tuk ISO 639

Türkmençe, түркменче‎ (Türkmençe) Autonyms

Turkmen

  • Geography

    TM Widespread.
  • Language Cloud

A language of Turkmenistan

tuk
Trukhmen, Trukhmeny, Turkmani, Turkmanian, Turkmenian, Turkmenler, Turkomans, Türkmen dili
Türkmençe, түркменче‎ (Türkmençe)
4,340,000 in Turkmenistan (2020 World Factbook). Ethnic population: 5,100,000 (2020). Total users in all countries: 6,547,060.
Widespread.
Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Constitution, Article 13).
Turkic, Southern, Turkmenian
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].
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.
Also use Russian [rus].
Literature. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 2017.
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.
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.
OLAC resources in and about Turkmen
Turkmen
733,000 in Afghanistan (2021 World Factbook).
Badghis, Balkh, Faryab, Herat, Jawzjan, and Kunduz provinces; most live outside cities, including Kabul; northern border of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.
Ärsare (Arsariy), Shirik, Teke (Taka), Yomut, Bayat, Xatap.
5 (Dispersed)
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.
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.
Most Turkmen in Afghanistan use Ärsare. Muslim.
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Turkmen
1,940 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Turkmen
470,000 in Iraq (2020).
Scattered.
5 (Dispersed)
Non-indigenous. Turkmen in Iraq displays heavy Turkish [tur] and Arabic influences lexically with some Azeri features.
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Turkmen
746,000 in Iran (2019). Ethnic population: 2,570,000 (2019).
Golestan, Razavi Khorasan, and North Khorasan provinces: Turkmenistan border area; Mazandaran province: Gonbad-e Kavus and Pahlavi Dezh.
Anauli, Khasarli, Nerezim, Nokhurli (Nohur), Chavdur, Esari (Esary), Goklen (Goklan), Salyr, Saryq, Teke (Tekke), Yomud (Yomut), Trukmen.
5 (Dispersed)
Also use Iranian Persian [pes].
Not a literary language in Iran. Many are seminomadic. Ethnic groups: Yomut, Goklan. Turkmen in Iran shows many Persian [pes] features. Muslim.
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Turkmen
1,200 in Kyrgyzstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 1,400 (2009 census).
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Turkmen
1,800 in Kazakhstan (Leclerc 2017e).
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Turkmen
10,900 in Pakistan (2016).
Several refugee camps near Quetta, and in cities.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Turkmen
30,800 in Russian Federation (2010 census). Ethnic population: 36,900 (2010 census).
Astrakhan province; Stavropol krai.
5 (Dispersed)
Non-indigenous.
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Turkmen
13,700 in Tajikistan (2012 UNSD). Ethnic population: 32,500 (2017).
Khatlon region: scattered.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Turkmen
Tokat province.
5 (Dispersed)
Non-indigenous. Refugees from Afghanistan; now Turkish citizens. Muslim.
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Turkmen
197,000 in Uzbekistan (2019).
Scattered along Turkmenistan border.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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