Kazakh

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A language of Kazakhstan

ISO 639-3
kaz
Alternate Names
Kaisak, Kazak, Kosach
Autonym
казақ тілі‎ (Qazaq tili), казақша‎ (Qazaqşa)
User Population

9,980,000 in Kazakhstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 10,100,000 (2009 census). Total users in all countries: 12,695,140.

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps
Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Constitution, Article 7(1)).

Classification
Turkic, Western, Aralo-Caspian
Dialects

Northeastern Kazakh, Southern Kazakh, Western Kazakh. Minor dialect differences.

Typology

SOV; postpositions; noun head final; no articles; case-marking (7 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; passives; tense; comparatives; 18 consonant and 9 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on final syllable; vowel harmony.

Language Use

98% speak Kazakh as L1. Positive attitudes. Increasing ethnic pride and feelings of Islamic brotherhood. Also use Northern Uzbek [uzn]. Also use Russian [rus].

Language Development

Increasing education in Kazakh. Taught in most primary and secondary schools; taught as subject in all other schools. Taught in many tertiary schools. Newspapers. Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1820–2011.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kazakh
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], used in China and Iran. Braille script [Brai]. Cyrillic script [Cyrl], used in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Latin script [Latn], used in Turkey.

Other Comments

Seminomadic. Eastern Kirghiz and Western Kirghiz erroneously applied to Kazakh. Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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