tuk ISO 639
Türkmençe, түркменче (Türkmençe) Autonyms
Turkmen
Visualizations
A language of Turkmenistan
- ISO 639
- tuk
- Alternate Names
- Trukhmen, Trukhmeny, Turkmani, Turkmanian, Turkmenian, Turkmenler, Turkomans, Türkmen dili
- Autonym
- Türkmençe, түркменче (Türkmençe)
- Population
- 4,340,000 in Turkmenistan (2020 World Factbook). Ethnic population: 5,100,000 (2020). Total users in all countries: 6,547,060.
- Location
- Widespread.
- Language Maps
- Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
- Language Status
- 1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Constitution, Article 13).
- Classification
- Turkic, Southern, Turkmenian
- Dialects
- Nokhurli, Anauli, Khasarli, Nerezim, Yomud, Teke (Tekke), Goklen, Salyr, Saryq, Esari, Cawdur. Lexical similarity: 49% with Yakut [sah]; 50% with Chuvash [chv]; 51% with Tuvan [tyv]; 56% with Southern Altai [alt]; 59% with Khakas [kjh]; 65% with Karachay-Balkar [krc] and Tatar [tat]; 67% with Turkish [tur]; 68% with Uyghur [uig]; 69% with Bashkort [bak], Kazakh [kaz], and Kyrgyz [kir]; 71% with Northern Uzbek [uzn]; 72% with North Azerbaijani [azj].
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; no articles; case-marking (5 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; passives; tense; 23 consonant and 9 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; vowel harmony; evidentials.
- Language Use
- Also use Russian [rus].
- Language Development
- Literature. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 2017.
- Writing
- Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], used in Afghanistan and Iran. Cyrillic script [Cyrl], used in Turkmenistan, not used in Afghanistan. Latin script [Latn], official usage in Turkmenistan since 1991.
- Other Comments
- Turkmen in Syria and Iraq displays heavy Turkish [tur] and Arabic influences lexically with some Azeri features. Turkmen in Iran shows many Persian [pes] features. Muslim.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Turkmen
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Badghis, Balkh, Faryab, Herat, Jawzjan, and Kunduz provinces; most live outside cities, including Kabul; northern border of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.
- Dialects
- Ärsare (Arsariy), Shirik, Teke (Taka), Yomut, Bayat, Xatap.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Language Use
- Vigorous. In villages, all domains; in larger cities, home and among other Turkmen. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Most also use Southern Uzbek [uzs], and about 70%–80% can understand it. Also use Dari [prs], but only those living in large cities speak it.
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L2: Very low. Girls and women especially low. In remote areas, few children, especially girls, are able to attend school. Near cities, a sharp increase in the next generation attending school. The Afghanistan Ministry of Education has produced Turkmen language textbooks for first through twelfth grades. But as of Nevember 2021, these materials had not yet distributed to the schools. Taught as subject in some primary schools in grades 1–3.
- Other Comments
- Most Turkmen in Afghanistan use Ärsare. Muslim. View other languages of Afghanistan
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
733,000 in Afghanistan (2021 World Factbook).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Germany
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
1,940 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Turkmen in Iraq displays heavy Turkish [tur] and Arabic influences lexically with some Azeri features. View other languages of Iraq
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
470,000 in Iraq (2020).
- Location
- Golestan, Razavi Khorasan, and North Khorasan provinces: Turkmenistan border area; Mazandaran province: Gonbad-e Kavus and Pahlavi Dezh.
- Dialects
- Anauli, Khasarli, Nerezim, Nokhurli (Nohur), Chavdur, Esari (Esary), Goklen (Goklan), Salyr, Saryq, Teke (Tekke), Yomud (Yomut), Trukmen.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Language Use
- Also use Iranian Persian [pes].
- Other Comments
- Not a literary language in Iran. Many are seminomadic. Ethnic groups: Yomut, Goklan. Turkmen in Iran shows many Persian [pes] features. Muslim. View other languages of Iran
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
746,000 in Iran (2019). Ethnic population: 2,570,000 (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Kyrgyzstan
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
1,200 in Kyrgyzstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 1,400 (2009 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Kazakhstan
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
1,800 in Kazakhstan (Leclerc 2017e).
- Location
- Several refugee camps near Quetta, and in cities.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Muslim. View other languages of Pakistan
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
10,900 in Pakistan (2016).
- Location
- Astrakhan province; Stavropol krai.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Russian Federation
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
30,800 in Russian Federation (2010 census). Ethnic population: 36,900 (2010 census).
- Location
- Khatlon region: scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Tajikistan
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
13,700 in Tajikistan (2012 UNSD). Ethnic population: 32,500 (2017).
- Location
- Tokat province.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Refugees from Afghanistan; now Turkish citizens. Muslim. View other languages of Turkey
Language Name
Turkmen
- Location
- Scattered along Turkmenistan border.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Uzbekistan
Language Name
Turkmen
User Population
197,000 in Uzbekistan (2019).
