Azerbaijani (آذربایجانجا دیلی / Azərbaycan dili / Азәрбајҹан дили)

Azerbaijani is a Turkic language with about 8 million speakers in Azerbaijan, 32 million speakers in north-western Iran, and a further 6 million speakers in Georgia and Russian Dagestan. The language is also known as Azeri, Azari, Azeri Turkish, or Azerbaijani Turkish.

The Arabic script was introduced to the Azerbaijan region in the 7th century and continued to be used to write Azerbaijani until the 1920s. Three different versions of the Arabic script were used during this period: the 28-letter Arabic script, the 32-letter Perso-Arabic script and the 33-letter Turkic Arabic script. None of these was ideal for writing Azerbaijani and various reforms were proposed, particularly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In Iran the Azerbaijani language has always been written with a version of the Arabic script and is know as Azeri Turk.

Latin alphabet for Azerbaijani (1929 version)

In 1929 the Latin alphabet, known as Yanalif (new alphabet), was adopted to write Azerbaijani in Soviet northern Azerbaijan. This was essentially an attempt by the Soviet authorities to reduce the influence of Islam in the Turkic republics, all of which used the Arabic script before 1929.

Cyrillic alphabet for Azerbaijani (Азәрбајҹан әлифбасы)

In 1939 the Cyrillic alphabet was imposed by Stalin and remained in use until 1991. Stalin wanted to discourage contact between the Turkic republics and Turkey and worried about the development of alliances which might undermine the authority of the Soviet Union.

Latin alphabet for Azerbaijani (1991 version)

On independence in 1991, Azerbaijan switched back to the Latin alphabet, though a slightly different version to that of 1929-1939. This switch caused considerable confusion and there was a chronic shortage of typewriters and computers fonts which could be used to write the new alphabet. Fortunately the Latin alphabet as used to write Turkish is very similar to the Azerbaijani one, so Turkish typewriters were in great demand. The main difficulty with the new alphabet is the letter which looks like a upside-down lower case ''e'' and is known as a schwa as no other language uses this letter. Some people write ''æ'' instead if the schwa is not available.

Latin alphabet for Azerbaijani (Azərbaycan əlifbası) - 1992 version

On 16th May 1992 the Latin alphabet for Azerbaijani was slightly revised - the letter ä was replaced with ə and the order of letters was changed as well.

Sample texts

1922 Latin alphabet

Butun insanlar ləƶaqət və huqyqlarьna gөrə azad və bərabər doƣylyrlar. Onarьn şüyralrь və vicdanlarь var və bir-birlərinə mubasibətdə qardaşlьq rynhynda davranmalьdьrlar.

1929 Latin alphabet

Butun insanlar ləjaqət və huqyqlarьna gөrə azad bərabər doƣylyrlar. Onarьn şüyralrь vəvicdanlarь var və bir-birlərinə mubasibətdə qardaşlьq rynhynda davranmalьdьrlar.

1991 Latin alphabet

Bütün insanlar läyaqät vä hüquqlarına göre azad bärabär doğulurlar. Onarın şüuralrı vä vicdanları var vä bir-birlärinä mübasibätdä qardaşlıq runhunda davranmalıdırlar.

1992 Latin alphabet

Bütün insanlar ləyaqət və hüquqlarına görə azad bərabər doğulurlar. Onarın şüuralrı və vicdanları var və bir-birlərinə mübasibətdə qardaşlıq runhunda davranmalıdırlar.

Cyrillic alphabet

Бүтүн инсанлар ләјагәт вә һүгугларына ҝөрә азад бәрабәр доғулурлар. Онларын шүурлары вә виҹданлары вар вә бир-бирләринә мүнасибәтдә гардашлыг руһунда давранмалыдырлар.

Azeri Turk

بوتون اینسانلار حیثییت و حاقلار باخیمیندان دنك (برابر) و اركین (آزاد) دوغولارلار. اوس (عقل) و اویات (ویجدان) ییهﺳﻴﺪیرلر و بیر بیرلرینه قارشى قارداشلیق روحو ایله داورامالیدرلار.

Transliteration
Bütün insanlar heysiyyət və haqlar baxımından dənk (bərabər) və ərkin (azad) doğularlar. Us (əql) və uyat (vicdan) yiyəsidirlər və bir birlərinə qarşı qardaşlıq ruhu ilə davranmalıdırlar.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Useful phrases in Azerbaijani

  Azerbaijani language course and phrasebook

Links

The Azeri Language and Literature
http://www.azeri.org

Online Azeri lessons
http://www.travel-images.com/az-lear.html

Online Azeri dictionaries & phrasebooks
http://www.azerice.da.ru
http://www.ozbekce.da.ru
http://www.polyglot.az
http://www.tdk.org.tr

Azerbaijani Electronic talking dictionaries
http://www.ectaco.com

Online Azerbaijani radio and news
http://www.azadses.org/

Free Azerbaijani Latin fonts
http://geo.ya.com/travelimages/az-lang.html

Related languages

Azerbaijani, Balkar, Bashkir, Chuvash, Crimean Tatar, Even, Evenki, Gagauz, Karakalpak, Kazak, Kumyk, Kyrghyz, Nanai, Tatar, Turkish, Turkmen, Uyghur, Uzbek, Yakut

Other languages written with the: Arabic, Cyrillic and Latin alphabet

http://www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs/distribution.asp?by=family

Altaic

Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Altaic

Altaic (66)

Mongolian (14)

Eastern (13)

Dagur (1)

Daur  [dta] (China)

Mongour (5)

Kangjia  [kxs] (China)

Tu  [mjg] (China)

Bonan  [peh] (China)

Dongxiang  [sce] (China)

Yugur, East  [yuy] (China)

Oirat-Khalkha (7)

Khalkha-Buriat (5)

Oirat-Kalmyk-Darkhat (2)

Western (1)

Mogholi  [mhj] (Afghanistan)

Tungus (12)

Northern (4)

Even (1)

Even  [eve] (Russia (Asia))

Evenki (2)

Evenki  [evn] (China)

Oroqen  [orh] (China)

Negidal (1)

Negidal  [neg] (Russia (Asia))

Southern (8)

Southeast (5)

Nanaj (3)

Udihe (2)

Southwest (3)

Jurchen  [juc] (China)

Manchu  [mnc] (China)

Xibe  [sjo] (China)

Turkic (40)

Bolgar (1)

Chuvash  [chv] (Russia (Europe))

Eastern (7)

Ainu  [aib] (China)

Chagatai  [chg] (Turkmenistan)

Ili Turki  [ili] (China)

Uyghur  [uig] (China)

Uzbek, Northern  [uzn] (Uzbekistan)

Uzbek, Southern  [uzs] (Afghanistan)

Yugur, West  [ybe] (China)

Northern (8)

Altai, Southern  [alt] (Russia (Asia))

Altai, Northern  [atv] (Russia (Asia))

Shor  [cjs] (Russia (Asia))

Dolgan  [dlg] (Russia (Asia))

Karagas  [kim] (Russia (Asia))

Khakas  [kjh] (Russia (Asia))

Yakut  [sah] (Russia (Asia))

Tuvin  [tyv] (Russia (Asia))

Southern (12)

Azerbaijani (5)

Azerbaijani, South  [azb] (Iran)

Azerbaijani, North  [azj] (Azerbaijan)

Khalaj, Turkic  [klj] (Iran)

Qashqa'i  [qxq] (Iran)

Salchuq  [slq] (Iran)

Crimean Turkish  [crh] (Uzbekistan)

Salar  [slr] (China)

Turkish (4)

Balkan Gagauz Turkish  [bgx] (Turkey (Europe))

Gagauz  [gag] (Moldova)

Khorasani Turkish  [kmz] (Iran)

Turkish  [tur] (Turkey (Asia))

Turkmenian (1)

Turkmen  [tuk] (Turkmenistan)

Urum  [uum] (Georgia)

Western (11)

Aralo-Caspian (4)

Karakalpak  [kaa] (Uzbekistan)

Kazakh  [kaz] (Kazakhstan)

Kirghiz  [kir] (Kyrgyzstan)

Nogai  [nog] (Russia (Europe))

Ponto-Caspian (4)

Judeo-Crimean Tatar  [jct] (Uzbekistan)

Karaim  [kdr] (Lithuania)

Karachay-Balkar  [krc] (Russia (Europe))

Kumyk  [kum] (Russia (Europe))

Uralian (3)

Bashkir  [bak] (Russia (Europe))

Chulym  [clw] (Russia (Asia))

Tatar  [tat] (Russia (Europe))