Uzbek, Southern

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A language of Afghanistan

ISO 639-3
uzs
Alternate Names
Usbeki, Uzbak, Uzbeki
Population

2,910,000 in Afghanistan (2011 UNSD), increasing. 1,000,000 monolinguals. Population total all countries: 2,961,980. Ethnic population: 2,910,000.

Location

Faryab, Saripul, Jawzjan, Balkh, Samangan, Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar, and Badakhshan provinces, in Maimana, Sheberghan, Aqcha, and Saripul towns. Also in Pakistan, Turkey.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication). Statutory language of provincial identity in Fariab, Jawzjan, Saripul, other northern provinces (2004, Constitution, Article 16(2)).

Classification
Altaic, Turkic, Eastern
Dialects

Somewhat intelligible of, but differences in grammar from, Northern Uzbek [uzn]. Many loan words from Dari [prs].

Typology

SOV; postpositions; noun head final; content q-word final; one prefix in words borrowed from Dari [prs], many suffixes (agglutinative); verbal affixation marks of person and number for subject and object; verb tense and aspect marked by suffixes; nontonal; no vowel harmony (unlike some other, closely-related Turkic languages)

Language Use

Vigorous. All domains. All ages. Mostly positive attitudes. City dwellers also use Dari [prs]; village dwellers have limited ability in Dari. A few also use Southern Pashto [pbt].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 20% in Dari [prs]. L1 Literacy in larger towns increasing among younger population. The Afghanistan Ministry of Education has produced Southern Uzbek textbooks for grades 1–3; planned through 12th grade. Taught in secondary schools. Poetry. Magazines. Newspapers. New media. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Bible portions: 2004–2006.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Uzbek, Southern
Writing
Arabic script.
Other Comments

Muslim (Sunni).

Also spoken in:

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