kaz ISO 639
казақ тілі (Qazaq tili), казақша (Qazaqşa) Autonyms
Kazakh
Visualizations
A language of Kazakhstan
- ISO 639
- kaz
- Alternate Names
- Kaisak, Kazak, Kosach
- Autonym
- казақ тілі (Qazaq tili), казақша (Qazaqşa)
- 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
- China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
- 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. 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].
- 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.
- 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.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Kazakh
Also Spoken in
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Azerbaijan
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
2,300 in Azerbaijan (Leclerc 2017b).
- Location
- Gansu province: Akesai Kazakh autonomous county; Qinghai province: northwest; Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Yili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, Balikun Kazakh and Mulei Kazakh autonomous counties.
- Dialects
- Northeastern Kazakh, Southwestern Kazakh.
- Language Status
- 3 (Wider communication)
- Language Use
- 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].
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L2: 97% (2000 census, Kazak nationality).
- Other Comments
- Muslim, traditional religion. View other languages of China
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
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).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Germany
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
47,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Spain
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
2,900 in Spain (2020 census), based on nationality.
- Location
- Golestan province: Gorgan city, Caspian sea area.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Muslim. View other languages of Iran
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
3,000 in Iran (1982).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Kyrgyzstan
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
22,400 in Kyrgyzstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 33,200 (2009 census).
- Location
- Bayan-Olgiy and Hovd provinces: mining communities east of the capital; far east Choibalsan area.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Language Use
- Also use Halh Mongolian [khk].
- Other Comments
- Muslim, traditional religion. View other languages of Mongolia
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
120,000 in Mongolia (2016), based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Russian Federation
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
401,000 in Russian Federation (2010 census). Ethnic population: 648,000 (2010 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sweden
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
1,160 in Sweden (2020 census), based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Turkmenistan
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
29,000 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b), based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Kayseri province; Manisa province: Salihli district; Istanbul.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Muslim. View other languages of Turkey
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
8,500 in Turkey (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Ukraine
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
1,040 in Ukraine (2001 census). Ethnic population: 5,530 (2001 census).
- Location
- Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic; Bukhoro, Jizzakh, Navoiy, and Sirdaryo regions.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed) View other languages of Uzbekistan
Language Name
Kazakh
User Population
824,000 in Uzbekistan (2019). Ethnic population: 825,000 (2019 World Factbook).
