Azerbaijani, North

A language of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Azerbaydzhani, Azeri, Azeri Turk

Autonym

Azərbaycan dili, Azərbaycanca

User Population

8,250,000 in Azerbaijan (2011 UNSD). 4,000,000 monolinguals. Total users in all countries: 9,220,620.

Language Maps

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Constitution, Article 21(1)).

Classification

Turkic, Southern, Azerbaijani

Dialects

Quba, Derbend, Baku, Shamakhi, Salyan, Lenkaran, Qazakh, Airym, Borcala, Terekeme, Qyzylbash, Nukha, Zaqatala (Mugaly), Qabala, Nakhchivan, Ordubad, Ganja, Shusha (Karabakh), Karapapak, Kutkashen, Kuba. Slight dialect differences. Qazakh dialect is not related to Kazakh [kaz]. Significant differences from South Azerbaijani [azb] in phonology, lexicon, morphology, syntax, and loanwords. A member of macrolanguage Azerbaijani [aze].

Typology

SOV; postpositions; no articles; case-marking (6 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; passives; tense; 24 consonant and 9 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on final syllable; vowel harmony.

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: High. Taught as L2 in Russian language schools. Literature. Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1891–2009.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Azerbaijani, North

Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], used until 1920s. Braille script [Brai]. Cyrillic script [Cyrl], official usage in Dagestan. Latin script [Latn], official usage in Azerbaijan since 1992.

Other Comments

North and South Azerbaijani are spoken by 1 ethnic group. Each language group is reluctant to accept the written form of the other. Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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Afghanistan

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

13,000 in Afghanistan (2017 J. Leclerc).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Armenia

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

No known L1 speakers in Armenia. Ethnic population: 30 (2001 census).

Location

Scattered.

Alternate Names

Azerbaydzhani, Azeri Turk, Turkler

Dialects

Erevan (Yerevan).

Language Status

9 (Dormant).

Language Use

Shifted to Armenian [hye].

Other Comments

Prior to the conflict with Azerbaijan, Armenia’s largest minority had been Azeris, accounting for some 186,000 people. This population was displaced to Azerbaijan virtually in its entirety as a result of the conflict. Similarly Armenia received an influx of ethnic Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan (2021 World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples). Muslim.

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Georgia

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

239,000 in Georgia (2016).

Location

Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions.

Alternate Names

Azərbaycan dili, Azərbaycanca

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

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Germany

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

27,200 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Kazakhstan

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

62,600 in Kazakhstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 85,300 (2009 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

11,500 in Kyrgyzstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 17,300 (2009 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Latvia

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

2,430 in Latvia (2018).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Latvia

Russian Federation

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

473,000 in Russian Federation (2010 census). Ethnic population: 603,000 (2010 census).

Location

Dagestan republic: south Caucasus mountains, Caspian coast.

Language Status

5* (Dispersed). Provincially recognized language in Dagestan Autonomous Republic (1994, Constitution of Dagestan Autonomous Republic, Article 10).

Language Use

Used as L2 by Muslim Tat [ttt].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Sweden

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

1,990 in Sweden (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Tajikistan

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

5,640 in Tajikistan (2017).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Turkmenistan

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

50,000 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b), based on ethnicity.

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

24,000 in Ukraine (2001 census). Ethnic population: 45,200 (2001 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Uzbekistan

Language NameAzerbaijani, North

User Population

59,600 in Uzbekistan (2019).

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Language Use

Used as L2 by Turkish [tur].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Uzbekistan

Azerbaijani, North

Primary tabs

A language of Azerbaijan

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