Today, we'll delve into the fascinating realm of the Turkey language, exploring its nuances and significance.
Language in Turkey: history and facts
Throughout history, Turkey has been a melting pot of diverse languages, witnessing the rise and fall of ancient tongues. Hittite, the earliest documented Indo-European language, thrived during the Hittite Empire from circa 1600 BCE to 1100 BCE. Other Anatolian languages like Luwian, Lycian, Lydian, and Milyan eventually faded away by the 1st century BCE due to the Hellenization of Anatolia, paving the way for Greek dominance.
Urartian, part of the Hurro-Urartian language family, flourished in eastern Anatolia as the language of the Urartu kingdom from the 9th to the 6th century BCE. Meanwhile, Hattian, unrelated to Hittite or any known language, appeared in Hittite ritual texts around the 2nd millennium BCE.
In a later era, during the post-Tanzimat period, French gained prominence among the educated elite, emerging as a quasi-official language in the Ottoman lands. This influence persisted into the early 20th century, with French-language publications flourishing, but a decline began in the 1930s, marking a shift in linguistic dynamics. The Treaty of Lausanne, designed to protect languages of ethnic minorities, excluded French, leading to the closure of French-medium schools and a subsequent decline in French instruction.
The impact on language extended to Judaeo-Spanish (Ladino), whose standing diminished with the rise of French-medium schools in the 1860s. Despite being the native language of the majority of Turkish Jews in 1927, Judaeo-Spanish faced challenges, and by 2017, it was described as "dying in Turkey," reflecting the evolving linguistic landscape of the region.
Urartian, part of the Hurro-Urartian language family, flourished in eastern Anatolia as the language of the Urartu kingdom from the 9th to the 6th century BCE. Meanwhile, Hattian, unrelated to Hittite or any known language, appeared in Hittite ritual texts around the 2nd millennium BCE.
In a later era, during the post-Tanzimat period, French gained prominence among the educated elite, emerging as a quasi-official language in the Ottoman lands. This influence persisted into the early 20th century, with French-language publications flourishing, but a decline began in the 1930s, marking a shift in linguistic dynamics. The Treaty of Lausanne, designed to protect languages of ethnic minorities, excluded French, leading to the closure of French-medium schools and a subsequent decline in French instruction.
The impact on language extended to Judaeo-Spanish (Ladino), whose standing diminished with the rise of French-medium schools in the 1860s. Despite being the native language of the majority of Turkish Jews in 1927, Judaeo-Spanish faced challenges, and by 2017, it was described as "dying in Turkey," reflecting the evolving linguistic landscape of the region.
How many languages are there in Turkey?
Turkey boasts a linguistic tapestry that includes Turkish and numerous other languages and dialects. Among them are various Caucasian and Kurdish dialects, alongside Arabic, Greek, Ladino, and Armenian, totaling around 70 languages spoken within the country.
What language is spoken in Turkey now?
Approximately 75 million people in Turkey speak Turkish, with 90% considering it their primary language. The language extends beyond Turkey's borders, with around 850,000 speakers in Bulgaria and 37,000 in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan. Turkish is also a co-official language in Cyprus and spoken by 19% of the population. Notably, over a million speakers reside in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Greece, while over 2 million live in Germany and other northern European countries due to historical migration as "guest workers."
Belonging to the Turkish branch of the Altaic language family, Turkish is considered the westernmost Turkic language in Central Asia, falling under the South-West group or Oguz group. While it shares similarities with adjacent Turkic languages like Azerbaijani, Uzbek, and Turkmen, it retains distinct vocabulary. Turkish's agglutinative nature involves adding suffixes to stems for grammatical functions, and it boasts 8 vowels and 20 consonants.
The language underwent significant reforms in the 1920s, with spoken Turkish declared the country's language, replacing Persian and Arabic borrowings with native or Turkic words. The adoption of a Roman-based writing system in 1928 replaced the previous Arabic script. Today, Turkish exhibits successful standardization, with the written language aligning closely with the spoken one, resulting in a literacy rate of about 90% in Turkey.
Belonging to the Turkish branch of the Altaic language family, Turkish is considered the westernmost Turkic language in Central Asia, falling under the South-West group or Oguz group. While it shares similarities with adjacent Turkic languages like Azerbaijani, Uzbek, and Turkmen, it retains distinct vocabulary. Turkish's agglutinative nature involves adding suffixes to stems for grammatical functions, and it boasts 8 vowels and 20 consonants.
The language underwent significant reforms in the 1920s, with spoken Turkish declared the country's language, replacing Persian and Arabic borrowings with native or Turkic words. The adoption of a Roman-based writing system in 1928 replaced the previous Arabic script. Today, Turkish exhibits successful standardization, with the written language aligning closely with the spoken one, resulting in a literacy rate of about 90% in Turkey.
Is Turkish similar to Arabic?
The claim that Arabic and Turkish are similar is inaccurate. While some words may be shared due to the historical influence of the Ottoman Empire in Arabic-speaking regions, the linguistic distinction is significant. Arabic, a Central Semitic language, is closely related to other Semitic languages such as Aramaic, Hebrew, Ugaritic, and Phoenician.
In contrast, Turkish belongs to the Altay branch of the Ural-Altaic linguistic family, sharing roots with languages like Finnish and Hungarian. Classified as part of the South-West group or Oguz group within the Turkic languages, Turkish is the westernmost among them, extending across Central Asia.
Turkic languages, including Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tatar, Turkmen, Uighur, Uzbek, among others, form a closely related group. These languages, alongside Mongolian and Tungusic languages, are often grouped under the Altaic language family. Strictly speaking, the term "Turkish" should be reserved for the language spoken in Turkey alone, with the broader group of languages across regions being accurately referred to as Turkic languages. However, common practice often uses "Turkish" to encompass these languages, specifying the geographical area for differentiation, such as the Turkish language of Azerbaijan.
In contrast, Turkish belongs to the Altay branch of the Ural-Altaic linguistic family, sharing roots with languages like Finnish and Hungarian. Classified as part of the South-West group or Oguz group within the Turkic languages, Turkish is the westernmost among them, extending across Central Asia.
Turkic languages, including Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tatar, Turkmen, Uighur, Uzbek, among others, form a closely related group. These languages, alongside Mongolian and Tungusic languages, are often grouped under the Altaic language family. Strictly speaking, the term "Turkish" should be reserved for the language spoken in Turkey alone, with the broader group of languages across regions being accurately referred to as Turkic languages. However, common practice often uses "Turkish" to encompass these languages, specifying the geographical area for differentiation, such as the Turkish language of Azerbaijan.
Kurdish language in Turkey
In Turkey, the Kurdish language is spoken by a significant portion of the population, particularly by Kurds who are the largest ethnic minority in the country. Kurdish is a member of the Northwestern Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian languages. Despite its widespread use, there have been historical challenges regarding the recognition and usage of the Kurdish language in official contexts.
Over the years, there have been efforts to address the linguistic rights of Kurds, including the introduction of limited Kurdish language broadcasting and education reforms. However, the issue of language rights remains complex, and discussions around it continue in the context of broader societal and political considerations.
Over the years, there have been efforts to address the linguistic rights of Kurds, including the introduction of limited Kurdish language broadcasting and education reforms. However, the issue of language rights remains complex, and discussions around it continue in the context of broader societal and political considerations.
What was Turkeys language before Turkey?
Modern Turkish has its roots in Ottoman Turkish and its precursor, known as Old Anatolian Turkish, which arrived in Anatolia with the Seljuq Turks in the late 11th century CE. Old Turkish underwent a gradual transformation, assimilating numerous Arabic and Persian words and adopting grammatical forms, all while being written in the Arabic script. Following the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, a language reform led by the government replaced the Arabic script with the Latin alphabet in 1928. Despite encountering resistance, this initiative played a pivotal role in refining the Turkish vocabulary by eliminating foreign elements. This process gave rise to a fundamentally new literary language, rendering the older version obsolete.
Do they speak English in Turkey?
English is commonly used in urban areas like Istanbul and Ankara, as well as in smaller towns such as Bodrum and Izmir. This facilitates pleasant communication with locals, and many establishments like hotels, restaurants, and shops offer services in English, enhancing the overall travel experience in Turkey. Moreover, airports, including Istanbul Ataturk International Airport, feature bilingual signage in Turkish and English, ensuring smooth navigation for a stress-free visit to the country.
Is Russian spoken in Turkey?
The utilization of the Russian language is not extensive in Turkey. Though there might be individuals and communities, particularly in regions with a notable Russian expatriate presence or in tourist hubs, who speak Russian, its overall practicality in Turkey is limited. Generally, English, Turkish, and other local languages are more commonly employed for communication throughout the country.
