kaz ISO 639

казақ тілі‎ (Qazaq tili), казақша‎ (Qazaqşa) Autonyms

Kazakh

  • Geography

    KZ Widespread.
  • Language Cloud

A language of Kazakhstan

kaz
Kaisak, Kazak, Kosach
казақ тілі‎ (Qazaq tili), казақша‎ (Qazaqşa)
9,980,000 in Kazakhstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 10,100,000 (2009 census). Total users in all countries: 12,695,140.
Widespread.
China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
1 (National). Statutory national language (1995, Constitution, Article 7(1)).
Turkic, Western, Aralo-Caspian
Northeastern Kazakh, Southern Kazakh, Western Kazakh. Minor dialect differences. Lexical similarity: 53% with Chuvash [chv]; 55% with Yakut [sah]; 57% with Tuvan [tyv]; 59% with Turkish [tur]; 62% with Northern Azerbaijani [azj]; 66% with Khakas [kjh]; 68% with Southern Altai [alt]; 69% with Turkmen [tuk]; 74% with Karachay-Balkar [krc]; 76% with Uyghur [uig] and North Uzbek [uzn]; 78% with Bashkort [bak]; 79% with Tatar [tat]; 91% with Kyrgyz [kir].
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.
98% speak Kazakh as L1. Positive attitudes. Increasing ethnic pride and feelings of Islamic brotherhood. Also use Northern Uzbek [uzn]. Also use Russian [rus].
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.
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.
Seminomadic. Eastern Kirghiz and Western Kirghiz erroneously applied to Kazakh. Muslim.
OLAC resources in and about Kazakh
Kazakh
2,300 in Azerbaijan (Leclerc 2017b).
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Kazakh
1,250,000 in China (2000 census). 830,000 Northeastern Kazakh, 70,000 Southwestern Kazakh (1982). 1,060,000 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 1,460,000 (2010 census).
Gansu province: Akesai Kazakh autonomous county; Qinghai province: northwest; Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Yili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, Balikun Kazakh and Mulei Kazakh autonomous counties.
Northeastern Kazakh, Southwestern Kazakh.
3 (Wider communication)
Vigorous. All domains. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Some also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn]. Used as L2 by Daur [dta], Ili Turki [ili], Northern Uzbek [uzn], Peripheral Mongolian [mvf], Tatar [tat], Tuvan [tyv], Xibe [sjo].
Literacy rate in L2: 97% (2000 census, Kazak nationality).
Muslim, traditional religion.
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Kazakh
47,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Kazakh
2,900 in Spain (2020 census), based on nationality.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Kazakh
3,000 in Iran (1982).
Golestan province: Gorgan city, Caspian sea area.
5 (Dispersed)
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Kazakh
22,400 in Kyrgyzstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 33,200 (2009 census).
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Kazakh
120,000 in Mongolia (2016), based on ethnicity.
Bayan-Olgiy and Hovd provinces: mining communities east of the capital; far east Choibalsan area.
5 (Dispersed)
Also use Halh Mongolian [khk].
Muslim, traditional religion.
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Kazakh
401,000 in Russian Federation (2010 census). Ethnic population: 648,000 (2010 census).
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Kazakh
1,160 in Sweden (2020 census), based on nationality.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Kazakh
29,000 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b), based on ethnicity.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Kazakh
8,500 in Turkey (2019).
Kayseri province; Manisa province: Salihli district; Istanbul.
5 (Dispersed)
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Kazakh
1,040 in Ukraine (2001 census). Ethnic population: 5,530 (2001 census).
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Kazakh
824,000 in Uzbekistan (2019). Ethnic population: 825,000 (2019 World Factbook).
Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic; Bukhoro, Jizzakh, Navoiy, and Sirdaryo regions.
5 (Dispersed)
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