Ethnologue 14 report for language code:AZE

AZERBAIJANI, NORTH: a language of Azerbaijan

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: AZE

ISO 639-1: az

ISO 639-2: aze

Population

6,069,453 in Azerbaijan. In the republics of the former USSR, 98% of the ethnic group speak Azerbaijani as mother tongue, 4,000,000 are monolingual (1989 census). Population total all countries 7,059,000. Including second language speakers: 15,000,000 (1999 WA).

Region

Azerbaijan, and southern Dagestan, along the Caspian coast in the southern Caucasian Mts. Also spoken in Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia (Asia), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Alternate names

AZERBAIJAN, AZERI TURK, AZERBAYDZHANI

Dialects

QUBA, DERBEND, BAKU, SHAMAKHI, SALYAN, LENKARAN, QAZAKH, AIRYM, BORCALA, TEREKEME, QYZYLBASH, NUKHA, ZAQATALA (MUGALY), QABALA, YEREVAN, NAKHCHIVAN, ORDUBAD, GANJA, SHUSHA (KARABAKH), KARAPAPAK.

Classification

Altaic, Turkic, Southern, Azerbaijani.

Comments

Dialect differences are slight. The Qazakh dialect is not related to the Kazakh language. Significant differences from South Azerbaijani in phonology, lexicon, morphology, syntax, and loan words. Used in publications. Everyone is familiar with the standardized written and spoken forms. Taught as a second language in Russian language schools. They feel that North and South Azerbaijani are spoken by one people, one ethnic group, but recognize that there are differences in both the spoken and written forms. Each has problems accepting the written form of the other. National language. Dictionary. Grammar. Literacy rate in second language: High. Roman script official. Cyrillic script is widely used in Azerbaijan. Used in schools. Radio programs, TV. Shi'a Muslim, Sunni Muslim (Akiner). Bible 1891.

Also spoken in:

Armenia

Language name	AZERBAIJANI, NORTH
Population	161,000 in Armenia (1993 Johnstone).
Alternate names	AZERI TURK, TURKLER, AZERBAYDZHANI
Dialects	KUBA, DERBENT, BAKU, SEMAKHA, SALIANY, LENKORAN, KAZAKH, AIRYM, BORCALA, TEREKEME, KYZYLBASH, NUKHA, ZAKATALY (MUGALY), KUTKASEN, EREVAN, NAKHICHEVAN, ORDUBAD, KIROVABAD, SUSA (KARABAKH), KARAPAPAK.
Comments	Significant differences from South Azerbaijani in phonology, lexicon, morphology, and syntax. Used in schools, publications. Literacy rate in second language: High. Cyrillic script used in Azerbaijan. Radio programs. Shi'a Muslim. Bible 1891. See main entry under Azerbaijan.