkish and Arabic are distinctly different languages. Turkish belongs to the Altaic and Turkic language group, and Arabic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language group. Both languages have very different grammar structures, vocabulary, and sounds.
What is Turkey's first language?
TurkishLanguages of TurkeyOfficialTurkishMinorityKurdish (Kurmanji), Azerbaijani, Arabic, Aramaic, Zazaki, Pomak Bulgarian, Balkan Gagauz Turkish, Laz, Georgian, Megleno-Romanian, Armenian, Greek, Pontic Greek, Judaeo-SpanishImmigrantAdyghe, Albanian, Arabic, Bosnian, Crimean Tatar,, Kabardian (in alphabetical order)4 more rows
Can you drink alcohol in Turkey?
Many travelers coming to Turkey for the first time will often ask whether drinking alcohol is legal or safe. Turkey being a country that is straddling Europe and the East, it's only natural to ask such questions. So can you drink alcohol in Turkey? There is no problem with drinking alcohol as a traveler in Turkey.
Is Turkish hard to learn?
In our opinion, it's one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn. Turkish is an agglutinative language. What would be a complete sentence in English gets compounded into a single very long word by attaching prefixes and suffixes, rather than using separate prepositions.
When did Turkey convert to Islam?
Islam in Turkey dates back to the 8th century, when Turkic tribes fought alongside Arab Muslims against Chinese forces at the Battle of Talas in 751 A.D. Spurred by the influence of ruling dynasties, many people converted to Islam over the next few centuries.
How do you say hello in Turkish?
Merhaba (Hello) is probably the most well-known Turkish greeting, and for good reason. As you can't really go wrong with it, it's generally a good choice if you're feeling unsure.
Is Turkey an Arab country?
Iran and Turkey are not Arab countries and their primary languages are Farsi and Turkish respectively. Arab countries have a rich diversity of ethnic, linguistic, and religious communities. These include Kurds, Armenians, Berbers and others.
Is Russian spoken in Turkey?
Turkey has a small percentage of Russian-speaking population. But there are Russian language courses in Istanbul for anyone interested.
Is Turkish a Romance language?
Spoken by over 75 million people, Turkish has lots of ways to express love and affection. But there's a very specific reason why it might be the most romantic language of all: Turkish soap operas.
Is Ottoman Turkish still spoken?
Ottoman Turkish is the variety of the Turkish language that was used in the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman Turkish was based on Anatolian Turkish and used in the Ottoman Empire for administrative and literary language between 1299 to 1923. It is not a spoken language. It is primarily a written language.
Official Language of Turkey
Under the Constitution of Turkey: Article 42, the Turkish language is established as the official language of the country. The language is also the...
Ethnic Languages of Turkey
Turkey is an ethnically diverse country with different ethnic languages spoken in the country. The common ethnic languages spoken in Turkey are Tur...
Immigrant Languages Spoken in Turkey
Modern immigration and settlement patterns in Turkey have led to the introduction of ethnic languages spoken by the immigrants. The most spoken imm...
Foreign Languages Spoken in Turkey
Interactions with the western world and foreigners have led to the development of foreign languages in Turkey. Changing times and modern interactio...
What is the official language of Turkey?
Under the Constitution of Turkey: Article 42, the Turkish language is established as the official language of the country. The language is also the most spoken in the country. More than 30 ethnic languages exist in Turkey, but only small numbers of people speak a few of the ethnic languages.
What is the most widely spoken language in Turkey?
Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish) is the most widely spoken ethnic minority language. The language consists of five major dialects: northwestern Anatolian, southern, Serhed, and southwestern Kurmanji . The Arabic community of Turkey uses Arabic as their mother tongue especially the Mesopotamian Arabic dialect. Arabic has also been introduced as an ...
What are the most common languages spoken in Turkey?
The common ethnic languages spoken in Turkey are Turkish, Kurmanji, Arabic and Zazaki. Other ethnic languages have very few speakers including Turkish dialects, Balkan, Laz, Armenian and Circassian languages. Turkish is the most widely spoken ethnic language with more than 70% of users.
How many sign languages are there in Turkey?
With more than 50,000 Turkish citizens with hearing impairments, sign languages have developed in the country. Turkey has two main sign languages, the Mardin sign language, and the Turkish sign language. Mardin is an old sign language that originated in the town of Mardin. Only the older people mostly in villages use the language.
What are the common divisions of Turkish history?
The common divisions are the ethnic languages, immigrant, foreign, and sign language. These languages are under the influence of the ancient and modern interactions between local Turks and foreigners during the various phases of Turkish history.
How does language affect Turkey?
Impact Of Language In Turkey. The use of various languages has had its effects on Turkey. The vast use of Turkish has, for example, led to the reduced use of local ethnic languages. This reduction in usage threatens the continuity of languages as very few people (especially the older generation) communicate in the language.
Is Turkish a minority language?
With the dominance of the Turkish language, other languages are regarded to as minority languages. Languages within Turkey can be divided into various groups depending on their origin, the number of speakers and the nature of the language. The common divisions are the ethnic languages, immigrant, foreign, and sign language.
What languages does Turkey speak?
t. e. The languages of Turkey, apart from the official language Turkish, include the widespread Kurmanji, the moderately prevalent minority languages Arabic and Zazaki, and a number of less common minority languages, some of which are guaranteed by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne .
What is the right of a minority to speak a language other than Turkish?
Minority language rights. Article 42 of the Constitution explicitly prohibits educational institutions to teach any language other than Turkish as a mother tongue to Turkish citizens. No language other than Turkish shall be taught as a mother tongue to Turkish citizens at any institutions of training or education.
What does "language" mean?
1 (National): "The language is used in education, work, mass media, and government at the national level.". 2 (Provincial): "The language is used in education, work, mass media, and government within major administrative subdivisions of a nation.".
What languages are extinct in Turkey?
Turkey has historically been the home to many now extinct languages. These include Hittite, the earliest Indo-European language for which written evidence exists (circa 1600 BCE to 1100 BCE when the Hittite Empire existed). The other Anatolian languages included Luwian and later Lycian, Lydian and Milyan. All these languages are believed to have become extinct at the latest around the 1st century BCE due to the Hellenization of Anatolia which led to Greek in a variety of dialects becoming the common language.
Was French a semi-official language?
Strauss also stated that French was "a sort of semi-official language", which "to some extent" had "replaced Turkish as an 'official' language for non-Muslims". Therefore late empire had multiple French-language publications, and several continued to operate when the Republic of Turkey was declared in 1923.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
What language do they speak in Turkey? Turkish! This is the main language in Turkey and the language that you will need to use if you plan to visit or do business in the country.
What was the language of the Ottoman Empire?
Ottoman Turkish was the language of both administration and literature across the Ottoman Empire. When the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, it became the country’s sole official language. Five years later, a Latin alphabet replaced the former Ottoman Turkish alphabet as part of Atatürk's Reforms.
What language do the Zazas speak?
Other Mesopotamian Arabic 101,000. The majority of Turkey’s Arabic speakers also speak Turkish, with the Arab community there having undergone significant Turkification. Zazaki. Zazaki – also known as Kirmanjki, Kirdki, Dimli and Zaza – is spoken by the Zazas of Eastern Turkey.
Where is Zazaki spoken?
Zazaki – also known as Kirmanjki, Kirdki, Dimli and Zaza – is spoken by the Zazas of Eastern Turkey. It an Indo-European language that has been heavily influenced by Kurdish over the centuries, to the point that many linguists classify it as a Kurdish dialect.
Why is the Armenian language hidden?
This was prompted by the ethnic cleansing of World War I, when 1.5 million Armenians were killed or displaced. The Armenian language remained something of an underground tongue for many years in Turkey.
How many people speak Kurmanji?
Kurmanji. Kurmanji, also known as Northern Kurdish, is spoken by some eight million people in Turkey. It is the northern dialect of Kurdish dialect and dates back to at least the 16th century in its written form.
What language do people speak in the Aegean?
Turkish is again the most spoken native in this region. However, English is also spoken by many of those working in the tourism industry in the Aegean Region, along with German (to a lesser extent).
What Languages Are Spoken in Turkey
Article 3 of the constitution declares Turkish to be the one and only official language. Article 42.9 declares, “Aside from Turkish, no other language shall be studied by or taught to Turkish citizens as a mother tongue in any language, teaching, or learning institution.”
Main Languages Spoken per Region
Territory of Turkey is divided into seven regions. Four regions are surrounded by seas:
Top Languages Spoken in Turkey
Now let's talk about seven languages that play an important role in the social and political life of Turkey. Here is an answer to the question, “What language is spoken in Turkey?”
Turkey Official Languages and Accuracy of Translation
The Turkish is more diverse and sophisticated than it may seem. Modern Standard Turkish, the Istanbul dialect of Anatolia, is known as the main dialect of the country. But there are many other dialects that vary from region to region.
Impact of Language in Turkey
In today's world, multiculturalism and language diversity are highly appreciated. Unfortunately, due to Turkey's laws, local ethnic lingos are fading away – since almost 90% of population speaks Turkish, minorities are also forced to speak official lingo.
Wrapping up
Turkish is the main language in all regions of Turkey. So whether you travel to Ankara for business or to Istanbul for pleasure, you should learn at least a few phrases in Turkish. Also, you can expect that you will meet people who speak Kurmanji, Arabic, Kabardian, Zaziki, Ladino, Greek, and Armenian.
What is the oldest language in Turkey?
The earliest known languages in Turkey are the Anatolian languages, notably Hittite, which are considered to be the earliest Indo-European languages found. They go back to around 1000 B.C. Unfortunately, all of these languages are extinct. Due to the Hellenization of the region by the Greeks and subsequent rule by the Romans, Persians, and others, ...
What was the Turkic influence in Anatolia?
The Turkic influence and dominion of Anatolia subsequently transitioned from the Seljuk State to the newly formed Ottoman State. This was when the Turks started to dominate the entire region, from Anatolia to Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Arabian peninsula.
When did the Turks come to Anatolia?
The first strong historical presence of the Turks is attributed to the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century C.E. The Seljuks were a huge and powerful state that embodied a strong Turko-Persian culture and tradition.
Is Turkish a national language?
The idea of having a national language as part of a national identity is not new. However, this concept has led to the decline of 100s of languages, especially in the past 100 years. In Turkey, Turkish has emerged as the only official language of the Turkish people.
What is the language of Turkic?
trk. Glottolog. turk1311. The distribution of the Turkic languages. The Turkic languages are a language family of at least 35 documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples of Eurasia from Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Western Asia, North Asia (particularly in Siberia ), and East Asia.
Where did Turkic language originate?
The Turkic languages originated in a region of East Asia spanning Western China to Mongolia, where Proto-Turkic is thought to have been spoken, from where they expanded to Central Asia and farther west during the first millennium. They are characterized as a dialect continuum. Turkic languages are spoken as a native language by some 170 million ...
What are the two subgroups of Turkic languages?
Geographically and linguistically, the languages of the Northwestern and Southeastern subgroups belong to the central Turkic languages, while the Northeastern and Khalaj languages are the so-called peripheral languages.
What are the similarities between Turkic and Mongolic?
Turkic languages show many similarities with the Mongolic, Tungusic, Koreanic, and Japonic languages. These similarities led some linguists to propose an Altaic language family, though this proposal is widely rejected by Western historical linguists.
What are the two branches of Turkic?
Although methods of classification vary, the Turkic languages are usually considered to be divided equally into two branches: Oghur, the only surviving member of which is Chuvash, and Common Turkic, which includes all other Turkic languages including the Oghuz sub-branch.
What are the two branches of the Oghuz language?
There is a high degree of mutual intelligibility among the various Oghuz languages, which include Turkish, Azerbaijani, Turkmen, Qashqai, Gagauz, Balkan Gagauz Turkish and Oghuz-influenced Crimean Tatar. Although methods of classification vary, the Turkic languages are usually considered to be divided equally into two branches: Oghur, ...
How many people speak Turkic?
Turkic languages are spoken as a native language by some 170 million people, and the total number of Turkic speakers, including second language speakers, is over 200 million. The Turkic language with the greatest number of speakers is Turkish, spoken mainly in Anatolia and the Balkans; its native speakers account for about 40% ...
Overview
Turkish (Türkçe (listen), Türk dili), also referred to as Istanbul Turkish (İstanbul Türkçesi) or Turkey Turkish (Türkiye Türkçesi), is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around 70 to 80 million speakers. It is the national language of Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Significant smaller groups of Turkish speakers exist in Iraq, Syria, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Greece, …
Classification
Turkish is a member of the Oghuz group of the Turkic family. Other members include Azerbaijani, spoken in Azerbaijan and north-west Iran, Gagauz of Gagauzia, Qashqai of south Iran and the Turkmen of Turkmenistan.
Classification of the Turkic languages is complicated. The migrations of the Turkic peoples and their consequent intermingling with one another and with peoples who spoke non-Turkic languag…
History
The earliest known Old Turkic inscriptions are the three monumental Orkhon inscriptions found in modern Mongolia. Erected in honour of the prince Kul Tigin and his brother Emperor Bilge Khagan, these date back to the Second Turkic Khaganate (dated 682–744 CE). After the discovery and excavation of these monuments and associated stone slabs by Russian archaeologists in the wide…
Geographic distribution
Turkish is natively spoken by the Turkish people in Turkey and by the Turkish diaspora in some 30 other countries. Turkish language is mutually intelligible with Azerbaijani and other Turkic languages. In particular, Turkish-speaking minorities exist in countries that formerly (in whole or part) belonged to the Ottoman Empire, such as Iraq , Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece (primarily in Western T…
Phonology
At least one source claims Turkish consonants are laryngeally-specified three-way fortis-lenis (aspirated/neutral/voiced) like Armenian.
The phoneme that is usually referred to as yumuşak g ("soft g"), written ⟨ğ⟩ in Turkish orthography, represents a vowel sequence or a rather weak bilabial approximant between rounded vowels, a weak palatal approximant between u…
Word-accent
With the exceptions stated below, Turkish words are oxytone (accented on the last syllable).
1. Place-names are not oxytone: Anádolu (Anatolia), İstánbul. Most place names are accented on their first syllable as in Páris and Zónguldak. This holds true when place names are spelled the same way as common nouns, which are oxytone: mısír (maize), Mísır (Egypt), sirkecı̇́ (vinegar-seller), Sı̇́rkeci (district in Istanbul), bebék (doll, baby), Bébek (district in Istanbul), ordú (army), Ór…
Syntax
Turkish has two groups of sentences: verbal and nominal sentences. In the case of a verbal sentence, the predicate is a finite verb, while the predicate in nominal sentence will have either no overt verb or a verb in the form of the copula ol or y (variants of "be"). Examples of both are given below:
The two groups of sentences have different ways of forming negation. A nominal sentence can …
Grammar
Turkish is an agglutinative language and frequently uses affixes, and specifically suffixes, or endings. One word can have many affixes and these can also be used to create new words, such as creating a verb from a noun, or a noun from a verbal root (see the section on Word formation). Most affixes indicate the grammatical function of the word. The only native prefixes are alliterative intensifying syllables used with adjectives or adverbs: for example sımsıcak ("boiling hot" < sıcak…
Overview
The languages of Turkey, apart from the official language Turkish, include the widespread Kurdish (Kurmanji), the moderately prevalent minority languages Arabic and Zazaki, and a number of less common minority languages, some of which are guaranteed by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
Constitutional rights
Article 3 of the Constitution of Turkey defines Turkish as the official language of Turkey.
Article 42 of the Constitution explicitly prohibits educational institutions to teach any language other than Turkish as a mother tongue to Turkish citizens.
No language other than Turkish shall be taught as a mother tongue to Turkish …
History
Turkey has historically been the home to many now extinct languages. These include Hittite, the earliest Indo-European language for which written evidence exists (circa 1600 BCE to 1100 BCE when the Hittite Empire existed). The other Anatolian languages included Luwian and later Lycian, Lydian and Milyan. All these languages are believed to have become extinct at the latest around the 1st century BCE due to the Hellenization of Anatolia which led to Greek in a variety of dialects …
Lists of languages
The following table lists the mother tongues of people in Turkey by percentage of their speakers.
Ethnologue lists many minority and immigrant languages in Turkey some of which are spoken by large numbers of people.
Not included in the report by Ethnologue is the Megleno-Romanian language, spoken by the Megleno-Romanians, who number around 5,000 in the country.
See also
• Demographics of Turkey
• Citizen speak Turkish!
Further reading
• European Commission, ed. (2005-11-09). "Turkey 2005 Progress Report".
• Turgut, Üveys Mücahit (May 2007). "A CONCEPTUAL HISTORY OF ULUS IN THE CONTEXT OF NATION-BUILDING AND LANGUAGE POLICIES IN TURKEY" (PDF). - Thesis submitted to Istanbul Sehir University