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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Turkmenistan > Turkmen

Turkmen

A language of Turkmenistan

ISO 639-3: tuk

Population	3,430,000 in Turkmenistan (1995). Population total all countries: 6,562,810. Ethnic population: 3,465,000 (1995).
Region	Also in Afghanistan, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russian Federation (Asia), Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey (Asia), United States, Uzbekistan.
Language map	Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
Alternate names	Trukhmen, Trukhmeny, Turkmani, Turkmanian, Turkmenler, Turkomans
Dialects	Nokhurli, Anauli, Khasarli, Nerezim, Yomud, Teke (Tekke), Goklen, Salyr, Saryq, Esari, Cawdur.
Classification	Altaic, Turkic, Southern, Turkmenian
Language use	National language. Also use Russian.
Language development	Newspapers. Radio programs. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1880–1982.
Writing system	Arabic script, used in Afghanistan and Iran. Cyrillic script, used in Afghanistan. Latin script.
Comments	‘Turkmen’ in Syria, and possibly Iraq and Jordan, actually speak an ancient form of Turkmen; so-called ‘Turkmen’ in Tibet may speak a different Turkic language. Agriculturalists: cotton; animal husbandry: sheep; carpet weavers; gas, oil workers. Muslim (Sunni).

Also spoken in:

Afghanistan

Language name	Turkmen
Population	500,000 in Afghanistan (1995).
Region	Turkmenistan border, Fariab and Badghis provinces; Herat City, Andkhoi town.
Language map	Afghanistan
Alternate names	Trukmen, Turkman, Turkoman
Dialects	Salor, Teke (Tekke, Chagatai, Jagatai), Ersari, Sariq, Yomut.
Language use	Also use Southern Pashto [pbt].
Language development	Literacy rate in L2: 15%–25%.
Comments	Refugee group in Kabul. Those called ‘Turkomen’ in Syria are Azerbaijani speakers. Sharp dialect differences. Probably mainly Ersari dialect in Afghanistan. Nomadic, cultivators, pastoralists; Persian lamb export, Persian rugs. Muslim (Hanafi Sunni), traditional religion.

Iran

Language name	Turkmen
Population	2,000,000 in Iran (1997).
Region	Northeast, Mazanderan Province, Turkmenistan border area, Gonbad-e Kavus and Pahlavi Dezh.
Alternate names	Torkomani
Dialects	Anauli, Khasarli, Nerezim, Nokhurli (Nohur), Chavdur, Esari (Esary), Goklen (Goklan), Salyr, Saryq, Teke (Tekke), Yomud (Yomut), Trukmen.
Language use	Most also use Western Farsi [pes].
Comments	Not a literary language in Iran. Many are seminomadic. Ethnic groups: Yomut, Goklan. Agriculturalists: cotton, wheat, barley; animal husbandry: cattle. Muslim (Hanafi Sunni and Shi’a).

Turkey (Asia)

Language name	Turkmen
Population	920 in Turkey (1982).
Region	Tokat Province.
Alternate names	Trukhmen
Comments	Refugees from Afghanistan; now Turkish citizens. Muslim (Sunni).

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

Allyabaeva, Kumush and others. 2002. "Comments on 'Goja Adam' "The Old Man"."

Clifton, John M. 2002. "Alphabets of ten Turkic languages."

Clifton, John M. and Deborah A. Clifton, editors. 2002. Comments on discourse structures in ten Turkic languages.

Gray, David. 2002. "Comments on 'Tazy we tilki' "The dog and the fox"."